106 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [ APRIL, 1907 
sceptrum and Wilckeanum albens both have perfectly white columns, but. 
Vuylstekei has a very rich crimson brown headed one, and this points to 
another source entirely, and that is O.crispum. There is no doubt of their 
being triumphans in it, and the column thus decidedly gives evidence of 
crispum. The lip is indisputably that of a fine O. x loochristiense (many 
of Mons. Vuylsteke’s own raising being very similar), and always having a 
white ground colour, could not have been produced by sceptrum, which 
must influence some of them to be yellow. Again, the colour of the brown 
blotching in the petals gives evidence of Wilckeanum albens, whose crimson 
shade of brown is so bright as compared to the ordinary Wilckeanum 
browns. Reviewing all this by the light of other hybrids which give evidence 
(both negative as well as positive being valuable), I have come to the con- 
clusion that it was raised from a fine loochristiense crossed by Wilckeanum 
albens. 
O. X loochristiense began blooming out of the crispum importations in 
1888, and was not recognised, but called ‘‘excellens” for some time after- 
wards, and only when M. Vuylsteke raised it was it acknowledged by all to be 
a hybrid of crispum X triumphans, and anent this subject I may refer to my 
article ‘‘ QO. excellens and O. loochristiense ”’ (Gard. Chron. March 16, 1901, 
p- 166), in which I disentangled these two hybrids. Subsequently to: 
writing that, I found in Baron Schréder’s collection a plant that had heen 
bought as a “‘Nat. Hyb.” on May 26, 1888, which I did not see in bloom 
till Dec. 17, 1901. DE B. CRAWSHAY. 
It seems agreed that O. triumphans is in some way concerned in the 
parentage of this hybrid, but it may have come through O. x loochrist- 
iense. I suggested O. triumphans and O. x Wilckeanum (O.R. xX. P- 
170), giving half O. triumphans and one-quarter each O. crispum and O- 
luteopurpureum. The suggestion now made would give half O. crispum 
and one quarter each O. triumphans and O. luteopurpureum. A good way 
of settling the matter would be to make the cross suggested.—R. A. R. 
CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR APRIL, 
By W. P. Bounp, Gatton Park, Reigate. 
SPRAYING.—This essential aid to healthy growth will soon become 
general on all the varieties that are benefitted by overhead spraying, but it 
must only be carried out when the outside conditions are favourable. It 1S: 
also very important for some time yet that it be done early enough in the 
day for the foliage to become dry before evening. 
Most of the Cypripediums and all the Odontoglossums luxuriate when 
they can be well sprayed. In the Cattleya houses, especially if these are 
naturally dry, the plants will be helped considerably with a spraying, but 
