'IIII-: ORCIIII) WORLD 



55 



;itmosi)hcrc that is dead and laden with an 

 excess of moisture. There is just sufficient 

 movement of the atmosphere to cause the 

 leaves of this plant to sway to and fro, and 

 althouj4h at times this is hardly perceptible 

 it proves quite sufficient to prevent the leaves 

 decaying" at their tips. This season one bulb 

 produced seven flowers, while another plant 

 of the same species is now in liloom for the 

 fourth time this year, and has yielded 

 fourteen flowers m all. 



Odontoglossums are well represented and 

 include good forms of crispum, both plain and 

 blotched varieties, excellens, citrosmum, 

 Hallio-crispum, crispo-Harryanum, pulchellum 

 and Conqueror, the latter being a model 

 flower with broad segments blotched with 

 violet-purple. Strong plants of O. Edwardii 

 and many of its hybrids are growing with 

 considerable vigour. Odontiodas are best 

 represented by Charlesworthii and rosefield- 

 iensis. Growing with these are several 

 Oncidiums, of which varicosum and sarcodes 

 m.ay be considered the most showy. 



Epidendrum vitellinum with its erect spikes 

 of orange-red flowers, and the curious Acineta 

 chrysantha grow well in this house. There 

 is also a robust plant of Ccelogyne brunnea 

 with extra large flowers. Vandas coerulea 

 and Amesiana are represented, although the 

 latter is found to be much the easier one to 

 cultivate successfully. Cypripediums have 

 yielded a considerable amount of bloom, the 

 varieties including insigne Harefield Hall, 

 insigne Sanderae, Juno, Baron Schroder, 

 Charlesworthii, nitens, Euryades, Maudia? and 

 Franconia, all being selected varieties. 



Along the back row are several strong 

 growing plants of Cymbidiums, including 

 Tracyanum, giganteum and Lowianum. The 

 interesting Bulbophyllum Godseffianum with 

 its wonderfully constructed labelluni is a 

 continued source of interest. Laelia Jongheana 

 and Sophronitis grandiflora also find a home 

 m this house. 



The Cattleya house is well constructed with 

 double staging and an ample amount of 

 hot-water piping, thus ensuring the minimum 

 amount of labour. Quite a miniature 

 exhibition has lately been given by the 



various C'attle)as and other autumn-flowering 

 Orchids. .Several richly coloured varieties of 

 C. labiata received direct from Brazil, one of 

 them growing on a block of wood suspended 

 from the roof, have been much admired. C. 

 Bowringiana has carried 33 flowers on two 

 spikes, while C. Miss Williama, C. Mantinii 

 and C. Thayeriana have been ecjually fine. 

 C. aurea has made particularly good bulbs 

 this season. La?lio-Cattleya George Wood- 

 hams, L.-C. Cantiana and L.-C. Olenus 

 (aurea x bletchleyensis) are well represented, 

 and there are good plants of L. purpurata 

 alba and a large specimen L. Gouldiana, just 

 coming into flower, and well meriting the 

 name of the " Christmas Orchid." Brasso- 

 Cattleyas have done exceedingly well this 

 year and have yielded large flowers of 

 good substance. B.-C. Thorntonii has been 

 particularly sweet scented. 



Other Orchids worthy of note in this house 

 are Miltonia vexillaria " Queen Alexandra," 

 the pretty Trichopilia suavis, Oncidium 

 Kramerianum, with its Butterfly-like blooms, 

 the scarce Pescatorea Klabochorum, some 

 Calanthes, and a small but choice collection 

 of Dendrobiums. A number of seed-pods 

 shows that an interest is being taken in 

 raising seedlings, while many healthy 

 seedlings have been pricked out into small 

 pots and give every sign of rapid progress. 



Mr. Clement obtains a vast amount of 

 pleasure from his collection, and although 

 business matters often keep him away from 

 home during the greater part of the day he 

 always pays a visit to his plants whenever 

 opportunity permits. When commencing this 

 interesting hobby Mr. Clement was induced 

 to believe that Orchids could only be grown 

 by those who are rich and able to employ the 

 requisite labour. All this, however, he has 

 proved to be mere fallacy, the potting and 

 necessary attention not only give him an 

 additional interest and pleasure, but prove a 

 source of relaxation from business cares. It 

 remains to be said that the owner of this 

 collection is keenly interested in microscopic 

 research, and also in colour photography, 

 many of his best Orchids being visible by 

 means of coloured lantern slides. 



