JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 14, 1885. "•* 
t ut which he was not quite sure. lie has since informed us that all of 
‘•hem have perished. And so with the Miltonias, usually classed with 
dontoglossum, and grown in an average higher temperature, as vexil- 
Orium, Roezli, and Phahenopsis. The only seedlings we have been able 
to raise were obtained from a cross between the two last named, and 
these were unfortunately lost within a few months after the germination 
of the seed. I may here note that the late Mr. Bentham, when working 
up the Orchideae for the “Genera Plantarum” must, I think, have been 
misinformed when he states under Miltonia vexillarium, page 563, that 
“fide hortulanorum facile cum Odontoglossis variis nec cum Miltoniis 
genuis proles hybridas gignunt.” Our experience is the very opposite of 
this. O. vexillarium crosses readily with the flat-lipped Miltonias, as 
spectabilis, although thus far we have failed to raise any progeny from 
these crosses, but not with the true Odontoglots ; often as it has been 
attempted, no capsules are produced. Thus, while our experience in 
muling among Odontoglo’s goes far to disprove the statement I have just 
quoted, it at the same time confirms unmistakeably Mr. Bentham’s view 
as to the proper generic place of vexillarium and its allies Roezli, 
Phahenopsis, and Warscewiczi. 
I have already taken up so much of your time that I must forbear 
entering into details of the crossings, and results of them among other 
genera, and into the scientific aspects of hybridisation it is not my 
province to lead you. Nevertheless, I may be permitted to refer to a few 
facts that have come under our observation that have a practical bearing 
as well as a scientific one. 
It will be gathered from what I have already said that our hybridising 
operations have extended over a rather wide field ; that they have not 
been confined to the crossing of different species of the same genus, but 
hundreds of experiments have been made between species of different 
genera. The question thence naturally arises : How will these bigeneric 
Fig. 95.—Cattleya, 2 years. 
crosses affect the stability of the genera as at present circumscribed ? And 
what changes of nomenclature will be necessary to place the Orchidese 
on an intelligible basis as regard names ? Glancing over the whole range 
of our operations, and the results obtained from them, I may safely reply 
that thus far the stability of the genera is scarcely affected, and the 
changes in nomenclature need be very few' indeed. Leaving the progeny 
derived from species of Cattleya X Laslia out of consideration, the last- 
named genus being confessedly an artificial one, only two bigeneric hybrids 
have yet flowered ; these I have mentioned above, Phaius irroratus, and 
P. irroratus purpureus. Many years ago Dominy raised Anoeitochilus 
Domini from Goodyera discolor and Ancectochilus Veitchi. Plants 
derived from both crosses are still in cultivation, but the names they bear 
are simply garden names. We have plants, but which have not yet 
flowered, raised from Cattleya Triance crossed with Sophronitis grandi- 
fiora, and from Cattleya intermedia crossed with the same species of 
Sophronitis. We have besides a seedling whose parents are Cattleya 
Trianse and Brasavola Digbyana, but as the last-named is now referred 
to Lrnlia, this can hardly be regarded as a bigeneric cross. With these 
few cases I have exhausted the list. But when we enumerate the cap¬ 
sules with apparently good seed that have been obtained from bigeneric 
crosses, but from which no seedlings have been raised, the list is some¬ 
what more formidable. Some of the most remarkable of these were 
produced by Acanthopbippium Curtisii X Chysis bractescens, Bletia 
hyacinthina x Calanthe masuca, Chysir aurea X Zygopetalum Sedeni, 
Odontoglossum bictonense X Zygopetalum maxillare, Zygopetalum 
Maekayi x Lycaste Skinneri. 
But, on the other har d, we has ; obtained a large number of capsules 
of the normal size, andtr all appearances externally perfect not only 
from bigeneric crosses, but even between species of the same genus which 
contained not a single seed. And, lastly, I may note that Zygopetalum 
Maekayi has been crossed with several species of Odontoglossum and 
seedlings raised from some of the crosses, but. every one that has yet 
flowered has proved lo be simply Zygopetalum Maekayi. 
The hybridisation of Orchids by the hands of the cultivator is still in 
its infancy—we are but on the threshold; and now that muling among 
th< m has become a pastime of absorbing interest with amateurs, amongst 
•whom special mention must be made of Sir Trevor Lawrence, Sir William 
Marriott, Sir Chailes Strickland, Mr. Bowring of Forest Farm, Windsor, 
Mr. D. 0. Drewett of Newcastle, and Mr. Goss of Torquay, it would be 
rash indeed to attempt to pre lict what may be in store. But reviewing 
the sum total of results already obtained, can we, considering the cease¬ 
less watching and assidu >us care seedling Orchids require before reaching 
the flowering stage, l>ok upon them with unmixed satisfaction ? How 
few of the best of them bear favourable comparison with the numberless 
lovely flowers borne by plants that owe their orig : n to the unerring 
instinct of the little winged tribe that unknowingly, and perhaps un¬ 
consciously, have performed their allotted task for ages past, and proving 
by the perfection of their work how inept an operator is man. 
I cannot conclude this paper without availing myself of the opportunity 
the reading of it affords me of publicly expressing my personal obligation 
to Professor Reichenbach for the great trouble he has taken in examining, 
reporting on, and naming our various hybrids, to do which has occupied 
much more of his valuable time than is generally supposed. 
