DoremlKM-, if)i4.] 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



65 



CYPRIPEDIUM INSIGNE. 



OUR contemporary, The Journal of 

 Horliciiltiirc, has always done much 

 towards the advancement of Orchid- 

 ology, and many excellent illustrations of 

 these aristocratic plants have from time to 

 time appeared in its pages. This enterprising 

 " Journal " has decided to institute a series of 

 competition essays with a view to encouraging 

 the education of gardeners and those inter- 

 ested m gardening, the monthly Prize being 

 a Solid Gold Medal and a weekly copy of the 

 jniblication post free for a year. A recent 

 subject upon which essays were invited was 

 Cypripedium msigne, the final decision being 

 entrusted to Mr. Gurney Wilson, who, from 

 the many excellent articles sent in, selected 

 that written by Mr. J. T. Barker, The Weir, 

 Hessle, near Hull, as worthy of the Prize. 

 By courtesy of Mr. Horace J. Wright, Editor 

 of The J ournal of Horticulture, we have 

 pleasure in publishing the winning essay. 



Cypripedium insigne. 



Since its introduction about the year i8ig 

 few plants have been so extensively grown 

 or proved of such horticultural value as 

 Cypripedium insigne and its varieties. 

 Originally discovered by Dr. Wallich, in the 

 Sylhet district of north-east India, it flowered 

 for the first time in this country in the 

 Liverpool Botanic Garden in the autumn of 

 1 820; it has been discovered subsequently 

 by other collectors in different districts, hence 

 the many varieties. 



It is grown in almost every garden which 

 contains a greenhouse, and under whatsoever 

 conditions rarely fails to produce flowers. I 

 have seen it grown under almost every 

 condition imaginable — in windows, green- 

 houses and stoves, and always it flourished. 

 Plants growing under adverse conditions do 

 not, of course, produce blossoms of the best 

 quality ; neither are they so effective either 

 on the plants or in a cut state. The flowers, 

 which are most varied, adapt themselves to 

 almost every kind of decorative work, and 

 are much prized during the dull, dark days of 

 winter, 



The flowering season of (". insigne extends 

 from the early part of October until the end 

 of February, and nia)- be even extended by 

 placing the plants in cooler quarters, and then 

 again into heat some little time before the 

 flowers are recjuired. It may !)<> grown as 

 large specimens, or as small plants for 

 decoration, for which the long-lasting 

 properties of the flowers render it extreiiu^ly 

 valuable. 



To those who reside near our great 

 industrial centres, where fogs prevail and the 

 atmosphere is heavily charged with obnoxious 

 matters, these plants are indispensable, as 

 they succeed when many others fail to grow. 



Cypripedium insigne as a Parent. 



To this species chiefly we are indebted for 

 the fine race of winter-flowermg Cypripediums 

 we now have in cultivation. It has been 

 crossed with the majority of the species, 

 many hybrids, and the varieties have even 

 been crossed with each other, in some cases 

 with excellent results. 



.Space forbids me giving even an outline of 

 the many beautiful hybrids. .Suffice to show 

 the diversity of colour to state that the 

 progeny varies from the almost pure white, 

 C. Boltoni, to the deepest hue. There are 

 few winter Cypripediums which have not 

 some blood of this species in them. 



An attempt to describe the numerous 

 varieties would demand much more space 

 than that at my disposal. I will only mention 

 one or two of the best, because these demand 

 no more space or skill in culture than the 

 inferior ones, and they should, therefore, be 

 given the preference. At the present day C. 

 insigne must be divided into two sections, 

 i:amely, those which produce \-ellow flowers 

 and those which produce spotted ones. 

 Among the former C. insigne Sanderae is still 

 incomparably the best, followed closel\- by 

 C. i. Sanderianum, C. 1. Gladys, and C. i. Gloire 

 d'Auderghem. Among the spotted varieties 

 the large C. insigne Harefield Hall variety is 

 much the best, judged either for size or 

 colour ; but it is followed closely by C. i. 

 stupendum and C. i. Chantini. 



