THE ORCHID WORLD. 
Chronicle, 1883, p. 24 : — " Many years' obser- 
vations in indisputably one of the richest fields 
of epiphytal orchids on the globe have shown 
me that orchids, growing in different localities 
and under varying orographical and climatical 
conditions, are capable of great abnormal 
developments. I have, indeed, seen so much 
variation in orchids that I have given ujd all 
talk about new varieties. To give an example, 
1 may mention that during my last travels in 
the Magdalena basin — devoted exclusively to 
the study of the country — a locality was 
visited in which Cattleya Trianas grew very 
abundantly. Of the many hundreds of jjlants 
which were seen in bloom, I was unable to 
select two that had flowers of equal size and 
colour, so great was the variation. I think 
every English amateur of orchids might have 
two special varieties from that spot without 
exhausting the number of them. Now, sup- 
posing- all these varieties of Cattleya were 
described and named, what a catalogue ! I 
think such plants might receive a local name 
— say, Mr. Gosling's dark-coloured variety, or 
Mr. Pfeifenhauer's extremely large-lipped 
plant — as this is of considerable importance 
to the horticulturist ; but as far as the botanist 
is concerned these varieties can only be simply 
recorded, with the remark that such-and-such 
a species is capable of great varying develop- 
ments." 
Although Cattleya Trians produces more 
white varieties than other species, it is very 
seldom that a pure albino form is observed, 
the majority of these so-called white forms 
ha\ing a slight blush tint on the hp. 
This species, in its native land, gets a good 
amount of rain, but owing to the small amount 
of material which generally surrounds the 
roots of the plant, it quickly passes away, and 
any superabundance of moisture is always 
counteracted by the plants receiving the full 
influence of drying winds. 
These conditions cannot exactly be imitated 
in our Orchid houses, as the plants, by reason 
of their confinement, obtain comparatively 
little air, and are, therefore, somewhat pre- 
vented from having as full a supply of mois- 
ture as they would receive in their native land. 
The best results may be obtained by giving 
each plant plenty of room, a light position in 
which to grow, but taking care that sufficient 
shading is used to prevent scorching, and a 
good supply of atmospheric moisture. In the 
autumn, when the new bulb has almost 
finished its growth, the supply of water must 
be diminished, the compost being only kept 
just moist enough to prevent the bulbs shrivel- 
ling. More air should be given, and if these 
conditions are maintained for a few weeks, or 
until the winter arrives, the plants will be well 
matured and produce a plentiful supply of 
strong, thick set flowers. In the early part of 
the new year when the flower buds begin to 
grow it is advisable to give the plants slightly 
more water to allow for the extra amount 
consumed in the formation of the blossoms. 
SOME COOL HOUSE ORCHIDS FOR AMATEURS. 
AT this time of the year Orchid fanciers 
look towards the cool-house for a good 
supply of bloom, and probably at no 
other season can Orchid flowers be obtained 
so plentifully. The easiest of all to grow are 
Cypripediums. These can be potted in al- 
most any rough peat and loam mixture, and 
beyond being kept in a moist condition re- 
quire little else but .shading and a minimum 
temperature of 45 degrees. Although the 
well-known Cypripedium insigne is a winter 
flowering species, there are always a few 
plants which remain m flower well into the 
new year. Healthy plants, likely to produce 
several flowers, can be purchased for half-a- 
crown, and even the very finest forms such as 
Harefield Hall \'ariety can now be purchased 
at such a comparatively low price as to suit 
the pockets of every amateur. 
For a spring flowering species Cypripedium 
\ enustum may well be selected, for even when 
not in flower its pretty mottled leaves are an 
adornment to any greenhouse. A somewhat 
larger, but perhaps not so pretty a flower, may 
