Marcu, 1903.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 69 
ORCHIDS IN LEAF-COMPOST. 
‘Some fine forms of Dendrobium nobile are sent from the collection of 
Mrs. Grogan, Slaney Park, Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow (gr. Mr. Oliver). 
Mr. J. H. Grogan remarks :—‘‘I am rather proud of them, as the imported 
‘scraps only cost me 1d. each, and some of them are really fine plants now. 
I don’t think there is any doubt that a mixture of fresh leaves (not leaf- 
mould) is an enormous benefit to Dendrobes. I had bulbs this year of 
D. Wardianum 4 feet long, from scraps that I bought for ros. per hundred.” 
‘The D. nobile forms are certainly well grown, for the flowers are large and 
beautifully developed, and show the usual amount of variation, some of the 
‘forms being very richly coloured. Mr. Grogan emphasises the difference 
between fresh leaves and leaf-mould, and we appreciate the point, but we 
do not know how far it is advisable to use the leaves in an absolutely fresh 
condition. Most of our experts say when just sufficiently decayed to break 
up if rubbed through a coarse sieve, the finer particles being afterwards 
-extracted. The probability is that the roots feed upon the gases liberated 
during the process of decay, and if this is too far advanced they do not 
benefit to the same extent, besides the danger of the compost becoming 
waterlogged. 
COMPOUND HYBRIDS AND NOMENCLATURE. 
AN interesting hybrid from the collection of Reginald Young, Esq., 
Sefton Park, Liverpool, raises a very curious point in nomenclature. It 
was raised from Paphiopedilum xX nitens ? and P. X politum ¢, and 
thus is composed of } each of P. barbatum, P. insigne, P. venustum, and 
P. villosum, and in this respect is identical with P. xX Boyleanum. But 
the latter was obtained from P. X Crossianum ¢ and P. Harrisianum ¢. 
It is curious to note that a hybrid of identical composition might also be 
obtained by crossing P. x Ashburtone and P. Measuresianum. The 
-question then is whether all three should not be considered as forms of 
one? Weare inclined to answer in the affirmative, for it would appear 
that the same result may be arrived at by three different methods. Of 
-course, a series of plants would show a considerable range of variation, 
‘as compound hybrids invariably do, and the more distinct could receive 
varietal names. Thus the present one could be called P. x Boyleanum 
var. Youngii, as, according to the description, it differs from the criginal 
form in having the dorsal sepal closely spotted with brown, and the 
lower halves of the petals somewhat less so. Horticulturally, it can 
‘best be compared with some forms of P. X Ashburtone. 
