﻿THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



[September, 1904. 



" I have tried oak leaves and mould, but so far I cannot say I like them. 

 The Colonial pots are not much good ; they get a lot of slime, &c, on 

 them almost at once (is there any cure for that ?), which seems to send the 

 compost sour quickly. Cattleya Lueddemanniana does no good with me. 

 What is the best way to do it? Also Dendrobium tortile? Is Orchid 

 seed to be procured ? and, if so, where ? If a small quantity would live the 

 voyage, I would like some one to send me a few to try. I raised a fine 

 Cattleya seedling to 2$ years old from the above Mossiae-Mendelii cross, but 

 it died in coming here. However, I will try again. These remarks will 

 show you that the collection is doing well, and I might mention that I have 

 induced five other gentlemen to take the hobby up, too. Wishing your 

 journal prosperity, which I have at all times found of great use to me. 

 " Hamilton, Victoria. " R. M. Poole." 



The photograph sent represents a good plant of Oncidium crispum 

 growing in an eleven-inch basket, and bearing a much-branched inflorescence 

 of about 48 or 50 flowers, but if reduced to the size suitable for these pages 

 we fear the flowers would be too small to be effective. The inflorescence 

 measures 3 feet long by 2! feet broad, and the plant is evidently very 

 healthy. We shall be glad to receive any suggestions on the questions raised, 

 and if any reader can spare a pinch of Orchid seed for Mr. Poole we shall be 

 pleased to forward it to him for trial. It may be remembered that he had to 

 import his Cattleyas, and they appear to have done very well. The hybrid 

 seedling mentioned from Cattleya Mossias and C. Mendelii is very interest- 

 ing, because it was stated at page 222 of a recent issue, on the authority of 

 an expert hybridist, that the two could not be intercrossed. We were rather 

 surprised at the time, but the fact that no hybrid has been recorded between 

 two of our most popular species, which, moreover, are often in flower 

 together, seemed to favour the statement. We should be glad to hear of 

 any other attempts to hybridise these two species that have been made. 



ORCHIDS IN SEASON. 



We are now in the midst of the " dull season " for Orchids, though 

 summer-flowering hybrids have become so numerous that the term is less 

 applicable than formerly. Several beautiful flowers are sent from the col- 

 lection of Francis Wellesley, Esq., Westfield, Woking (gr. Mr. Hopkins). 

 First may be mentioned an eight-flowered inflorescence of the handsome 

 natural hybrid Cattleya X Patrocinii, in which the characters of C. Leopoldi 

 and C. Loddigesii are very effectively combined. The sepals and petals are 

 bright purple, bearing numerous blackish purple spots, and the lip has 

 retained much of the C. Loddigesii character, while in habit the plant most 



