384 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 14, ISM. 
New Orchid?, 
At the R.H.S.’s meeting on Tuesday last the Orchid Committee 
adjudged awards of merit to five distinct varieties, which are here 
briefly described. _ 
Odontoglossum crispum Wrigleyanum came from Mr. G. 
Beddoes, gardener to E. G. Wrigley, Esq , Howick House, Preston, 
and is a remarkable addition to the variations of this type. The 
flowers are of good size and shape, but their peculiarity consists in 
the colouring, the numerous light brown blotches being also tinted 
and edged with pale purple on a white ground, producing a singular 
effect. It is very rare this purple tinting is seen in O. crispum, 
though we occasionally find it in 0. Pescatorei, deepening to a very 
rich shade in the variety Veitchi. 
Phalaenopsis speciosa var. Imperatrix was shown by Mr. W. H. 
Young, gardener to F. Wigan, Esq., Clare Lawn, East Sheen, and 
is unquestionably the richest coloured variety yet obtained. The 
flowers are comparatively large, with polished rich rosy purple or 
violet sepals, petals and lip all uniformly coloured. The plant was 
a strong one, and had a raceme of eight flowers. With it was a 
plant of another variety with white petals, but the character did 
not seem to be constant. 
Cattleya Schroederse var. Leyswoodiersis bears the name of 
Leyswood Groombridge, the residence of VV. Temple, Esq., by 
whose gardener (Mr. Bristow) it was exhibited. The flower is of 
great size, the lip very broad and rounded, softly blush tinted, with 
a gold throat, and evenly frilled at the margin ; the sepals and 
petals are also broad, and of similar colour to the lip. C. 
Schroederse is one of the most beautiful Cattleyas we have, and 
good varieties are becoming more numerous. Another from the 
same exhibitor, simply named Temple’s variety, has smaller flowers 
and a narrower lip, but the latter is of a fine golden bronze hue, 
margined with mauve. The name Leyswoodi was applied to the 
first mentioned, but this is so obviously incorrect that the one here 
given has been substituted. _ 
Cattleya Mossite var. gigantea, from M. S. Cooke, Esq., 
Kingston Hill, is remarkable for the great size of the flowers, the 
lip being 3i inches across, open, frilled with crimson and gold 
mottling. The sepals and petals also are highly coloured. 
Odontoglossum Halli leucoglossum, from G. le Dux, Esq , is 
not a new variety, but it had never been certificated before, and 
was well worthy of recognition. The flowers are beautifully 
marked with brown blotches, the white lip standing out con¬ 
spicuously against them, and this character gives the varietal 
name. It is a handsome Odontoglossum, especially when a long 
raceme is seen, as in this case.— Lewis Castle. 
Dexdrobium tiiyrsielorum. 
I CAN fully endorse the opinion of “ W. S.” respecting the 
attractiveness of the above Dendrobium. Just over twelve months 
ago, when I came here, I saw this plant in flower for the first time, 
and I was much struck with its beauty, for it was in a 32-sized pot, 
and had three long racemes with from fifty to sixty blooms each. 
Subsequently, however, when a largo plant in a pot 14 inches in 
diameter, only produced one spike I was disappointed, as it had 
made several fine growths. After the spike had faded it again 
commenced growing, and developed several good growths about 
2 feet long. As we were not prepared for such a severe winter as 
the one through which we have just passed, the temperature of the 
house (the warmest we have) fell so low that it killed all the 
Oncidium Phatenopsis, both old and young plants. The average 
temperature did not exceed 38° or 40° during the long continued 
frosts, and often when I went to attend to the fires at 11..30 p.m. 
<the thermometer outside registering 25° and 26° of frost) I could 
not enter the house to see how low the temperature was, the door 
being frozen to the post. When at last the frost disappeared, and 
we were able to provide a higher temperature, this plant com¬ 
menced producing racemes from the old growths and from the new, 
and at the present time it has twenty-one fully developed racemes, 
each with forty to fifty flowers. One raceme I accidentally 
knocked off in tying it out, and one is not yet opened, which would 
have been twenty-three spikes, or over 1000 individual blossoms, 
making the grandest display I have ever seen of a single Orchid. I 
am told it has never flowered so well before, and we think is due 
to the low temperature, giving the plant a complete rest. Anyone 
failing to flower this Orchid satisfactorily should try and give it a 
complete rest, which we shall endeavour to do in the future by 
placing it in the coldest part of the house as soon as it has matured 
its growths. Smaller plants in 32’s, 48’s, and long GQ’s are 
flowering equally well. 
