214 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



\ariet}- aure;i, having started well into 

 growth, should be placed at the warmest 

 end of the Cattleya house, and be carefulh' 

 supplied with water until the flowers open, 

 and when these fade the plants should be 

 moved to cooler conditions w'here they can be 

 gradually exposed to more air and sunshine. 

 C. Lueddemanniana, or C. speciosissima as it 

 is known by some, ma\- be re-potted after 

 the plants have flowered, and are seen to be 

 pushing new roots, keeping the compost on 

 the dr)- side until the roots enter it freeh-. 

 The white varieties of this plant aje amongst 

 the most choice and desirable. 



Laelias. A great many Laelias succeed 

 precisely under the same conditions as 

 Cattleyas, but there are exceptions, nameh-, 

 the Mexican Laelias which are sun-loving 

 plants and should only be shaded sufficientK- 

 to prevent scorching. Now that the plants 

 of L. anceps are becoming active more 

 water may be applied at the roots. L. albida, 

 L. Gouldiana, L. autumnalis, and its variety 

 alba, may be grown in pans su.spended from 

 the roof of a house where a cool intermediate 

 temperature is maintained. These Mexican 

 Laelias resent bemg disturbed at the roots, 

 and, therefore, should not be turned out of 

 their receptacles unless they have become 

 overgrown or require new compost. Those 

 requiring re-potting ma\- be done, using a 

 compost as for L. anceps If the house in 

 which these plants axe grown is kept light 

 and well ventilated, good, firm pseudo-bulbs 

 will be formed capable of producing strong 

 flower spikes. 



Laelia harpophylla. Thi? is a plant one 

 does not see so much as it deserves, on 

 account of its colour. As a rule it is not 

 a strong growing sp>ecies, but, nevertheless, 

 healthy plants will grow freeh. This plant 

 requires a long rest after flowering, the young 

 growths then come away more evenly, and 



the bulbs flower more regubrl)-. The plants 

 are best grown m pots filled two-thirds full 

 with potsherds for drainage, above this the 

 compost as for L. anceps. Care should be 

 taken to fix the plants firmJy, and they should 

 be slightly elevated above the rim of the 

 pot, but they must not be potted too firmly. 

 They delight in a humid atmosphere, and 

 require plenty of water at the roots when 

 in full growth : this must pass quickly through 

 the compost, or much harm will accrue. A 

 shad)- position in the cool intermediate house 

 will answer their requirements. 



Miltonia vexillaxia. As the summer 

 flowering section of this most useful Orchid 

 has passed the flowering stage, the plants 

 should be induced to take a short p>eriod 

 of rest ; they should, however, not be allowed 

 to suffer for the want of water, only 

 sufficient being given to develop the growths. 

 After the flower spikes are removed the 

 plants do not take up the same quantity of 

 water the\- previousl\- did, therefore much 

 less will suffice. 



Masdevallias of the Chima?ra section, 

 which have been growing in the cool inter- 

 mediate house, should at once be removed 

 to a shaded position in the cool house. 

 These plants require a plentiful supply of 

 water during hot, dr\- weather, anS they 

 should be sprayed ever\- da\- with clean tepid 

 rain-water to prevent attacks of red spider, 

 which are verv partial to them. 



Calanthes. These plants should now be 

 making headwa}', and may have more water 

 applied ; those that have not rooted freely 

 through the compost should still be kept on 

 the dry side. Care should alway s be taken 

 that the water used for this class of plant is 

 of the temperature as the atmosphere of 

 the house in which the\- are grown. Many 

 cases of spot are attributable to this over- 

 sight. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



April 30th. 191 2. 

 Members of the Orchid Committee present : 

 J. Gumey Fowler, Esq. (in the chair) ; and 

 Messrs. Jas. O'Brien (hon. sec), Harry J. 



Veitch, de B. Crawshay, Gurney Wilson, 

 W. Thompson, Stuart Low, R. G. Thwaites. 

 J. S. Moss, F. J. Hanbury, F. M. Ogilvie, 

 T. Armstrong, A. McBean, W. Cobb, 



