NOVEMBER, 1903.]| THE ORCHID REVIEW. 349 
P. astrophora bears numerous purple star-like flowers, which look quite 
imposing with the aid of a powerful lens. It is one of the chief faults of 
some of these little gems that they are so small, but there is the 
corresponding advantage that they take up very little room: as a matter of 
fact quite a collection of them can be accommodated by fixing up a few 
yards of wire, and suspending them in a suitable house. 
Quite a batch of Polystachyas are in flower, the species including P. 
rufinula, P. odorata, and P. tessellata, from Tropical Africa, P. anceps from 
Madagascar, P. bicolor (Rolfe), a near ally of P. rufinula, from the Seychelle 
Islands, and P. odorata from Tropical America. Other rarities include 
Macradenia lutescens, from Guiana, Dendrobium capituliflorum, Epiden- 
drum vesicatum, Lanium Berkeleyi, several Bulbophyllums, and a number 
‘of others which must be passed over unnoticed. 
Paphiopedilums are well represented, and include the beautiful P. insigne 
Sandere, a neat little group of P. Charlesworthii and P. Spicerianum, the 
richly coloured P. X marmorophyllum, P. X Fitchianum, and a number of 
other hybrids, while Phragmopedilum Schlimii and some of its hybrids are 
also flowering freely. The graceful Spathoglottis Hardingiana is also 
producing several racemes of its bright purple flowers, and with them is one 
inflorescence of a lilac-coloured variety. 
ele ea 
RAISING ORCHIDS FROM SEED. 
BEGINNERs in Orchid hybridisation often experience a difficulty in getting 
the seeds to germinate, and in getting the young seedlings over the early 
stages, and anything which tends to simplify matters is welcomed. It is 
highly important to. keep the seed-bed in a proper state of humidity, and 
Mr. W. Page, gardener to G. F. Moore, Esq.,of Bourton-on-the- Water, finds 
that small frames inside the house, containing a layer of sphagnum moss 
at the bottom, on which the pots are stood, are extremely useful. The 
seeds are sown, some on blocks of larch and some on pots of cocoa-nut 
fibre, and placed in these frames, and covered with a hand-light. It has 
proved a great success for Cattleyas, Lzlias and Brassavolas, of which 
about 35 different crosses have been raised this year. A large number of 
Cypripedes are also coming up now from seeds sown on the old plants 
about a year ago. This is considered the best time to sow the seeds, as the 
old plants need less water, and there is less danger of the seeds being 
washed away. It is interesting to find that the seedlings of Zygopetalum X 
Cymbidium, already noted in these pages, are now apparently large enough 
to flower at any time, and that those from Cattleya citrina x Brassavola 
Digbyana are progressing favourably. In both cases the flowering is 
awaited with interest. 
