JUNE, 1903.| THE ORCHID REVIEW. 167 
for in one small compartment we counted 145 capsules just on the point of 
maturity, all of them the result of intercrossing choice varieties. It was a 
most interesting sight, and if only a small proportion of the seeds germinate 
something remarkable should result. We believe that something further 
could have been shown to us, for we heard rumours of something more 
behind, of seeds sown on canvas, &c., &c., but we had not time to note 
down all that we saw, and shall not go further into what was a matter of 
hearsay only. M. Linden and his able manager, M. Van Cauwenberghe, 
have certainly attained something near perfection in the culture of their 
plants, and the chief factors of success they believe to be—aération, the 
careful regulation of water at different periods of growth, proper treatment 
during the resting period, and a suitable temperature. Other details, such 
as the nature of the compost and character of the receptacles, are 
considered to be of secondary importance, and, in view of the diversity of 
‘opinion and practice among successful growers as to some of the latter — 
details, we fully concur in this opinion. 
CATTLEYA x THAYERIANA. 
AN illustration showing a house of seedling Cattleyas raised by Mr. E. O. 
Orpet, in the collection of E. V. R. Thayer, Esq., South Lancaster, Mass., 
U.S.A., is given in American Gardening for February 28th last (p. 138, 
fig. 32), accompanied by an interesting note on Cattleya x Thayeriana, 
and the Compost question, by Mr. Orpet, part of which is reproduced here. 
A note which appeared that Cattleya x Thayeriana was about to flower 
freely, induced Mr. Orpet to count the number of growths that are now 
flowering or are about to flower this spring. “ By actual count there are 
157, the number of plants being about fifty. Many of them flowered 
during last October and November, and will do so the coming weeks, for we 
find that seedling Orchids frequently flower twice a year, and it is often 
possible here to decorate a dinner table with this Cattleya alone—a circum- 
stance not duplicated elsewhere. 
“‘ The parentage of this cross is C. intermedia x C. Schedere, the 
former parent producing quantity and the latter giving breadth to the 
parts, the lip being always of fine proportions. The largest number yet 
seen is seven flowers on the spike, and the colour being of a uniform 
delicate pink, sometimes almost white, with a tinge of violet purple on the 
lip ; often it is present, as in the variety superba, in the form of an inverted 
V-shaped blotch of colour. 
“The seed was sown in April, 1897, and many of the plants now 
occupy sixteen-inch pots or pans, some of which have six growths to flower 
soon, and the vigour of these cannot be appreciated unless seen. This 
