72 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [MarcH, 1909 
relationship between the parents, and their antecedent history, but whatever 
the nature of the modification may be in any individual case the question is 
whether the new character is stable, and this can only be ascertained by 
raising a new generation from self-fertilised seeds. This is what has been 
attempted in the experiment now under a and of which the results 
are now beginning to appear. 
The two control experiments described, namely the crossing of the 
hybrid with each of its parents, seem to me to be important, because’ li 
believe that, under the Mendelian expectation, the results, at least 
qualitatively, should be identical in each case, while on the other 
explanation outlined they should be different. Several cases are known 
of the re-crossing of a hybrid with both its parents, and the offspring have 
been again intermediate. 
R. A. ROLFE. 
CYPRIPEDIUM BOXALLII AS A ROOM-PLANT. 
AN Orchid which has seen some curious vicissitudes has been sent from the 
collection of W. H. St. Quintin, Esq., Scampston Hall, Rillington, Yorks 
(gr. Mr. F. Puddle). Mr. St. Quintin writes :— | 
‘“‘ My gardener is sending you a plant of Cypripedium Boxallii that has 
been absolutely without water for over a year. It flowered in January, 1908, 
and being a poor form, was given to one of the young men to throw away. 
Being in flower he took it into the bothy as atable plant. On going into the 
sitting room some weeks later, my gardener found that it had been placed | 
ona shelf near a window and forgotten, and although it had had no water 
it still looked quite fresh. He therefore asked that it might be allowed to 
remain there, and there it has remained unwatered, and now it is 
actually pushing up new growths. Perhaps you will kindly let me have it 
back again when you have seen it, as after all it has gone through I shall 
keep it. It shows how even Cypripediums are much more independent of . 
frequent watering than gardeners generally suppose, and even in the dry 
atmosphere of a dwelling house.” 
It is a good strong plant, with over a dozen leaves, which have become 
much shrivelled, but the younger are healthy, and the young growths are as 
vigorous as needs be. The ball of compost seems quite dry and light, and 
the plant does not seem to have suffered more than some imported plants 
The roots, of course, remain intact, and there is good reason to believe that 
it will soon be a good plant again, though the older leaves can scarcely 
recover. It is surprising that the plant has not suffered more under the 
circumstances. C. Boxallii is an easily grown species, which succeeds 
under moderately cool conditions, and although the treatment described is 
far from ideal, a lesson may possibly be learnt from it. 
