40 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [FEBRUARY, 1903. 
by a perfume! As far as my observation goes, this aspect does not appeal 
to our hybridists, and I have heard of no crosses having been made with the 
object of transferring a perfume. Some time ago I crossed Odontoglossum 
triumphans, also Cattleya intermedia and Oncidium Marshallianum, with 
pollen from Burlingtonia fragrans. My professional friends smiled at 
these crosses, and expected nothing from them; but in due course a fine 
seed pod developed on each species, and in time ripened and burst, full of 
apparently good seed. I sowed some out of each pod a few months ago, 
but so far I have not had any results. It may be too soon to 
expect seedlings yet, but the seed was pronounced by an expert to be 
apparently all right, and capable of germination; and if it does fail, I 
shall be more inclined to think it is because of my total lack of experience 
in the sowing of the seed rather than the fault of the seed itself. 
I have followed the notes on the subjéct of leaf-mould in the REVIEW 
with interest, and in the spring of last year I decided to give it a trial. The 
result was good with Oncidiums, but more particularly so with Odonto- 
glossum grande. I have about a score plants of these in five-inch pots, out 
of which in previous years I flowered two or three only. Last spring I 
potted them in a mixture of oak and beech leaves collected the previous 
November, and which after collecting I had steeped for a mcenth in a tub 
of very weak liquid cow dung. The result has been most flattering. 
Almost every plant bloomed last autumn, with three and four large flowers on 
every spike, while the bulbs finished up twice as large as in previous years, 
and in some cases there were breaks from old back bulbs which developed 
nice bulbs. The other day (January roth) I turned a few of the plants out. 
They were perfectly dry, having had no water for the last month or more, 
and I found the roots in every case had reached the bottom of the pots, 
_ right through the centre of the compost, and were in a healthy, vigorous 
condition, and the compost quite fresh and sweet. 
On the other hand, about 4o plants of Lelia Jongheana, which I potted 
in leaf mould (not steeped in the liquid dung in this case) have not done 
well, and on turning out the plants I find the roots have mostly rotted, 
though I have kept them well on the dry side. This species seems to be 
peculiarly liable to damp off, and in my experience the roots like to ramble 
in the air outside the pots; so I conclude that leaf-mould is not a suitable 
compost for the species. 
This has been an exceptionally cold and wet year with me, unfavourable 
to almost every species, hence I have been much gratified by my success 
with Odontoglossum grande, and I am now trying leaf-mould with other 
Odontos, and I should welcome the experience of other amateurs on the 
subject. 
ELinm. DD; Lirris: 
** Beechwood,” Rishton, Lancs. 
