DECEMBER, 190 3.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 373 
constitution, and easy culture, and as the handsome flowers remain fresh 
for a very long time, they are especially valuable for cutting and decorative 
purposes. At the present time there are a great number of C. insigne 
varieties in commerce, some of them better than others, and the best 
certainly deserve a place in every collection. In C. insigne Maulei and 
Chantini we have varieties that will take a lot of beating, but undoubtedly 
the one to grow is C. insigne Sander. This is certainly a most beautiful © 
and distinct variety, and is gradually becoming more plentiful in cultivation. 
The best time to re-pot C. insigne is immediately after flowering. It 
requires no special kind of compost, as I have seen it well grown and 
flowered when potted like an ordinary stove or greenhouse plant, and it will 
thrive in almost any house where frost is excluded, proper attention being 
given to watering, etc. 
The Oncidiums are now very gay, particularly O. crispum, Forbesii, 
varicosum, and tigrinum. ‘The flowers of these beautiful plants, arranged 
as they are in loose branching panicles, might almost be compared to 
swarms of gay butterflies. Several smaller species are also now very 
effective ; amongst them may be mentioned the elegant O. cheirophorum. 
Trichosma suavis should be grown by everyone; it flowers freely at this 
season, and is deliciously fragrant, besides being of easy culture. Sophronitis 
grandiflora, Maxillaria picta, and Lelia X Eyermaniana are now well out, 
together with a number of less showy things, and altogether the houses are 
particularly gay at present. 
Among the many plants now throwing spikes must be enumerated 
Cymbidium Lowianum, Odontoglossum Edwardi, Maxillaria grandiflora, 
Odontoglossum Rossii, O. Cervantesii, O. maculatum, O. X Humeanum;, 
Oncidium incurvum, and QO. macranthum, together with numerous others, 
which will form materials for some future notes. 
HABENARIA CARNEA. 
. See FRONTISPIECE. . 
Tuer Frontispiece to the present volume represents a very remarkable 
specimen of Habenaria carnea, from the collection of i J. Elwes, eq. 
Colesborne Park, near Cheltenham (gr. Mr. Walters). It is a fine example 
of cultural skill. Last year the plant bore three fine spikes, and received a 
Cultural Commendation from the R.H.S., on October 21st, but this year 
it has produced no less than eight spikes, as shown. The photograph here 
reproduced has been kindly sent by Mr. Elwes, who, with his able gardener, 
must be congratulated on the production of such a beautiful specimen. It 
would be interesting to have a few particulars of the method of treatment 
adopted. 
