291 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 21, 1892. 
Cypripedium Chamberlainianum. 
Cypripedium Chamberlainianum may fairly be termed the 
chief Orchid novelty of the present year. The amount of interest 
that has been centred in it from first to last is altogether excep¬ 
tional. The announcement of its introduction by the enterprising 
St. Albans specialists was made at an opportune moment, the 
excitement connected with Cattleya labiata having calmed down, 
and nothing existing to divide attention with it. Moreover, the 
astute step of Messrs. Sander & Co. in associating it with the name 
of a prominent politician and amateur Orchid grower served to 
attract comments from the general press, which drew widespread 
attention to it. It is safe to say that the naming of the flower was 
of far greater interest to them than its distinctness and general 
merit. The latter, however, are the points which Orchid cultivators ' 
have in view. The earlier estimates of the new Orchid were based 
on dried flowers, but a sufficiently accurate idea was formed as to j 
leave little room for doubt that it was a sterling novelty, and the i 
FIG. 40.—CYPRIPEDIUM CHAMBERLAINIANUM. 
exhibition of a living plant in bloom at the meeting of the Royal 
Horticultural Society on April 12th, the first ever shown, effectually 
set at rest any misgivings that may have existed. 
The new Cypripedium was introduced from New Guinea, a 
country not half opened up, and which may yield us many treasures. 
It is said to be a very free bloomer, and is evidently vigorous in 
habit, the leaves being of considerable size. Moreover, the flower 
is strikingly distinct and beautiful. The size could not be fairly 
judged from so small a plant as that exhibited, but the blooms are 
stated to be 4 inches across and as much in depth. As will be seen 
by referring to the engraving (fig. 49) the flower stem is dark, being 
of a purplish hue. The lip is very richly coloured. At the first 
glance it appears to be of a deep rosy purple, but a closer inspection 
shows that it has a greyish ground densely clothed with dots of the 
colour indicated. The staminode adds to the dusky appearance of 
the bloom. It is very prominent, being of a purplish black hue. 
The petals are curled and twisted. They are pale green, thickly 
studded with small purplish black blotches and pubescent, con¬ 
tributing materially to the attractions of the flower. The dorsal 
sepal is also a conspicuous feature. It is rounded, light green in 
the centre, but paler towards the edges, and the base deeply marked 
with purple, which, as the engraving shows, also extends in streak¬ 
like lines up the sepal. 
In Cypripedium Chamberlainianum Messrs. Sander & Co. have 
unquestionably provided Orchid lovers with a novelty of great 
beauty, and one worthy of enriching any collection in the country. 
Cypripedium Lawrebel. 
April 12 th may be said to have been a day of Cypripediums at 
the Drill Hall, for in addition to C. Chamberlainianum a collection 
of special interest was exhibited by Sir Trevor Lawrence, 
Bart., M.P. To several familiar forms, magnificent examples 
though some of them were, detailed reference need not be made 
here, as they were dealt with in last week’s report; but a special note 
must be made of the beautiful hybrid Lawrebel, which fig. 50 
(p. 295) represents. This charming form is a cross between 
C. Lawrenceanum and C. bellatulum, and is unquestionably one of 
the most richly coloured of its family. The lip or pouch is deep 
purplish red, the petals being of the same colour and spotted 
with black, with marginal hairs. The dorsal sepal is very 
broad, rosy red in colour with darker lines, and clearly 
margined with white, the base greenish. The leaves add 
greatly to the attractiveness of the plant, which is very dwarf. 
They are beautifully marbled with light and dark green. 
The first-class certificate that was awarded was well 
deserved, and C. Lawrebel must be classed as a great 
acquisition. 
CELOSIAS. 
A FEW of these are very attractive among other summer 
and autumn flowering plants for the greenhouse, and there 
is no better time than the present for sowing the seeds. A 
good mixed strain contains many shades, such as yellow, 
orange, and pink to purple. Some strains produce plants of 
a more branching habit than others. The former are more 
suitable for cultivating if specimen plants are wanted ; 
while the latter, which have the plumose appendages more 
developed, are very charming when grown in small pots. I 
have not found the plants at all fickle as to soil, but if any 
kind appears to suit them better than another it is such as 
the Fuchsia delights in. Indeed, the summer cultivation 
of the Fuchsia—when intelligently pursued—corresponds 
closely with what the culture of the Celosia ought to be. 
For the sake of those who have not attempted to grow 
Celosias up to this time, I will briefly indicate some of the 
salient points to be observed in order to cultivate them 
fairly well. In sowing the seeds merely cover them with 
a little very finely sifted compost. The soil underneath 
the seeds ought also to be somewhat fine, and made open 
with sand. I keep the pots in a warm house, and shaded 
from the sun until the seedlings are well up. After this 
they must not be allowed to stand any length of time 
before transplanting, as they do not make such good progress 
if left long in the seed pot, and the plants are also kept 
more dwarf. The same kind of fine soil should be used 
for the young plants as for the seed pots. Small 3-inch 
pots are very suitable for growing the seedlings, as many 
as five or six being put out round the inside edge of 
each pot. 
In due time these will become too confined, and the little 
plants must then be singled out, and each placed in a 3 or 
4 inch pot ; but do not select the plants without inspecting 
the stems, and choose those which have clearly defined 
colourings, thus at an early stage getting rid of those which, when 
in flower, would be of no decorative value. The compost to use at 
this and at subsequent repottings should be of a rough, open nature, 
and it will be better to overdo the quantity of sand than to have 
the compost too close. Rapid, vigorous growth is what is wanted, 
and a too firm close compost will not allow of this. From the 3-inch 
pots the plants may be shifted into 5, 6, or 7-inch. The two former 
sizes are suitable for plants wanted for ordinary purposes, and the 
7-inch pots are large enough to produce fairly good specimen 
p’ants. They may, of course, be shifted to larger sized pots, but 
unless extra large plants are wanted this will not be necessary. 
At this shift the pots must be thoroughly drained, and if the 
