86 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [MaRcH, 1907. 
MANCHESTER AND NORTH OF ENGLAND ORCHID. 
A MEETING of this Society was held at the Coal Exchange, Manchester, 
on January 24th last, when the display of Orchids was not large, doubtless 
owing to the presence of ten degrees of frost, but a few good things put in 
an appearance. The members of the Committee present were :—E. ‘Ash- 
worth, Esq., Chairman, and Messrs. Cowan, Cypher, Keeling, Parker, 
Rogers, Sander, Shill, P. Smith, Thorp, Upjohn, Warburton, Ward, 
Williamson, and P. Weathers (hon. sec.) 
A. Warburton, Esq., Haslingden, received a Silver Medal for a good 
group, one of the most noteworthy plants in it being the beautiful 
Cypripedium X aureum virginale. Awards of Merit were given to 
Cypripedium X Tracyanum and C. x Miss Louisa Fowler. 
G. F. Moore, Esq., Bourton-on-the- Water, received an Award of Merit 
for Cypripedium xX G. F. Moore, a handsome hybrid between C. x Sallieri 
and C. x Mrs. Wm. Mostyn. 
Messrs. James Cypher & Sons, Cheltenham, received a Silver-gilt Medal 
for a handsome group, in which some beautiful white forms of Lzelia anceps 
were conspicuous. 
Messrs. Charlesworth & Co., Heaton, Bradford, received a First-class 
Certificate for the beautiful Brassocattleya x Queen Alexandra, and an 
Award of Merit for Cypripedium x Fred Hardy magnificum. 
Messrs. Sander & Sons, St. Albans, received an Award of Merit for 
Saccolabium bellinum giganteum. 
Messrs. Keeling & Sons, Bradford, staged a small group of Orchids. 
ORCHIDS FOR AMATEURS. 
(Continued from vol. xiv. p. 347). 
THE question of suitable staging is another very important matter when 
an ordinary greenhouse is turned into an Orchid house. A close, flat- 
topped stage tends to produce a stagnant atmosphere round the plants, 
which is particularly injurious to Orchids, and is only partially remedied 
by the practice, sometimes adopted, of standing them on inverted flower 
pots. An open trellis- work stage, placed so as to bring the plants 
sufficiently near to the glass, is of the greatest utility in Orchid culture. 
But a close-bottomed stage placed some little distance below this, and 
filled with some moisture-retaining material, such as coke, is also of 
service, as it gives off a healthy moisture, and cuts off currents of dry 
air which reach the plants too directly when open stages alone are used. 
The double stage is now generally acknowledged to be an important aid 
to successful Orchid culture, if not absolutely essential. The lower stage 
is, of course, horizontal, but the other should be in steps, to suit the 
Es nn ee a eee 
