20 : _ THE ORCHID REVIEW. [JANUARY, 1903. 
their natural covering, which serves to protect them from excessive drying 
by sun or artificial heat. Amongst the arguments for this stripping practice, 
is that it is necessary to rid the plants of insect pests, and that the skin holds 
the moisture, thus tending to cause the bulb to decay. In answer to the 
first excuse, I admit that this in some cases may be necessary. When 
white scale gets established, it is difficult to eradicate it without removing 
the skin; but we will assume that, in well-cared-for collections, such 
instances are few. To the second argument, extenuating circumstances 
may be urged. Such plants as Cattleya Bowringiana, with its cup-like 
receptacles, will often hold water; but if this is detrimental, is it not rather 
owing to defective management of the atmospherical conditions? And, in 
most cases, excessive moisture will be avoided by just splitting the top of 
the skin, without stripping it all off. Old garden practices die hard, but we 
see very little now of the old method of scraping vines, which was so much 
the rule some years ago. Growers have come to ‘the conclusion that such 
barbarism is both detrimental and useless. If to vines, then, which have 4 
much harder tissue, why should not the Same consideration be shown to 
Orchids also, which are more tender and succulent? In conclusion, let me 
appeal to amateurs to leave their C. Mossiz and C. Schreedere in their 
natural state, when they will find less of that mysterious abeyance of the 
leading nodes or eyes, often losing a season. The bulbs also will not suffer 
so much in the resting season. 
if 8 
THEODOREA GOMEZOIDES. 
A VERY interesting little botanical Orchid flowered with Mr. F. W. Moore 
at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, in September, 1900, and recently 
with Sir Trevor Lawrence, at Burford, the latter having received it from M. 
Binot, Brazil, as Rodriguezia sp. It proves to be Theodorea gomezoides, 
described by M. Barbosa Rodrigues in 1877 (Gen. and Sp. Orch. 
145) as a new genus, and has been recently recognised among Brazilian 
plants collected by Dr. Glaziou. It belongs to the tribe Oncidiez, and is 
allied to Gomeza and the genera of that affinity, of which there are several 
not often seen in the gardens. The plant has the general habit of some 
small, slender Oncidium, about five or six inches high, but the flowers are 
borne in slender arching racemes, of about six to twelve each. The sepals 
and petals are subconnivent, lanceolate, acute, four to five lines long, and 
light green in colour, with a broad dark brown line towards the base. The 
lip is oblong-ovate, acute, somewhat reflexed at the apex, and white, with 
an orange buff blotch in the centre. It appears to be a free growing little 
plant, and its appearance in cultivation is interesting. 
nov. 1. P- 
R. A. RourFeE. 
