Janu.'irv, 1914.] 



THE ORCHin WORLD. 



require comparatively wider pots or jians than 

 those phmts which send down their roots in 

 vertical style. This fact should not be 

 ne<4'lected, and the shallowness of the compost 

 must always be equalised by greater width. 

 Hence it will be found necessary to allow 

 M. vexillaria several inches of .space between 

 the outside of the plant and the rim of the pot. 



This species is a restless plant and needs a 

 fairly regular temperature during the whole 

 year through. This is best managed b\' 

 placing the plants in the cool house during 

 the summer time, and removing them to the 

 intermediate house for the winter. By so 

 doing they will always be in a temperature of 

 about 50-60 degrees. Wide fluctuations in 

 the temperature are believed to cause the 

 disfiguring spotting of the foliage. 



The best period to repot is when the 

 growths are a few inches in height, and this 

 will usually happen during the month of 

 March. Although specimen plants have a 

 noble effect and give great credit to the 

 grower, there is much satisfaction to be 

 obtained from well-grown plants of five or six 

 bulbs. These are more easily managed, and 

 can be placed in various parts of the house in 

 order to give a decorative effect. During the 

 process of potting large plants can be 

 divided, should the owner so wish, and the 

 portions with leading growths be placed 

 in separate receptacles. The back, or 

 older, bulbs may be placed in pots with 

 only crocks surrounding them until new 

 growth is plainly visible. One can never 

 tell the exact point at which growth will 

 recommence from these old portions, conse- 

 quently it is useless to attempt potting them 

 in any permanent method. Sometimes growth 

 will manifest itself at a point much below the 

 usual surface line of the compost, and if this 

 occurs when the material is in too moist a 

 state there is every likelihood of the young 

 growth being killed. 



In the giving of water the cultivator must 

 always use his careful discretion. No definite 

 directions can really be laid down, so much 

 depends on the season of the year and 

 whether the plant is in vigorous growth or 

 resting. During fine weather light spraying 



of the foliage will prove beneficial, although 

 no water should be allowed to remain for lung 

 on ihc actual flowers, as the\- (|uickl\' bcrdiiu" 

 spotted when any excess of nioislurt" is 

 present. 



ODONTOCIDIUMS. 



ONE might naturally suppose that the 

 hybridist would create many crosses 

 between the two closely allied genera 

 Odontoglossum and Oncidium, yet notwith- 

 standing the many attempts which have 

 undoubtedly been made Odontocidiums still 

 remain comparatively rare. The man\- 

 failures tend to show that the two genera are 

 more widely separated botanically than most 

 growers imagine. 



So far, the results include Odontocidium 

 Fowlerianum (Od. cirrhosum x On. Forbesii), 

 O. Hebe (Od. cirrhosum x On. incurvum) and 

 Od. Edwardatum (Od. Edwardii x On. ser- 

 ratum). These are certainly successes so far 

 as skill is concerned in producing a hybrid 

 between the two genera, but from a horti- 

 cultural and decorative standpoint they are 

 very inferior to other bigeneric crosses. .Still, 

 one should remember that all things must 

 have a beginning, and these early results will 

 surely be followed by others of greater merit. 



The possibility of producing hybrids 

 between two species of different genera must 

 first be proved, although the time occupied in 

 so doing is often a serious loss, and might be 

 otherwise spent to better advantage. Few 

 growers care to risk their best Orchids for 

 experimental purposes. They much prefer to 

 discover the possibilities by using ordinary 

 and invaluable specimens. This, therefore, 

 may be one reason why we have not yet seen 

 Odontocidiums equal in merit to other 

 hybrids. 



Another important factor to be considered 

 is the growth constitution of the seedling. 

 Many hybridists have before now experienced 

 the difficulty of stimulating growth. The seed 

 germinates and grows sufficiently to produce 

 one or more small leaves, after which it 

 remains in a semi-dormant state, and offer) 



