THE ORCHID WORLD. 



species are most useful, as being the two first 

 to flower they brighten one cf the dullest 

 months of the year. After flowering they 

 soon commence to root, and any requisite 

 attention as regards re-potting may be done. 

 Any hybrid Cattleyas or La^lio-Cattleyas that 

 are pushing- new roots may likewise have 

 attention. I am no advocate of alw^ays pulling 

 this class of plant about, but if the compost is 

 at all decayed, or sour, I would recommend 

 giving them new compost to root in. I am 

 firmly convinced that many failures with these 

 plants are due to this cause. 



Phaius will be commencing to grow, and 

 they may be re-potted when the new growth 

 is seen to be putting out new roots. I find 

 these plants pay for re-potting e\ er)- season, as 

 the large amount of water which they require 

 when in full growth decays the compost. 

 They succeed in a compost of equal parts 

 i:>eat and loam, the latter as fibrous as possible, 

 with a fair sprinkling of silver sand. They 

 require a fairly high temperature with a 

 buo\ ant atmosphere, as if too close, black spot 

 apjiears upon their leaves. They will succeed 

 best in a warm Cattleya house. 



Odontoglossum crispum, and many hybrids, 

 will now be developing their flower spikes ; 

 they should be frequently examined for slugs, 



otherwise the spikes may be ruined before the 

 cultivator is aware that they are showing. 

 Keep the plants fairly moist, but do not give 

 water until it is seen that the compost is fairly 

 dry. As the spikes push up they should be 

 secured to neat stakes, and any weak plants 

 be disbudded down to two or three flowers. 

 O. grande, O. citrosmum, O. nebulosum, O. 

 Insleayi, and O. Uro-iSkinneri will still be 

 better at rest in the cool Cattleya house, giving 

 them only just enough water to prevent 

 shrivelling. 



General remarks. Do not be in a hurry to 

 push any plant into new growth, as, so far, we 

 ha\'e not had any cold weather this winter. A 

 sudden fall in temperature when plants are 

 making fresh growth might do a great deal of 

 harm. Therefore, try and keep everything 

 resting, and wage a continual warfare against 

 all insect pests. 



The amateur Orchid house. It has often 

 been asked how an amateur is to grow all the 

 different Orchids m one house ; of course, it is 

 an impossibility, but he can select those that 

 will succeed in the house he possesses, be it 

 either warm or cool. I am quite of the opinion 

 that every greenhouse will grow Orchids of 

 some description, it is only a matter of atten- 

 tion and selection. 



HYBRID EUROPEAN ORCHIDS. 



By W. HERBERT COX. 



reat reason is the difficulty of 



Dl T^ING the last few years great strides 

 have been made towards the fuller 

 understanding of the hybridisation oi 

 Orchids, many most beautiful flowers having 

 been produced by artificial means. This 

 progress, however, has only been made in 

 relation to the greenhouse varieties ; the 

 hardy kinds have been left beyond the pale. 

 Yet, surely, it would be much easier to deal 

 with the out-of-door plants. I suppose the 

 root of the matter is the monetary value 

 obtained for the result, for, as yet, hardy 

 Orchids do not fetch fancy prices. Sometime 

 in the future, when their interest and beauty 

 is more fully realised, I believe there will be 

 the same, if not even greater pleasure taken 

 in them than there is at present in those 

 grown in our glass-houses. 



Another 



their culti\ation, for but few growers indeed 

 have had any success with them. In a later 

 article 1 hope to .set forth some hints which 

 will be of use in this matter. A tremendous 

 amount of trouble and forethought has been 

 lavished on the indoor plants, but their no 

 less beautiful sisters are just put in an odd 

 corner, usually at the wrong season of the 

 year, and there left to die. I am quite con- 

 vinced that ere many years have passed they 

 will be amongst the most valued ornaments 

 of our gardens, and millionaires will then 

 show their Orchid beds with even greater 

 pride than they now show their Orchid houses. 



Nature has realised the neglected state of 

 these beautiful things and has set about in 

 her own way to remedy the evil. Darwin 



