316 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [OcTOBER, 1903. 
ORCHID HYBRIDISATION. 
(Continued from page 278.) 
‘WE may now say something about the choice of materials, and the various 
-groups in which useful results have been obtained. 
_ The genus Paphiopedilum first claims our attention, for its hybrids far 
outnumber those of any other, and this is largely due to the ease and 
-certainty with which the seedlings can be raised. The process is remark- 
ably simple, for after the selected cross is made one has only to await the 
ripening of the capsule, and when this event takes place scatter the seeds on 
the compost of some plant that will not require repotting for a long period, 
keep the compost sufficiently moist, and await the appearance of the 
seedlings. In the latter respect they are somewhat erratic, sometimes appear- 
ing very quickly, and at others not until after the lapse of several months 
or more. For this reason little is gained by making up special seed-beds 
for them, as the pans might be thrown away after the lapse of several 
months, under the impression that the seed was bad, because no signs of 
‘germination were visible. 
How long a period may elapse between the sowing of the seed and the 
appearance of the seedlings may be inferred from an article by Mr. 
Reginald Young, of Liverpool, which appeared in these pages in 1898 (C.R., 
vi, pp. 6-8). In reply to the question : “‘ At what date should a sowing be 
written off as a failure? ” he remarked :—‘‘ The very last find I had was 
two seedlings on the 16th December, 1897, the seed having been sown as 
far back as the 7th December, 1895, and I have a récord of still longer 
intervals between the sowing of the seed and the appearance of seedlings. 
Personally, I never cross off any sowing as a failure until the plant on 
which the seed has been sown has been repotted.” And in the case of P. X 
Quirinus he stated that from seed sown in March, 1892, a single seedling 
appeared in January, 1893, and three or four more in January, 1896—a 
curiously long interval (O. R., viii, p. 72). Sowing the seeds on blocks of 
‘wood has with this genus resulted in complete failure, and we believe it is 
chiefly of value for epiphytal species, which, if sown at the proper period, 
begin to germinate almost immediately. 
With respect to the selection of parents one cannot say much, but the 
* records speak for themselves. Probably P. Spicerianum and P. barbatum 
have been the two most popular parents in the past, but more recently 
P. Rothschildianum has proved of great value. P. Charlesworthii has 
also been in request, owing to its beautiful rose-coloured dorsal sepal. 
P. niveum and P. bellatulum have also yielded some excellent results. P: 
Fairrieanum, too, would have to be mentioned were it not for the almost 
impossibility of obtaining pollen to work with, and its hybrids have not 
