THK ORCHID WORLD. 



[August, 1914. 



Odontonia Cleverleyana {M. vexillaria x O. Rolfea). 



ODONTONIA CLEVERLEYANA. 



THE difficulties which surround the 

 hybridist of to-day appear quite as 

 numerous as they did when the first 

 attempts to raise seedHng Orchids were made 

 many years ago. One by one the troubles 

 always associated with the initial work of a 

 new subject are being overcome, yet there 

 still remain several apparently unconquerable 

 factors which prevent the desired amount of 

 success and progress being attained. 



True it is that a great advance has been 

 made and much valuable knowledge on the 

 subject acquired, but with all this we appear 

 to be still in the infancy of the art of seed- 

 raising and know but little of anything 

 beyond the elementary stage. Yet, although 

 encouraging progress in the art has constantly 

 been maintained, the hybridist pushes his 

 ambitious nature further afield during each 

 succeeding year, with the result that he 

 attempts to solve difficulties far ahead of all 



knowledge previously gained. Thus it is that 

 the hybridist, so far as he himself is concerned, 

 finds success almost as far off as ever and the 

 difficulties no less than when he first 

 commenced to make a study of the subject. 



The various species of Odontoglossum are 

 gradually but surely being connected into 

 many diverse hybrids, and following this the 

 allied genera will join in the making of those 

 of greater complexity. Although it seems 

 very natural that the Miltonia genus should 

 closely associate itself with that of Odonto- 

 glossum the practical part has presented 

 many difficulties, and it is only recently that 

 favourable results have been achieved. 



The intercrossing of Odontoglossum and 

 Miltonia has brought forth a section bearing 

 the name Odontonia, which gives every 

 promise of being of considerable importance 

 and opens up a vast field to the investigations 

 and ingenuities of the hybridist. 



Odontonia Cleverleyana is one of the latest 

 resuhs. It was exhibited by Messrs. Mansell 



