516 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 22 IS92. 
there are visions of loveliness that would have filled the good 
saint’s heart with gladness could he have seen them in the long 
ago. So far from there being “ no flowers,” the difficulty rests in 
which to choose. Well may the first pause be over so beautiful 
and chaste a Christmas Orchid as Lselia autumnalis virginalis, an 
ivory-like flower, the purity of which is only broken by a mauve 
stripe across the throat. And not less worthy of remark is the 
hybrid L. Oweniana, a cross between Dayana (seed parent) and 
xanthina. It is a dwarf form with white sepals and petals, the 
side lobes of the throat enriched with purple. Warmth is imparted 
by L. Gouldiana, glistening and shimmering with a lovely rosy 
carmine glow which suffuses the sepals and petals. The throat is 
tinged with yellow and lined with brown streaks. L. anceps Owen¬ 
iana gives beautiful combinations of colour. The petals and sepals 
are rich rose, paler at the base, and with broad, Carnation-like 
flakes; its lip magenta, the side lobes of the throat striped with 
brownish purple and tho edges rose. L. Gravesiae (crispa superba 
X praestans), soft blush with purplish magenta lip, presents pleasing 
contrasts, and the white variety of L. anceps is admired for its 
purity. With hundreds of others showing bloom, he would be 
bold indeed who would say that “ Christmas Orchids ” was a mis¬ 
leading term even if we had Laelias alone. 
But Oncidiums and Odontoglossums yield their quota of interest 
and beauty. On. Phalaenopsis has rose and white flowers that 
cannot fail to charm. Od. Insleayi Leoparainum and Od. I. 
splendens give quaint harmonies in green, chocolate, yellow and 
brown. The first has green sepals with chocolate blotches, the 
lip clear yellow and marked with rich crimson maroon ; the latter 
has larger and finer light brown flowers, the lip pale yellow with 
reddish blotches round the edge. Od. Phalaenopsis and Od. Roezli 
are in bloom also, the latter being represented by the white and 
red varieties, both beautiful. On. Gravesianum is bearing long 
wreaths of its brown and yellow blossoms, while On. cheirophorum 
uplifts spikes thickly furnished with small yellow flowers. Od. 
Pescatorei and Od. crispum are coming in thousands. Od. Rogersi 
and Od. maculatum are both there, while the rare and chaste 
Od. Rossi albens charms with its delicate beauty. 
Cattleya time is far distant, but a few of this noble race enrich 
our store of Christmas Orchids. C. labiata might naturally be 
expected to be amongst them, and there it is in truth with its rich 
and glistening flowers, so well suited for catching the reflection of 
the illuminations of the Christmas table, and assuming new charms 
with every fresh ray of light that falls upon it. Ah ! but there is a 
still fairer jewel, a white variety, pure as the driven snow, and with 
only a faint tinge of yellow in the throat to relieve its chasteness. 
It appeared in a Sanderian importation of labiata, and the fortunate 
owner is Mr. Wells of Broomfield, Sale. It has all the noble 
proportions of its parent, and must rank as one of the loveliest 
Orchids in all our rich store. C. O’Brieniana is widely different, 
coming nearest, perhaps, to C. Walkeriana nobilior, but is beautiful, 
too. Its sepals and petals are soft lavender with a rosy suffusion, 
the lip deeper. C. amethystoglossa Selwood variety is another 
gem of this genus now in bloom. The flowers, borne in a cluster 
of six, are stout in texture and beautifully marked. The sepals 
and petals are cream spotted with magenta, the lip and upper part 
of the tube rich magenta. 
Of the Christmas Cypripediums but a faint idea can be given. 
They contribute the most generously of all, and their harmonious 
hues yield as much pleasure as their quaint forms do interest. 
C. Lathamiana (Clark’s variety) and C. nitens (St. Albans variety) 
demand the detailed description that want of space forbids, for 
both are handsome and distinct. More powerful still are the 
claims of the three splendid Leeanum varieties—gemmatum, 
giganteum, and the Audenshaw variety, for this extending section 
is one of the most beautiful and valuable of all. The dorsal 
sepal of the Audenshaw form is almost circular, and nearly all 
white, but with a broad central stripe of purple. It is the opposite 
cross to C. Leeanum. C. Johnsonianum is altogether a distinct 
type of flower. It is a cross between C. nitens magnificum and 
C. Lawrenceanum, the former being the seed parent. The petals 
and pouch are of rich burnished chocolate, the dorsal sepal green 
thickly spotted with purple, and with a broad white margin. 
C. Calypso, Oakwood variety, and C. Alcides superbum are again 
distinct, and each in its way beautiful. C. Chamberlainianum, one 
of the most distinct and effective of Cypripedes, is in bloom too. 
Imported plants of the Slipper Orchids are packed together in 
thousands, like Rhubarb. May some of them swell the ranks of 
Christmas Orchids with valuable additions when the time for 
blooming comes. 