THE CULTIVATION OF ORCHIDS. 
[Paper read at the Orchid Conference on May 13th by Mr. James O’Brien.] 
The subject of Orchid culture being almost inexhaustible, I shall only 
be able to touch briefly upon some of its phases, and in doing so, whilst 
endeavouring to make some remarks acceptable to all Orchid growers, I 
shall direct them principally towards the amateur. A glance at what has 
been written on the subject many years ago proves that there maybe rules 
laid down for the culture of any or all of the Orchids, and that a good result 
once attained may always be secured by following the same line of treat¬ 
ment. Whenever I read a detailed account of the treatment given to an 
exceptionally fine plant by some gr jwer of forty or fifty years ago, I find that 
in our practice of to-day we need not depart from it in the least to ensure 
the same good results, which ought, however, to be attained by us with much 
less trouble than by those of olden time, by reason of the much better 
accommodation we have. 
Orchids, from the time of the earliest arrivals, have always been appre¬ 
ciated, and as early as the year 1800, when the lovely Aerides odoratum and 
many other showy things were introduced, their habits and culture seem to 
have been understood fairly well, but the bad construction of the houses and 
their defective heating by means of flues and other contrivances militated 
sadly against the culture of the small growers and the varieties requiring 
cool treatment; and hence, while many continued the culture of the more 
robust kinds, and attracted visitors from distant parts to see them when in 
bloom, no general progress was made until the period between 1835 and 
1850, which was perhaps the richest in importations of fine handsome 
Orchids. 
During that period the fine discoveries of Messrs. Veitch’s collector (Lobb) 
with Aerides, Saccolabiums, and Vandas ; Griffiths with his Cymbidium3 
and Dendrobes ; Skinner, Barker, and Hartweg, in Mexico, Guatemala, and 
along the Andes; and other collectors, made quite a revival among the 
Orchid growers, and the result of new energy being put into the matter was 
that with some of the showier Orchids such perfection was attained that I 
fear we could not even now match some of the specimens mentioned as being 
exhibited at the Horticultural Society’s Shows at the famed Chiswick 
Gardens, where in those days a good collection of Orchids was to be found. 
Among the best exhibits for many years appear those from Mrs. Lawrence’s 
renowned collection at Ealing Park, that home where our worthy President, 
Sir Trevor Lawrence, first acquired that love for Orchids which he has 
turned to such good account in forming and keeping up, always in good 
condition, the best representative collection of Orchids which was ever got 
together. 
Among the specimens exhibited in 1815-6-7 are enumerated : from Mrs. 
Lawrence, Ealing Park, Aerides odoratum, with sixteen leading growths 
and between thirty and forty flower-spikes ; Cattleya crispa, with over 
twenty spikes; Saccolabium priemorsum, covered with bloom ; Epidendrum 
bicornutum, with many spikes ; Oncidium ampliatum majus, with many 
spikes, forming a head of golden flowers over 4 feet across ; and Odonto- 
glossom grande, quite worthy of being a leading plant in a collection. 
J. H. Schroder, Esq., of Stamford Green, is also credited with Calanthe 
veratrifolia, with eighteen spikes, and many other fine plants. J. J. 
Blandy, Esq., with Saccolabium guttatum, with eighteen flower-spikes. 
R. S. Holford, Esq., of Weston Birt, with Aerides odoratum, with twenty- 
seven to thirty spikes. Sigismund Rucker, Esq., also produced specimens 
which it is pleasant to read about; and among other things, Robert Han- 
bury, Esq., in November, 1845, exhibited a robust plant of the autumn¬ 
flowering Cattleya labiata, with four spikes, bearing sixteen flowers 
between them, and forming a specimen which any of our best collections 
would be glad to give room to at the present day. 
Of plants described as being very fine in different places forty years 
ago, but which are yet rare, and in some cases the specimens mentioned are 
not be matched, are Renanthera coccinea, in the gardens belonging to 
A. Palmer, Esq., at Cheam, with seven panicles on a plant, each bearing 
from 100 to 110 flowers, and an equally good one of it in the possession of 
R. S. Holford, Esq., on one of the panicles of wdiich were 117 of its showy 
scarlet flowers. Good specimens are also mentioned of the yellow Calanthe 
curculigoides, from the Straits of Malacca; Angrmcum bilobum, with a 
dozen long flower-spikes; the rose-coloured Eulophia guineensis; and in 
the gardens of the Horticultural Society, in 1847, a Loelia superbiens, with 
nine large heads of bloom. 
These notes show that the love for Orchids, which existed from the 
time the first plants came into the country, has steadily increased, and 
that their widely diffused culture of the present day, far from being a 
modern fashion in flowers, is but the result of the steady progress of that 
which always existed, and always will exist, as long as that love for 
flowers, which is one of the chief characteristics of the inhabitants of 
these isles, remains. For those who want novelty as well as beauty, too, 
there is as good a prospect still as for those who wish simply for the 
beautiful, for if we turn to the works of Dr. Lindley, Professor Reichen¬ 
bach, and other writers on Orchid lore, we there see such a host of lovely 
things figured or described, but not yet imported, as to prove bewildering 
even to one, like myself, who has made Orchids a study from childhood. 
So far as I am concerned I never could see that there was any difficulty 
