47i 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Juue 15, 1893. 
well for buttonholes and sprays. It is also frequently used at 
shows in the classes for stove and greenhouse cut flowers, the 
feathery spikes giving lightness to the stands and contrasting well 
with the bright Anthuriums which often accompany them. In 
short, there is hardly any arrangement of cut flowers or plants 
that cannot be improved by the addition of this old but very 
graceful Orchid.—H. R. R. 
Odontoglosstjm Harryanum. 
This is a very free-flowering, remarkably handsome, and 
distinct Odontoglossum. It was introduced in 1886 from South 
America, and since then it has found its way into most gardens 
in which Orchids are grown. If the plant be given a well-drained 
pot and a compost of sound fibrous peat, chopped sphagnum 
moss, and crock dust as a rooting medium, the temperature of 
an ordinary plant stove or the cool end of a Cattleya house to 
grow in, and be kept uniformly moist at the roots, it will thrive 
and flower satisfactorily. The crinkling oblong flowers, consisting 
of purplish-brown sepals streaked with yellow, with petals white 
at the base, and having broad irregular bands of purple, and white 
lip striped with purple, are very showy in appearance, and easily 
recognisable from any other variety of the large and beautiful 
family of the Odontoglossum.—H. W. W. 
Ventilating Orchids. 
Will some of your numerous correspondents kindly advise me 
as to ventilating the following Orchid houses, the plants in which 
are not doing well ? First, the Odontoglossum house is kept heavily 
shaded on bright days with very little air, the temperature often 
rising to 75° and 80° on warm days, and 55° to 60° at night. 
Secondly, the Cattleya house, with a thick blind and no air till 
8.45 A.M., allowing the temperature to rise to 80° or 85° before 
ventilating, with much moisture on the floor, stages, and at the 
roots. The plants make weak growth, and fail to flower well ; I 
say they do not have sufficient air, but am over-ruled. Thirdly, 
a mixed house of Orchids, with a temperature of 80° before 
ventilating, day temperature 80° to 85°, and 70° at night, with 
much moisture about them. The plants go sickly, turn yellow, and 
finally die. If anyone will give me some hint on airing and general 
treatment of the above I shall feel greatly obliged.—J. E., Dorking. 
Mr. W. Bull’s Orchid Exhibition. 
For some years past the annual Exhibition of Orchids at Mr. 
W. Bull’s Nursery, King’s Road, Chelsea, has been an event of 
special horticultural interest, and this season the Show is no ex¬ 
ception to the rule. The plants are tastefully arranged in a long 
span-roofed house, and make a charming display. The centre and 
side stages are filled with Orchids in bloom interspersed with 
Anthuriums, Palms, and other foliage plants. Many of the Orchids 
possess enough colour to make a rich and varied display, but the 
brilliancy of the Anthurium spathes adds considerably to the 
Exhibition, which is well worth a visit. Some of the blooms are 
perhaps a little past their be.st, but there is still sufficient to 
interest even the most fastidious connoisseur in Orchids. 
The Cattleyas and Lgelias are the most conspicuous, and of 
these there are some very fine forms. Cattleya Mossise marginata 
is a distinct variety, which shows up prominently amongst the rest. 
The sepals and petals are a rosy mauve, the lip rich purplish crimson 
with an orange throat. There is a well defined white margin 
on the lip, hence apparently its varietal name. Another beautiful 
form is C. Mossise aurea. This has bright rosy mauve petals and 
sepals and a charmingly marked lip. Of no less importance is 
Mossite majestica, a most distinct form, with pale rosy sepals and 
petals, and a bright lip. A very pretty variety of C. Gaskelliana, 
with richly coloured flowers, was noticeable ; and the same may be 
said of C. Mendelli superba, which has a grand lip and pure white 
sepals and petals. 
Among the Lselias, the various forms of L. purpurata are well 
represented. One of the best of these is L. purpurata rubella, 
which has light rosy mauve sepals and petals and a very richly 
coloured lip. The beautiful L. grandis tenebrosa was also notice¬ 
able, there being some splendid flowers of this variety. The bright 
yellow sprays, of an enormous size, of Oncidium macranthum 
formed a delightful contrast to the more formal blooms of the 
Cypripediums, which are well represented. Amongst others the 
pretty C, Stonei and C. superciliare are exceedingly good. Den- 
drobiums also form a feature in the Exhibition, as likewise do the 
showy Epidendrum vitellinum majus, Saccolabiums, and Cymbi- 
dium Lowianum eximium. Of the latter there are some very fine 
plants. Lycastes, Masdevallias, and Angrsecums add interest and 
variety to the display. 