Dendrobium Wardianum in the same house has also been 
flowering, and D. chrysotoxum is promising. I am also anxiously 
watching Oncidium macranthum, which at present has a raceme 
over 6 feet in length, and I am told it is not likely to flower for 
another three months. About thirty plants of Odontoglossum 
citrosmum roseum in 24’s, 32's, and 48’8 in a cooler part of the 
house are also promising ; this is a very sweet-scented flower, and 
should be in every collection, but it is very liable to be injured by 
damp, and if there is a slug in the house it is almost sure to find its 
way to the young spikes, consequently the only safe place is in 
baskets suspended from the roof. This is, I believe, the only 
Odontoglossum that throws its spike out of the new growth when 
the latter is about a month old. It is very interesting day by day 
to watch the developing spikes. Medium sized plants of Lfelia 
purpurata are also showing well.— R. Turner, Addlesto'ne^ Surrey. 
Odontoglossum excellens. 
I SEND you the top part of raceme of Odontoglossum excellens 
to compare with other forms. Mr. Lewis Casde is keeping the 
Odontoglossums well to the front in the Journal just now, and I 
appreciate bis notes very much. I have been rather long in sending, 
the blooms are just shrinking a little, and the colour is not so bright 
as a fortnight ago. 0. excellens stands for two months if the bees 
do not get at it. I am quite at one with Mr. Castle as regards 
temperature. My minimum temperature during winter is 45°, the 
thermometer being hung on the wall and coldest place in the house. 
I hang another in the centre of the house, which is never below 50'’ 
nor above 55° with fire heat. I use now nothing but half pots, 
depth and diameter being about equal, and save thereby a con¬ 
siderable weight in crocks for drainage. I am not afraid to give 
large pots when I have good healthy roots to deal with, but then I 
water them myself, and that makes all the difference. I would 
never advise anyone to use large pots unless he attended to the 
watering himself.— Geo. Russell. 
[The variety is very good, the colour bright and the flowers 
of good form. The top portion of a raceme was sent bearing nine 
fine flowers, and Mr. Russell says “ id was taken from a plant 
with a single lead, which always produc s two racemes more or 
less branched, and about 3 feet long,” a highly satisfactory 
result of good culture.] 
INSECTS OF THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
( Continued from page 202.') 
A FRIEND who has been surveying his evergreens with some 
anxiety, and reckoning up his losses due to the last winter, has 
just called my attention to the Box, which seems, as usual, to 
be much infested by an insect, commonly supposed to be an 
Aphis, but which is really a Psylla, though near akin to our more 
deadly foe. It twists the terminal leaves into a cone-like form,, 
kills many of the buds, and must weaken the plant. I believe it 
is generally the case that too little heed is taken of this and other 
insects that are mischievous to our evergreens, and I should 
suggest it can be dealt with effectively by syringing the shrubs 
with a solution of petroleum and soap of suitable strength ; it may 
also be killed, like others of the Psyllidge, by a wash of iobacco 
water, or the decoction of quassia chips. These insects have the 
power of leaping when they are adult, which is not possessed by 
the true plant lice or aphides ; the thorax is broad for their size, 
the rostrum or sucker short, and the female possesses a small 
ovipositor. But these insects, also incorrectly called the Chermes, 
have not the rapid succession of broods notable amongst the 
aphides, though there may be more than one in each season ; the 
first is probably started by females that have hybernated, the tiny 
eggs being artfully hidden. The Psyllidse may be destroyed by 
the same methods found applicable to their relatives, but their 
agility gives them some advantage. Several of the species commit 
much damage amongst fruit trees, and others of them give forth a 
cottony secretion resembling that of the allied species of woolly 
aphis, known popularly as American blight. 
We may take as a good example of this tribe P. pini, which 
attacks Pines or other Conifers, both in houses and out of doors. 
Winter is the time to arrest the increase of this species, when the 
