March, 1915-] 



TMI<: ORCrill) WORM). 



An Orchid Exchange. — We have 

 received the following letter from an amateur 

 cultivator of Orchids residing in the south of 

 England : — " How is it amateurs do not 

 advertise Orchids for sale in your publication ? 

 All the papers devoted to livestock and 

 gardening do so, and it would put small 

 growers in touch with one another. Take my 

 case, I only grow Orchids in a small way, as 

 I cannot afford to do otherwise, and now and 

 again I buy an expensive variety and divide 

 it and wish to dispose of half the plant, but 

 am unable to do so as I know of no one to 

 sell it to. If I make known my wants in your 

 columns perhaps I should hear from someone 

 who wanted this particular variety." We 

 believe something similar to the above 

 suggestion was attempted a few years ago, 

 but failed to receive the anticipated support. 

 Any means by which collections can be 

 enlarged by the distribution of rare and 

 beautiful plants certainly deserves to succeed, 

 and we are quite willing to give every 

 assistance to the scheme. On this account we 

 shall be glad if other amateurs will make 

 known their views on the matter. 



sjS SiS 



Orchids from Walton Grange. — From 

 the well-known collection of Mr. W. 

 Thompson we have received a selection of 

 beautiful hybrid Odontoglossums, of which 

 the one known as Walton Gem may be 

 selected on account of the large orbicular 

 petals with their bright purple colour, and the 

 pleasing manner in which all the segments 

 are margined with a pure white band. O. 

 amabile Thompsonianum is well worthy of its 

 owner's name, the broad segments being 

 richly marked with reddish-purple ; it has 

 received an Award of Merit, Manchester 

 Orchid Society. O. Walton Ruby has 

 obtained a similar award, and is of con- 

 siderable promise ; the small bulb carried a 

 spike of 12 flowers, the sepals scarlet-rcd, the 

 petals ruby-red. Cypripedium Mrs. Arkle is 

 particularly fine ; the almost circular dorsal 

 sepal is 2'1 inches across, of emerald-green, 

 neatly spotted and bordered with white ; the 



petals, measuring over inches in breadth, 

 are tinged and veined with reddish-brown. It 

 is one of this year's seedlings and has alrcad)- 

 received an Award of Merit irom the 

 Manchester Orchid Society. The bright and 

 rich coloration of all the above flow(Ts is 

 largely due to Mr. J. Howes' cultural skill. 



?(| ^JE i$ 



Assistance for Belgians.— At the 

 meeting of the R.H.S. Orchid Committee, 

 Feb. lOth, Sir Jeremiah Colman, Bart., 

 thought something should be done by 

 Orchidists to aid Belgian horticulturists who 

 have sustained losses during the war, and he 

 suggested that owners of collections would be 

 only too pleased to contribute plants towards 

 a sale, the proceeds of which would materially 

 help the scheme. Although he believed the 

 R.H.S. Council were also considering the 

 matter of relief, he did not think it would be 

 of the nature now proposed. Sir Jeremiah 

 added that the trade had to be considered, 

 and as many members of it had already 

 contributed in more ways than one he did not 

 wish to suggest anything that might interfere 

 with their commercial affairs, still, he thought 

 any widely advertised sale of Orchids for such 

 a deserving cause would attract other horti- 

 culturists who were not at present Orchid 

 amateurs, and that thereby the sphere of 

 interest might be considerably increased to 

 the benefit of one and all. Mr. J. Gurney 

 Fowler heartily approved of the kindly feeling 

 and suggestion, but thought that no hurried 

 judgment s'hould be arrived at, and on that 

 account asked those present to carefully 

 consider the matter before the next meeting, 

 when no doubt a suitable scheme could be 

 adopted. 



^5: 



Oncidium PATULUM. — The February issue 

 of the Orchid Rcinew contains a note by Mr. 

 R. A. Rolfe that the plant described and 

 figured under this name by Dr. Schlechter 

 {Orchis, viii., p. 18) is identical with O. nanuni: 

 a species flowered by Messrs. Loddiges in 

 1842, and described by Lindley. 



VOL. V. 



17 



