January, igi6.] 



THK ORCHID \V()R[J). 



77 



MILTONIA VEXILLARIA 

 HESPERIA. 



SOME few years ago, when interest was 

 being" awakened m Miltonias of the 

 vexillaria section, it occurred to M. 

 Vuylsteke that a blotched type m the way of 

 the then highly valuable G. D. Owen variety 

 might be produced by crossing Leopoldii with 

 another of the autumn-flowering varieties of 

 vexillaria. Consequently he fertilised Leopoldii 

 with vexillaria robusta, which belongs to a 

 distinct type now rarely seen, but distinguished 

 by bearing very large flowers during the 

 autumn months. The anticipated success of 

 producing an autumn-flowering type with the 

 labellum heavily blotched was not realised, 

 for when the seedlings flowered there was no 

 blotching to be seen on any of the labellums. 

 Nevertheless, the seedlings were not entirely 

 worthless, for the flowers were unusually 

 large ; the best were distributed under the 

 name M. vexillaria Dulcis. 



At a later date Messrs. Charlesworth and 

 Co. made a somewhat similar experiment by 

 crossing Leopoldii with an autumn-flowering 

 variety of vexillaria, but not of the robusta 

 type. The results were unsatisfactory, for 

 although the shape of the Leopoldii labellum 

 was inherited the characteristic blotch of 

 colour never appeared. As these seedlings 

 were of practically the same origin as those 

 raised by M. Vuylsteke they were also named 

 and distributed as M. vexillaria Dulcis. 



Following the many successful results 

 obtained by crossing a hybrid with one of its 

 parents, Messrs. Charlesworth decided to carry 

 their experiment a step further by again 

 making use of Leopoldii. Accordingly, 

 Leopoldii was crossed with their vexillaria 

 Dulcis, and of the several plants already 

 flowered from this seed-pod each one has the 

 labellum blotched with dark crimson, as well 

 as inheriting the cup-shaped habit of 

 Leopoldii. This interesting result has been 

 named M. vexillaria Hesperia. 



The blotched labellum of M. vexillaria G. 

 D. Owen has always been a mystery, but the 

 above results suggest that it is due to the 

 influence of M. Leopoldii. 



SELF HELF^ IN WAR TIME. 



THE great and increasing shortage of 

 labour in our Orchid houses during 

 these troubled times may well be the 

 means of inducing some amateurs with the 

 necessary time at their disposal to take a 

 more practical interest in their plants, and 

 that a new and lasting pleasure may be 

 gained in ministering to their wants, and thus 

 prove some slight distraction from ever- 

 present anxieties. 



It is proposed in these notes to recount the 

 methods employed by the writer, and to base 

 the advice offered on questions asked by other 

 amateurs and the difficulties which appear to 

 have arisen m their first efforts at practical 

 work. 



The processes of potting, the staging and 

 arranging of plants, and the removal of scale 

 may well be undertaken ; but watering should 

 be exclusively m the hands of one man — the 

 grower left in charge. Some assistance, 

 however, may be given in damping down, 

 shading and ventilating. 



When more experience is gained, the 

 hybridising, sowing, and prickmg-off of 

 seedlings can be undertaken. And in this 

 matter what greater pleasure could be 

 obtained than the full sense of ownership 

 experienced in having transferred the pollen, 

 gathered the ripe fruit, sowed the seed, and 

 brought to the stage of flower production 

 some new hybrid. Or, of having thought out 

 and invented a flower which had no previous 

 existence in Nature and which might challenge 

 and even surpass the efTorts of that master 

 cultivator. 



A first attempt at practice may be made 

 with potting", where an important point at once 

 arises in the choice of the right time to under- 

 take this operation. In the case of Cattleyas 

 a new set of green roots will be found at 

 various periods, issuing from the base of the 

 last flowering growth ; this should be the 

 moment selected, as the plant will then 

 become quickly re-established. Difficult cases 

 will arise with the numerous complex hybrids, 

 but except when the bud is actually appearing 

 in the flower sheath, the appearance of new 



VOL. VI. 



II 



