i6 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



[October, 1914- 



nutriment. This is all in keeping with an old 

 and unsatisfactory method of treatment. The 

 practice of growing these plants in masses 

 must be discontinued, for except in the most 

 experienced hands no good results are ever 

 achieved. 



The strongest plants should be selected, 

 either from a recent importation or else from 

 good healthy stock and reduced to pieces, 

 consisting of about three strong bulbs and a 

 vigorous lead. These should be placed singly 

 in pots of a suitable size, and secured to an 

 upright support firmly fixed witli its base in 

 the crocks, yet sufficiently tall to allow of one 

 or two new leading bulbs being made, always 

 remembering that the rhizome of this species 

 is considerably elongated and thus arranges 

 the bulbs several inches apart. A light 

 compost in which plenty of sphagnum moss 

 is incorporated should be used. 



A good growing atmosphere is very 

 essential, and an intermediate-house tempera- 

 ture will be required. A day temperature of 

 75 degrees does not appear to be too much 

 when the plants are in a growing condition. 

 Of course, during the resting season a 

 somewhat drier atmosphere of lower tempera- 

 ture will suffice to maintain the plants in a 

 healthy existence. Many aerial roots are 

 formed, which in course of time find their way 

 down to the compost and freely enter it in 

 search of food. When growth is being 

 produced frequent syringing of the plants 

 and surrounding staging, etc., will be required 

 to ensure a suitably moist condition. 



The above method therefore differs 

 considerably from the old way of growing the 

 species in masses. By treating each separate 

 growth, with its accompanying two or three 

 bulbs, as a separate plant remarkable success 

 is secured, so much so that immense bulbs are 

 made which yield strong and erect many- 

 flowered spikes of considerable utility. When 

 properly grown after this style O. flexuosum 

 is very much more graceful than the larger 

 flowered O. varicosum, and what is perhaps of 

 still greater importance, there is little fear of 

 the plants exhausting themselves and coming 

 to a speedy death as is so often e.xperienced 

 with the last-mentioned plant. 



CYPRIPEDIUM CONSTANCE. 



IT is very doubtful whether our most recent 

 productions in hybrid Cypripediums are 

 as graceful as those of former days. 

 Fashion is mainly responsible for the broad 

 and heavily built lateral petals which are 

 almost always to be seen on present-day 

 certificated plants, and while it is the aim of 

 most hybridists to further accentuate these 

 much esteemed and so-called good points it 

 is questionable whether the real beauty of the 

 flower is thereby enhanced. 



The illustration of Cypripedium Constance 

 shows that an attractive flower may be 

 produced in quite another style, and this by 

 the elongation and decorative nature of the 

 lateral petals. C. Constance is the result of 

 crossing Curtisii with Stonei, and first 

 appeared in the collection of Mr. D. O. 

 Drewett during the year 1890. 



It was, however, not long before better 

 results were achieved by Messrs. Veitch, who 

 flowered a very superior variety produced by 

 the use of the remarkable form of Stonei 

 known as platytaenium. This was named 

 James H. Veitch and obtained a First-class 

 Certificate, Royal Horticultural Society, 

 August 28th, 1894. Under the recognised 

 rules of nomenclature the earliest name is 

 always adopted, and for that reason Cyp. 

 James H. Veitch must be regarded as a 

 variety of Cyp. Constance, the parentage 

 being practically identical. 



m U & 



Cypripedium Io. — This attractive hybrid, 

 of which we give an illustration, is the result 

 of crossing Argus with Lawrenceanum, and 

 was originally raised by Mr. N. C. Cookson, 

 Wylam-on-Tyne. It has been said that " it 

 bears the name Io in honour of her Royal 

 Highness Io, daughter of King Inachus. Io 

 having smiled in too gracious a way on 

 Jupiter, had the sad fate to be changed into 

 a cow by Juno, for a time, during which 

 herbivorous period of her life she was watched 

 by the hundred-eyed Argus. Now this 

 Cypripedium being like Argus has been 

 named Io in order to associate the two 

 together." 



