FEBRUARY, 1908. | THE ORCHID REVIEW. 39 
ORCHIDS AT ELMWOOD, CROYDON. 
THIS is one of the most important collections of Orchids near London, 
and, notwithstanding its nearness to the smoke, a singular lot of subjects 
that defy many growers to cultivate with any measure of success are found 
growing here quite freely. Mr. W. H. Young has been in charge here for 
a period of ten years, and during that time has dabbled a good bit in 
hybridisation, aiming more at obtaining genuine novelties than repeating 
crosses the results of which are known. Seedlings which require great 
skill and patience in raising have also been worked hard at, notably 
Sophronitis grandiflora crosses, and a most interesting series of these bril- 
liant little hybrids have been raised. 
The Cattleya house contains a good. number of hybrids, principally 
home-raised crosses, a few C. X Fabia being lately in flower. Léeelio- 
cattleya Baroness Schréder X Sophronitis grandiflora, and Cattleya Triane 
X Brassavola venosa, should prove interesting. Lelia Jongheana Kromeri, 
which is probably the darkest form of this species which has yet flowered, 
is represented by a good number of strong plants, which grow very freely 
here. A couple of dozen Cattleya gigas have become interesting from 
the fact that out of the four that have bloomed two have proved to be C. 
Dowiana aurea. The Cattleya Mendelii varieties include Mrs. Shee, Her 
Majesty and His Majesty, the two latter having received the premier 
award at Manchester. Most of the albino Cattleyas are represented. A 
plant of Zygopetalum Gautieri, growing on a piece of tree fern, flowers 
every year without disturbance. There is also grown with the Cattleyas 
a good collection of Cymbidiums, while along the centre of the middle 
stage are a number of Sobralias, the varieties alba and xantholeuca being 
very fine. S. Sanderiana has reeds eight feet high. A fine specimen of 
Epidendrum x Endresio-Wallisii has thirteen stems, five of which are 
flowering, some of the stems being 23ft. high. Diurus longifolia is a 
unique botanical species from West Australia. It is of bulbous growth, 
with flowers somewhat resembling a brown vetch. Cattleya Mossiz Elm- 
wood var. and C. labiata Elmwood var. are both exceedingly dark in colour 
and fine shape. A great many things rarely met with are accommodated 
with the Cattleyas, which are growing in a house which would be generally 
condemned as being much too lofty for its work, and the wood work is 
much too heavy, but the plants generally are clean and in excellent con- 
dition. It is satisfactory to find representatives of widely different genera 
doing so well under the one roof, and the happy condition of the plants 
speaks well for the care taken and the cultural capabilities of Mr. Young. 
In the Odontoglossum house considerable progress has been made 
in recent years in the raising of seedlings, and we encounter a lot 
