jo THE ORCHID REVIEW. [Marcu, 1906. 
and each spike was carrying two or three white spicy-scented flowers, the 
aggregate number of spikes being 1,700, carrying in all over 4,000 flowers. 
Being a compact growing subject, throwing its flowers well above the dark- 
green foliage, M. tovarensis is indeed an extremely charming Orchid, anda 
valuable plant for decorative purposes, especially when seen in such 
luxuriant health as are these plants under Mr. Salter’s skilful management. 
The plants are grown in moderately shallow pans, about eight or nine 
inches in diameter. Good drainage being essential, the pans are about half 
filled with broken potsherds ; over these a layer of moss is placed, and in 
potting the plants are placed so that the surface of the compost is about 
level with the rim of the pan. The rooting medium is composed of fibrous 
peat and live sphagnum-moss in equal parts, and a very small quantity of 
leaf soil mixed with it. Plenty of living heads of sphagnum-moss are put 
on the surface, and by the time the plants are in full growth, the whole of 
the compost is covered with living moss. After the disturbance caused by 
re-potting, the plants are yery carefully watered, but when they commence 
to make roots and new leaves, water is again supplied liberally and con- — 
tinued through the growing season. This Masdevallia should be grown in 
the Cool house from April until October, and requires an abundance of ait 
and shade. From October till April the plants thrive best in an inter- 
mediate temperature. On the day of my visit to Woodhatch, the 
temperature of the house was 57 degrees at 4 p.m.—W. H. W. in Gard. 
Chron., 1906, i., p. 14. 
HARDY ORCHIDS FROM SEED. 
A CORRESPONDENT writes :—I am anxious to try my hand at raising 
seedlings of hardy Orchids,“and even at hybridising if possible. I have had 
to sow seeds of various terrestrial Orchids from China, &c., and have also 
sown a lot of home-saved seeds of Cypripedium, but so far have little but _ 
failure to chronicle. Iam aware that even the kinds grown in warm houses 
‘take a considerable time to germinate, but I would be glad to have any 
advice you can give me, also any literature you can recommend me to get» 
There may be insuperable difficulties in the way, but I think it would be @ 
triumph if we could obtain hybrids of hardy Orchids.” 
The letter recalls an article on the subject which appeared in our first 
volume (pp. 246-248), summarising what was then known on the subjects 
and we do not remember any sub q inf ion of i The 
secret, if there is any, seems to be to sow the seeds cinder suitable con 
ditions (and by this is meant conditions under which the parents 
succeed), keep the surroundings fairly moist, keep weeds and predacious 
insects in check, and await the result. We have seen self-sown Orchis 
era 
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