June, IQ15.] 



TWi: ORCIIII) WORI.I). 



195 



Odontoglossum crispum Queen of the Belgians. 

 Exhibited at the Chelsea Show by Messrs. Charlesworlh & Co. 



Odontoglossum crispum Queen of 

 THE Belgians. — Blotched cnspums have 

 always been held in high esteem, and at 

 one time were exceedmgly valuable, as much 

 as a thousand guineas having been paid for 

 extra fine varieties. Of late years the high 

 price set upon these plants has somewhat 

 declined, but specially distinct forms are still 

 in demand and change hands at considerable 

 figures. The professional seed-raiser was 

 not long in discovering that a good market 

 existed for this kind of crispum, and many 

 seed-pods were made with great hopes of 

 future success. But crispums are very 

 difficult to raise, and during several years 

 only a comparatively few plants reached 

 the flowering stage. Better success was 

 ultimately achieved, although amongst the 

 plants that flowered there were many worth- 

 less varieties, whilst the few blotched forms 

 obtained were often of starry shape. 

 However, now and again a meritorious one 

 appeared and encouraged the seed-raiser to 

 continue his interesting work. Students of 

 Mendelism attempted to work out the number 

 of plain and blotched forms that might be 



obtained from any particular pod, while 

 amongst the practical workers there was no 

 small amount of speculation concerning the 

 jiossibilities of improving upon the varieties 

 then existing. As many Orchidists now 

 l^now, blotched crispums have been raised 

 from seed, although only m small quantities, 

 and whilst some show an improvement on 

 their parents, both in constitution and shape, 

 there are many others in which these qualities 

 are sadly deficient. Our illustration of 

 O. crispum Queen of the Belgians is 

 particularly interesting, not only on account 

 of its exceerhngly fine shape and the beautiful 

 rose tinted ground and crimson-purple 

 blotches, but because it is the result of 

 crossing two home-raised blotched crispums. 

 In thus making public a secret of the 

 seed-raiser, it is only fair to add that so far 

 only two other seedlings from this pod have 

 flowered, and both are worthless varieties. 



Holland House Show. — The Summer 

 Exhibition of the Royal Horticultural Society 

 will be held in the grounds of Holland House, 

 Kensington, July 6th, 7th and 8th, 191 5. 