The list is by no means exhausted yet. Fine plants of hybrid 
Phaius are opening their flowers, and Phalaenopsis, which, despite 
their peculiar reputation, grow like weeds, are full of bloom. P. 
amabilis and P. Sanderiana, with their arching sprays of chaste 
and lovely blossoms, are ideal Christmas Orchids. P. Esmeralda 
grandiflora, blush with magenta lip, is distinct and charming. 
Lycaste Skinneri and alba add their mite, as also do the small white 
Dendrobium Fitchianum, the Penguin Orchid (Catasetum dis¬ 
color), Cymbidium eburneum, of which there is a splendid stock, 
Epidendrum macrochilum album, Angiaecum Sanderianum, 
Dendrobium Cassiope, a pyramid of blossom and nearly always 
in flower, the lavender coloured Calanthe Sanderiana, and others 
that might be named if considerations of space did not stand in the 
way. Enough has been gleaned from this marvellous Orchid home 
with its 100 yards long houses, fitted with every convenience that 
means and skill have been able to provide, with its myriads of 
plants in magnificent condition, and with its railway line and 
station for dealing with the vast imports and exports of the 
establishment, to show that there are Christmas Orchids in 
abundant numbers, variety and beauty. 
If I may venture one gentle criticism about Orchids in this, my 
carol, before concluding, it would be directed to the system that 
looks not for value in the beauty of the flower but in oddities or 
peculiarities of marking. It is this which puts Orchids so much 
beyond the pale of human affection and sympathy as to make men 
regard them as objects to marvel over rather than to. love. After 
all they are flowers, and flowers, too, with possibilities of greater 
good than accrues from furnishing material with which wealthy 
men gauge each other’s riches. I take advantage of the heart¬ 
opening and brotherly love which Christmastide so widely calls 
forth to urge that Orchids are not alone stocks to be gambled with 
nor idols to be worshipped, but ministering angels from the great 
flower paradise to soothe the sorrows and beguile the sadness of 
humanity.— W. P. Wright. 
SHOWING AND JUDGING HARDY FLOWERS. 
I have read with considerable interest the letters upon the 
above subject. I did not intend taking part in the discussion until 
I read on page 521 Mr. J. A. Williams’ remarks. “Nothing can 
be more inartistic nor hideous than the flat, squashed-up huge 
bunches of annuals, biennials, and perennials such as are now 
staged at most shows.” Similar words have often been expressed 
by me. Flowers would be more interesting and instructive upon 
the exhibition table were they exhibited in their natural growing 
state. This has been long in custom at some shows with Stocks, 
Love-lies-bleeding, and other annuals ; why not with others? Full 
spikes only of hardy border flowers should be staged, except 
in those cases where single specimen flowers only are appropriate. 
By the encouragement of such a system plants would be better 
cultivated, and not crowded in thickets, as is the case in so many 
gardens.—W. T. B. 
The subject of the satisfactory exhibiting of hardy flowers at 
shows, whether in bunches or otherwise, is well worth discussing, 
at this time of the year especially, as it may lead to some needful 
changes being made in the phraseology of schedules before those 
for next year are issued. I think the proper designation for the 
class or classes referred to would be “ hardy garden flowers, and 
that designation would of course include flowers of every hardy 
plant, tree, or shrub that grows in gardens. But that would be 
thought perhaps in most instances to be too wide a class, as, for 
instance, in many shows there is found a class or classes for annuals 
in bunches ; where these are found, then in any class for hardy 
garden flowers annuals should be specially excluded. Still farther 
it would be found desirable to exclude Roses and shrubs. These 
are, of course, “ hardy border flowers,” and therefore it would be 
easy also to say “ Roses or shrub flowers excluded.” What is 
wanted is to form, in a simple, lucid, yet comprehensive fashion, 
classes for all sorts of hardy garden flowers, in bunches or 
otherwise, so as to have wide interpretations and as few annoying 
limitations as possible. Bulbs, I take it for granted, have been by 
some judges excluded from the term “ perennial because in most, 
if not in all, cases, the old bulb dies with the plant growth yearly, 
and a new one is formed. Hence bulbs cannot be regarded, as 
perennial in the same sense that Delphiniums or Phloxes, which 
are herbaceous; or Pansies, Pinks, or Carnations, that are purely 
perennial. With reference to the size of the bunches shown, that 
is a matter of some importance, although in the estimation of good 
judges quantity cannot excel quality. Still some bunches are 
largely overdone. Mr. Shanks’ suggestion as to the limiting the 
size of the receptacle or holder of the bunches is a good one, and if 
not permitted to exceed 2 inches in diameter I think that would be 
found large enough for all useful or decorative purposes.—A. D. 
I beg to thank those of your readers who have kindly given us 
their views on the above subject, and trust before the discussion 
