February, 1914-] 



THE ORCHIli WORLD. 



99 



original creation of this latter cross insigne 

 Sanderas was used, hence the name San- 

 Act^us. Examples of this hybrid are now in 

 several collections, and from Mr. Francis 

 Wellesley, Woking, come two excellent 

 flowers of the Westfield x ariety, a very neat 

 and attractive form. In these the influence 

 of Spicerianum is strongly visible, more 

 especially in the broad orbicular dorsal sepal, 

 which has two-thirds of its area pure white, 

 the remaining basal portion being yellowish- 

 green. Distributed over the larger part of 

 this organ are numerous spots of various 

 sizes, derived from the insigne species. These 

 spots are only on the surface, and can be 

 easily shaved off by means of a razor. In 

 colour they are bright purple, and as such 

 they appear when situated on the white 

 portion of the dorsal, but those on the basal 

 part seem to be of a brownish colour, although 

 in reality they are also bright purple, the 

 apparent change being caused by the 

 yellowish-green under pigment. 



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Hybrid Dendrobiums. — Considering the 

 ease with which these beautiful Orchids can 

 be grown, and their remarkable floriferous- 

 ness, it seems very strange that they have 

 been somewhat neglected of late, for there 

 are no others which give a greater wealth of 

 bloom in return for the trouble expended 

 upon their culture. It was formerly urged 

 that Dendrobiums deteriorated, and it must 

 be confessed that this is still true in the case 

 of some species, but the hybridist has of 

 recent years produced a great number of 

 excellent hybrids which have partaken of the 

 good qualities of the parent species and, at 

 the same time, are of much stronger consti- 

 tution. The cultivation of hybrid deciduous 

 Dendrobiums is not difficult. It may be 

 briefly summed up as follows: — A warm 

 house temperature of 65-go degrees during 

 the growing season, with plenty of atmo- 

 spheric moisture, a drier and cooler tempera- 

 ture during the resting period, with a position 

 near the roof glass, and repotting every 

 alternate year. — C. Ahvyn Harrison. 



Dendrobium Culture. — In hastening the 

 flowering of these plants everything possible 

 should be done to prevent the new growths 

 from developing too quickly. Regulate the 

 temperature so that the conditions are not too 

 warm, and afford water sparingly at the roots 

 and overhead ; also supply fresh air whenever 

 possible. An excess of heat or moisture may 

 cause the flower-buds to turn yellow and fall 

 off. It is advisable to expose the plants to all 

 the light possible, as even the lightest position 

 we can afford them is poor in comparison to 

 that of their habitat. — /. T. Barker, Journal 

 of Horticulture. 



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Orchid Culture. — A knowledge of the 

 different habitats of the various species is 

 essential to the careful grower, in order that 

 he may, as far as his means permit, place 

 them in circumstances similar to those in 

 which they make their natural growth ; and 

 it is, perhaps, to inattention on this point 

 that the want of success in the culture of 

 some Orchidaceous plants, by even the most 

 successful of our cultivators, is to be 

 attributed. — B. S. Williams, 1862. 



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Odontioda roseeieldiensis. — When 

 Odontiodas first appeared the chief attraction 

 was the scarlet and red colours, previously 

 unknown in the Odontoglossums, and but few 

 growers anticipated the great decorative 

 value that hybrids derived from Cochlioda 

 Ncezliana would have. A recent example is 

 Odontioda rosefieldiensis (0dm. triumphans x 

 C. N(xzliana) in Mr. Crawshay's collection. 

 This plant has produced a grand spike, with 

 six branches, carrying a total number of 39 

 flowers. In hybrids of Odontoglossum 

 Pescatorei this number would not be 

 uncommon, but with O. triumphans the result 

 is surprising and proves the immense utility 

 of hybrids. From the same collection comes 

 a flower of Od. Huniades (sceptrum x Hunne- 

 wellianum), described in Vol. II., p. 158. It 

 is a rare natural hybrid, and we do not appear 

 to have any other record of its existence 

 under cultivation. 



