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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



same indifference to correct nomenclature, that they cannot in 

 many instances be relied upon for the right names of the plants 

 they cultivate ? The consideration of such questions as these 

 certainly comes within the scope of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society, and let us hope that occasional discussions upon them 

 may lead to useful results. 



DISCUSSION. 



Sir Trevor Lawrenxe said his recollection of Orchids went 

 back many years, and some of the old modes of cultivation men- 

 tioned by Mr. Yeitch had come within his own experience. He 

 could remember Odontoglossum. which was now looked upon 

 as a cool Orchid, being placed in hot stoves. He recollected 

 some beautiful Bolleas which grew and thrived well for a short 

 time and then withered and died. The fact was that these 

 plants very* often brought with them a large amount of natural 

 vigour which enabled them to survive for a few years, but 

 finally the change of climate and mode of cultivation killed 

 them. With regard to the cultivation of Catasetums, he thought 

 the difficulties were almost entirely unsurmounted, especially 

 in the matter of providing them in the winter with a 

 warm, dry, and bright atmosphere, and until these difficulties 

 had been overcome he was afraid the cultivation of Mexican 

 Oncidiums would also be a difficulty and a crux. One species — 

 Epidendrum vitellinura — which Mr. Yeitch had referred to as 

 being hard to cultivate, was exhibited here to-day, and in this 

 case the difficulty of cultivation would appear to have been sur- 

 mounted by the grower. He thought with Mr. Yeitch that there 

 was too much empiricism among growers of Orchids as to the 

 mode of cultivation. He was pleased to say that the interest 

 taken in Orchids in this country was on the increase, and he had 

 no doubt that before very long those successful methods of culti- 

 vation which we already possessed would be still further 

 developed. With regard to the longevity of Orchids, he had one 

 which he knew had been in this country for more than fifty years, 

 and probably for twenty years longer than that — viz., Renanthera 

 coccinea. He was glad to say that the cultivation of Orchids in 

 Kew Gardens, a public institution to which they owed a good 

 deal, had very greatly improved. Kew was indeed a model horti- 