In addition to the large structure referred to there are two 
other houses filled with Odontoglossums and Miltonias now in full 
bloom. One house devoted to Miltonia vexillaria in great variety, 
the most conspicuous of these being M. vexillaria rubellum and a 
charming form known as M. v. roseum. The Odontoglossums are 
also exceedingly good, especially 0. citrosmum and O. crispum, of 
which there are some superb forms. 
PACKING PEACHES AND NECTARINES. 
Many and various are the methods of packing Peaches and 
Nectarines adopted, but if all presumably answer the purpose of 
those who follow them it cannot be truthfully asserted that there 
is no room for improvement, in some of them at any rate. As a 
matter of fact, much valuable fruit is practically spoilt owing to 
either careless or faulty packing. No fruit is more easily bruised 
and disfigured than ripe Peaches; and what is also a very important 
point, no fruit is more quickly tainted in flavour owing to being 
surrounded or enclosed in either scented boxes or strong-smelling 
packing material. So susceptible are they of being affected in 
flavour by contact with scented or musty material that Peaches, 
and in a lesser degree Nectarines, after being gathered ought never 
to rest on anything but fresh tissue paper with a padding of some 
kind underneath. Fruiterers sometimes display them on fresh 
Vine leaves, but those who know their business take good care to 
remove the leaves before night arrives. Naturally some varieties 
are superior in point of quality to others. Royal George, Bellegarde, 
Crimson Galande, and Grosse Mignonne being among the best, but 
the majority of other sorts are quite good enough for most people, 
and if not first-rate in flavour there is all the more reason why 
every care should be taken to guard against tainting them. 
Peaches and Nectarines to travel well ought not to be quite ripe 
when packed, nor in any case should they be left on the trees till 
the falling stage is reached. They keep better, travel with least 
damage, and are really more luscious and richly flavoured when the 
full ripe state is anticipated by at least one day. Any required for 
home consumption, or which are to be packed for private use soon 
after reaching its destination, ought to be gathered directly the 
fruits are slightly soft at the base. Lightly pressing the under side 
of a fruit that appears to be ripe enough to test will not injure it, 
but there must be no finger or thumb marks on the upper surface 
or the fruit will be very conspicuous, and decay also set in early. 
For the markets an appearance of ripeness, and in particular plenty 
of colour, is most needed ; slightly under-ripe fruit best meeting 
the case. Fruit that is inclined to cling to the trees must not be 
roughly dragged away, or thumb marks will detract considerably 
from their value ; but the gatherer should have a pad of cotton 
wool in his left hand with which to firmly grasp the fruit, and 
then, where possible, to cut through the footstalk with a pair of 
Grape scissors. Nectarine Lord Napier is one of the most difficult 
to gather without bruising, and the pad and scissors ought certainly 
to be used for detaching the variety from the trees. If all the 
trees are examined every morning, and each fruit fit is gathered, 
there will be no necessity for suspending nets under them. The 
latter only break the fall, and do not wholly prevent bruising. 
Opinions vary both as to the form of box and packing material 
for Peaches and Nectarines. The fruits vary greatly in size and 
form, some being extra large both as regards depth and circum¬ 
ference, others feng flat and of a good breadth, and still more 
comparatively small in every way. The boxes, therefore, ought 
also to vary considerably, it being little short of madness to pack 
deep fruit in shallow boxes with an insufficiency of packing both 
above and below to prevent bruising, while very deep boxes are 
unsuitable for small or flat fruit owing to the unavoidable springi¬ 
ness and eventual shrinkage of the packing material. What market 
salesmen favour are boxes 24 inches long, 14 inches wide, and 
4j inches deep, these holding twenty-four fairly large Peaches, 
and rather more Nectarines. These, however, are scarcely deep 
enough for Sea Eagle, Walburton Admirable, and large fruits of 
Barrington Peaches, and are larger than are required for fruit 
from very heavily laden trees. It is advisable to have boxes made 
for private use in sets, the depths being varied. If there are no 
opportunities of getting them made very cheaply in the neighbour¬ 
hood they can be obtained for surprisingly low figures from adver¬ 
tising makers. I find cheap, light boxes from grocers and con¬ 
fectioners answer well for sending by post, being also frequently 
used when there is no likelihood of the receivers returning the 
empties. Market salesmen and leading fruiterers now-a-days are 
always ready to send boxes and baskets suitable for any kind of fruit 
that is to be consigned to them, and all things considered it is much 
better to have their boxes than to provide for oneself. Boxes 
with separate compartments for each fruit are a great mistake. 
We have next to consider which is the best kind of packing 
material out of the several available. Experienced packers largely 
favour moss for Peaches and Nectarines, and it is extensively used for 
