March 28,1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
275 
Beassia Lawrenceana. 
When this Orchid was exhibited at the Drill Hall at one of last 
year’s meetings it was accorded a first-class certificate by the Orchid 
Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society. It was staged in 
splendid condition by R. I. Measures, Esq., Camberwell, and well 
Cattleyas “ Going Back ”—Dendrobiums. 
Please inform me if Cattleyas and other Orchids in bud when 
removed from one place to another always go back, or does it 
indicate that they are removed to an unsuitable place ? I have 
purchased several in bud, but the buds always die, unless they are 
showing colour. I shall also be glad to know the difference 
between D. nobile nobilius and D. nobile Sanderianum, and which 
is the better of the two.—W. S. 
[Certainly not, unless the plants were checked by cold, or the 
buds bruised on the journey. If this was not so either your house 
must be unsuitable or the plants have been wrongly treated in some 
way since. If the plants were removed during the recent severe 
weather they would doubtless be checked, unless extraordinary 
Fig. 48.—BRASSIA lawrenceana. 
merited the honour accorded. In Williams’ “Orchid Grower’s 
Manual ” B. Lawrenceana (fig. 48) is described as a handsome 
species, having long racemes of very fragrant fiowers, in which the 
petals are much shorter than the sepals, which are fully 3 inches 
long, the lip oblong-lanceolate acuminate and wavy, with two 
pubescent connate lamella truncate in front. The colour of these 
fiowers is bright yellow, tinged with green at the base and spotted 
with reddish brown. They last three or four weeks in good 
condition if kept dry. 
Cypripedium insigne. 
I AM enclosing a few Cypripedium insigne blooms that have 
been open since the third week in December. During that time 
they have done turns for decorations in drawing-room. This is the 
longest time I have known blooms keep fresh.—W. G. G., Sennowe. 
[The blooms reached us in wonderful condition considering 
their age, and it would be interesting to know if any readers 
have kept them a longer time.] 
precautions were taken to prevent this, and you will know whether 
or not this was the case. 
With regard to the Dendrobiums mentioned it would be hard 
to say which is the better, as both are truly magnificent forms. 
D. nobile nobilius is the larger flower, but D. n. Sanderianum has 
the broadest petals, and these are usually white at the base, giving 
them a very distinct appearance. Both forms are very deeply 
coloured, the former being the more rose.] 
Calanthe Culture. 
Calanthe Veitchi and its allied varieties are generally 
acknowledged to be exceedingly decorative, and for early winter 
blooming few plants can equal them. The flower spikes keep a 
long time when the plants are placed in vases in a living room, 
the flowers being equally good as cut blooms. 
When left in the hothouses they continue to bloom from three 
to four months, and no plants are so easy to cultivate where a 
