228 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [AucusT, 1909. 
to be a matter of secondary importance, provided always that it contains 
the necessary food supply, and is of the right mechanical texture with 
regard to its moisture-retaining qualities. But the food-supply has to 
come from the compost, and any deficiency in this respect will inevitably 
be seen in the diminished growth of the plants. The addition of loam or 
some similar substance is essential in the case of most terrestrial Orchids, 
and Mr. Bolton seems to find that the marl used answers the purpose. 
Certainly the plant of Cypripedium insigne Sanderz mentioned finds the 
compost and treatment generally all that can be desired. 
Mr. Bolton makes a rather amusing reference to his treatment. He 
says, ‘“‘ According to some ideas, all I do is wrong. My boilers are upside 
down, my pipes are all wrong in arrangement—only one pipe in each house, 
or at most only two. My ventilation is wrong, as we have neither top nor 
bottom air, only a temporary arrangement at each end. The watering is 
. done in a slipshod fashion with a syringe. The pots are all too large; still, 
it takes us all our time to get the plants to stop inside them.” 
After all nothing succeeds like success. We take it that the boilers and 
pipes give the necessary heat. There must be sufficient ventilation or some- 
thing to keep the atmosphere right. The compost contains the necessary 
tood, with sufficient moisture, and not too much of it, or the plants would 
not succeed, which after all is the main thing in Orchid growing. 
ONCIDIUM BRACHYANDRUM. 
AN interesting little Oncidium is sent from the collection of G. H. Peace, 
Esq., Monton Grange, Monton, near Manchester, which is said to have 
been imported with Odontoglossum Cervantesii. It is Oncidium brachy- 
andrum, Lindl. (Sert. Orch., sub. t. 25), described from materials collected 
by Karwinsky, near San Jago el Grande, in the province of Oaxaca, S. 
Mexico. Lindley did not see the leaves or pseudobulbs. The species was 
afterwards obtained by Messrs. Veitch, and Mr. Day bought a plant at a 
sale at Stevens’ Rooms in July, 1868, which is said to have been imported 
with Leelia majalis, albida, &c. The flowers were drawn by Mr. Day in 
July, 1871 (Day Orch. Draw., xvii. t. 3), and materials were sent to 
Reichenbach, who wrote a note about it (Gard. Chron., 1871, p. 1163), giving 
Epidendrum vitellinum as another species with which it was found, so 
that it is evidently one of the typical mountain species. Day did not 
draw the pseudobulbs and leaves, but recorded their characters from the 
imported plants as follows: ‘* Pseudobulbs 1} by 3 inches, rather stout and 
sharp-edged, smooth, very pale green, dotted with small purple dots on the 
upper half. Leaves 2, lanceolate 4 by } inches.” The scapes bear one or 
two flowers, with brown sepals and petals, and a yellow broadly pandurate 
lip. Lindley places the species in his section Integrilabia. 
