September 1, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
187 
E. amethystinum from three different nurserymen have all proved 
to be distinct plants. 
Equally useful for cutting for winter decoration are some of 
the Statices, which are in most instances remarkably graceful. The 
well known S. latifolia is one of the best of the hardy sorts, but 
we all like variety, and a very pretty little species which has 
flowered with me this year for the first time has proved so useful 
for the rockery that it deserves a note to itself. This little Sea 
Lavender I received under the name of S. Dodarti, and I have no 
reason to doubt the correctness of the name, although no descrip¬ 
tion of the plant is to be found in any of our standard works. I 
am not, however, absolutely certain as to the spelling of the name, 
as I have seen it given as Dodardti. However this may be, it is 
very neat and pretty with its deep green Daisy-like small leaves 
and erect heads of lavender blue flowers with wh.te calyces. It is 
thriving well in sandy soil on a rockery with an eastern exposure, 
but judging from its appearance it would be very suitable for the 
front row of the border. It is exactly 9 inches in height with me. 
I have no information as to its native habitat or date of introduc¬ 
tion, and should be glad to have any information on these points. 
There is a yellow flowered Statice in cultivation under the name of 
8. Fortunei which would appear to be well worth growing. I had 
at one time a young plant of this, but it disappeared in a mysterious 
way, and I was thus deprived of the pleasure of seeing it in flower. 
It requires a light sandy soil. Those interested in this species will 
find an illustration of S. Fortunei in Maund’s “ Botanic Garden.” 
I should be glad to know of any place in this country where this 
Sea Lavender is grown. 
Last autumn, in the course of some remarks on the Verbascums 
or Mulleins, I mentioned a fine white-flowered one I had seen in a 
garden near me, and which had been obtained under the name of 
V. variegatum. I have, through the kindness of the owner of the 
garden in which I saw it, obtained a plant, which has flowered well 
this season ; and lately I submitted a small piece to the Rev. 
C. Wolley Dod, who takes a great interest in the Mulleins, and 
who is thoroughly conversant with the genus. He has very kindly 
written me to say that the plant is V. nigrum var. album, the white 
variety of a native plant which is common in the South of England. 
This Verbascum is one which deserves to be more widely grown. 
It is a true perennial, flowers for a long period, and produces a 
handsome spike of white flowers, resembling, in some respects, the 
white forms of V. phoeniceum, but superior in many ways. The 
individual flowers are smaller, but are much more numerous, of 
better form and more lasting. The spike, which is over 3 feet in 
length, is very attractive, and altogether this Mullein is well worthy 
of recommendation. 
But once more, there are too many flowers in bloom to notice 
further, and with the wind howling in token of a coming storm, 
and the tall Sunflowers and Asters swaying wildly I draw these 
notes to a close, feeling that, though autumn brings with it the 
forebodings of darksome days, there is still the silver lining to 
the cloud, which cheers us and gives us much present delight. 
—S. Arnott. 
L.elio Cattleya Arnoldjana. 
The hybrid Ltelia which was raised by Messrs. Sander & Co. of 
St. Albans from Laslia purpurata, fertilised with the pollen of 
Cattleya Mossiae, and named Arnoldiana, has, says “ Garden and 
Forest,” flowered in the collection of Mr. Hicks Arnold. The plant 
justifies all that was said in its praise when it was awarded a medal 
and a first-class certificate rather more than a year ago at a meeting 
of the Royal Horticultural Society in London. Mr. Arnold’s plant 
carried eleven flowers, and they showed the good qualities of both 
parents, especially in the richness of their colouring, from the pale 
purple of the petals and sepals to the brilliant dark crimson of 
the lip. 
Cattleya Sciiilleriana Lowi. 
Messrs. Hugh Low & Co. exhibited a beautiful and interest¬ 
ing form of Cattleya Schilleriana named Lowi at the meeting of 
the Royal Horticultural Society on July 26th. The variety, which 
fig. 26 represents, has large flowers, exhibiting much distinctness 
of colouring. The sepals and petals are green, and are thickly 
furnished with brown spots. The lip is pale purple streaked with 
white. The throat is tinged with yellow. The plant shown 
exhibited a similar habit to that of the species, and bore two 
flowers. A first-class certificate was awarded. It is a pleasing and 
desirable form. 
Raising Orchids from Seed. 
“ L’Orchophile ” has an article on the raising of Orchids from 
seed, containing some speculations of much interest in addition to 
practical information. The raising of Orchids from seed tends, it 
says, to pass from the domain of the exceptional to that of the 
practical. At the present time, perhaps, there does not exist one 
collection in twenty where some seedling Orchids are not met 
with. It would be a mistake to consider that crossing Orchids, 
obtaining seed, securing their germination, and raising the young 
plants are easy ; but the number of attempts has multiplied so 
greatly that it is natural the results worthy of note should have 
increased in the same proportion. Much has been said about the 
intervention of insects in the fertilisation of Orchids, and of the 
crossing of different species by their movements. It is probable, 
certain if you like ; but it is a question that gives rise to many 
reflections. The plants which can fertilise themselves naturally, 
which are visited by thousands of insects, rarely give hybrids, and 
those which cannot fertilise themselves give them frequently. I 
know that it is difficult to struggle against a fact, but it is not easy 
to explain it. It may be said that the ease with which plants 
fertilise themselves is in itself an obstacle to hybridisation, that 
all the flowers visited by insects were fertilised before the visit 
It is possible, but it is not certain. 
Certain Orchids grow side by side ; it is thus in our own and 
tropical countries ; they are visited by the same insects ; it would 
be natural to expect that the crosses would be much more common 
than they really are. I presume that there must be frequent 
checks, judging by the results of the crosses which we make under 
glass, where the chances of success are greater and more numerous. 
Generally the seeds which we obtain are not fertile ; this happens- 
forty times in 100. Fertilisation appears to have taken place, the 
flowers wither, the ovary swells, the pod forms, but the seeds are 
not fertile ; there are all the manifestations of fertilisation without 
any results. But, it may be objected, able operators raise Orchids 
from seed very easily. That explains itself thus : Experienced 
operators secure a greater number of successful “fertilisations” 
than novices, but they only sow the seeds which the magnifying 
glass has enabled them to recognise as good. Notwithstanding the 
attenuated character of Orchid seeds their weight is generally con¬ 
siderable, and it is that which explains the localisation of the 
species. Take a pinch of Orchid seed, a pinch that may contain 
several thousands, throw it in the air, and a part, the dust, will sink 
slowly, be lifted by the wind, and float in the air ; the good seeds 
alone will fall at once to the ground. I do not believe in Orchid 
seeds being carried to great distances; when the pod is ripe and 
