THE ORCHID WORLD. 
possible to import, and we have already the 
richest variety in nobilius, all the others being 
considerably behind in colour. Let us see if 
nobilius has any weak points ? If anything 
the segments are too narrow and the flowers 
are disposed to hang somewhat limp, so this 
must be remedied if possible in the generation 
we contemplate raising ; and the nobile we 
must now select for the other parent should 
be a variety that eclipses nobilius in shape, 
size and solidity, and with as rich a colour as 
possible, such as, for instance, Harefield Hall 
variety. Seedlings between these two would 
unquestionably yield a higher percentage of 
good varities than could possibly be imported, 
because the known law of inheritance " breed 
will tell " had been consciously applied in the 
selection of the parents. 
From the foregoing wc are beginning to see 
clearly that we must not only have the best 
varieties procurable to work with but also the 
knowledge — which is usually after all but 
common-place deduction — to mate them 
judiciously, so as to cheat nature out of her 
mean a\erage and frustrate her socialistic 
tendency. 
The nobile virginale being white has, as 
regards colour, got as far in one direction as 
it is possible to get, and could only be 
improved in shape and size ; but as all other 
varieties of nobile having better shape have 
also colour, there is nothing in the species to 
improve it with. Looking over the other 
Dendrobium species, one is soon arrested with 
Wardianum, perhaps the finest of the genus, 
and knowing that there are several fine albino 
varieties of this splendid Dendrobium a hybrid 
at once suggests itself between the white nobile 
and one of these. This would result in a 
hybrid worth making, as no type like it could 
be imported at any price, because no type 
like it exists. The object of this cross would 
be to produce a white Dendrobium hybrid 
larger and of better shape than the nobile 
virginale, and with a better constitution than 
the Wardianum album. The hybridist could 
look forward with satisfaction and assurance 
to the result of this cross, and with confidence 
that he was defeating the mean average of 
nature — his declared object. The coloured 
hybrid between nobile and Wardianum has 
already been raised and is called D. Euterpe ; 
it resembles the latter parent most, having 
a larger and flatter flower than nobile, and it 
has a much more tenacious constitution than 
Wardianum ; but it could not be regarded in 
any way as a triumph of hybridisation, as D. 
Wardianum, which eclipses it in every way 
with the exception of constitution, can be 
purchased so cheaply. It would be quite 
otherwise with a white Euterpe, as Wardianum 
album is extremely rare, as are all albino 
varieties of coloured types. 
I stumbled across Dendrobium nobile and 
D. Wardianum more by accident than design 
in beginning this month's notes, for any other 
species of the bigger genera would have 
served the purpose equally well, and I cannot 
do better than continue with them. I know a 
D. Euterpe one of the parents of which was 
D. n. Sanders, and it was no great success, 
as might have been expected. D. n. Sanderae 
is an anomaly — it is not a good nobile ; it is 
neither a good typical flower of this species 
nor yet pure white, but still it is remarkably 
distinct ; and for this reason was given a 
varietal name. In it the richly coloured disc 
characteristic of nobile is absent, and 
altogether the flower has less colour, and 
while being pretty enough as a distinct variety 
of nobile it is insufficiently characterised to 
use as a parent. Wishy-washy anomalies like 
this must be avoided in Orchid breeding, even 
though they may have received some repu- 
tation and are catalogued at a higher jarice 
than more ordinary yet more typical and 
really better varieties. The cost of a plant 
need not be a criterion of its suitability for 
using as a parent. 
The gist of the preceding is shortly that 
we keep the white varieties together and the 
dark varieties together, and that we never cross 
a good shaped variety with a bad shaped one 
except for some very exceptional and valid 
reasons ; also that we eschew abnormal 
varieties such as monstrosities with two lips, 
or whose only claim to notice is their want 
of colour — and which may be named delicata 
or albescens. Such like should never be used 
for hybridisation. Light varieties should not 
