472 
JOURNAL OF' HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Dcormfcer 1, 1887. 
Mr. J. Wright Ins an excellent and reliable system for this purpose. 
A simple plan was also proposed by Mr. Williamson in this Journal 
a few years ago, in which by means of marks and points four of the 
latter equal one of the former. A modification of this, reversing the 
names and retaining the point as the higher value, to be sub-divided 
i.ito four points where necessary, would meet every case. 
The system of judging proposed by Messrs. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, 
was tried at the National Show this month, but was not very satisfactory, 
and owing to some mistake in collecting the votes the first prize was not 
award.d to the best collection. I understand, however, that this has 
been subsequently corrected, as on re-examination of the voters’ cards it 
was found that Mr. J. Martin, West Hill House Gardens, Hartford, was 
entitled to the premier award. The stand of fine blooms shown by Mr. 
Martin will be well remembered for the grand specimens of Mr. H. Cannell 
and Mr. C. Orchard it contained, the finest examples of these distinct 
varieti* s that have been shown this season. Although it was stated in 
the schedule that the awards were to be made by the Floral Committee, 
this does not seem to have been followed ou:, and as a matter of fact 
very few of them assisted in the matter.—L. Castle. 
REVIEW OF BOOK. 
Manual of Orchidac/ows Plants, Part II., Cattleya and LcBlia. By 
James Veitch A Sons, Royal Exotic Nursery, King’s Road, Chelsea. 
Cattleyas and Laclias have long held a foremost place amongst 
the most valued Orchids, but they have become especial favourites 
within the past twenty years. Large numbers have been imported, 
many handsome novelties have been introduced, and some remarkable 
hybrids have been raised here that have all assisted in concentrating the 
attention of orchidists upon these two genera. It is not surprising that 
they should become popular, for the flowers are amongst the largest and 
most richly coloured of the whole family'. In most cases, too, they are 
freely produced, and though their culture is a little more expensive than 
the cool house Orchids wealthy amateurs have found an especial interest 
in them, and several have formed large collections. Spacious houses 
have been devoted to these plants, and such structures as that in Mr. 
W. Lee’s garden, Downside, Leatherhead, or Messrs. Veitch’s wonderful 
house at Chelsea annually afford Orchid exhibitions of surpassing beauty. 
There has consequently been a great demand for information, both 
cultural and historical, concerning the Cattleyas and their immediate re¬ 
lations and thorrgh several excellent works have appeared something 
of a more exhaustive character was required combining sound practical 
instruction with scientific accuracy, and sufficient general and historical 
particulars to give it a popular interest. It is the object of the work 
under notice to meet this demand, and we will endeavour to show how 
well it has been accomplished. 
The book is uniform in size, with the first part devoted to Odonto- 
glossums, but contains 108 pages, and is profusely illustrated with wood 
engravings, many of which are printed separately on toned paper. Three 
excellent maps are also given, indicating the geographical distribution 
of the two genera in Southern Brazil, Central America, and Mexico with 
Guatemala, and these constitute an important feature of the work, as 
they are carefully and clearly drawn, the names of the species being 
printed in small black type over the respective regions where they are 
chiefly found. The illustrations include the leading types of each genus, 
single flowers being mostly shown together with miniature representations 
of the whole plant in some cases, and more of these might be advan¬ 
tageously given, as single flowers convey but an imperfect idea to those 
unacquainted with the plant, and the best description that can b; penned 
falls short of an engraving from a popularly instructive point of view. 
In one case, that of the curious hybrid Sophrocattleya Batemanniana, 
an illustration is furnished of the details of the flower in the usual 
botanical style, and in such instances this is very interesting, as the 
resemblance to the different parents can be more readily traced. The 
frontispiece is an engraving of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons’ Oattleya house, 
which was prepared for this Journal two years ago and was first published 
page 21.'), March 12th, 1885. By a strange oversight, however, there is 
no acknowledgment of the source whence it was obtained, and this is 
the more remarkable since the authors are usually so generous in such 
matters. 
To the genera Cattleya and Lselia the greater portion of the book is 
devoted, but the closely related Lmliopsis, Tetramicra (Leptotes), Schom- 
burgkia, and Sophronitis, which comprise only a few species, are also de¬ 
scribed. The generic characters are those of the Hooker and Bentham’s 
■’ Genera Plantarum ” translated into English and condensed. Then in the 
cn se of Cattleyas follows an interesting review of the geographical d istribu- 
tion, and three regions are mentioned as containing the principal species 
—namely, l; 1, Mexico and Guatemala in the extreme north of the 
region sketched above. 2, In the northern part of the South American 
Continent, that extends from the western Cordillera of New Granada 
to British Guiana ; and 3, The maritime provinces of southern Brazil.” 
The climatal characteristics of these regions are concisely sketched, and 
supply valuable information for cultivators. The cultural details are 
clear and full. 
The species and varieties of Cattleya are next treated, the C. lab’ata 
group comprising C. Dowiana, C. Mossias, C. Mendeli, C. Trianre, &c., 
which are botanically referable to 0. labiata, though usually regarded 
in gardens as ilistinct species. By the courtesy of the authors we are 
enabled to give thb figure of Cattleya labiata var. Dowiana (fig. 57), 
which is well known as one of the most handsome of the genus. Under 
these varieties are arranged numerous sub-varieties, but only the most 
distinct have been selected. The same system of nomenclature is 
adopted as with the Odontoglossums, but it seems inconsistent to give 
some the ordinary botanical names, and others the English equivalent. 
Thus under C. labiata var. Mendeli we have sub-var. “ bella ” as an ex¬ 
ample of the former, and “ Blunt’s,” James’,” “ Mr. Lee’s,” and “ Mrs. 
Morgan’s” as instances of the latter, and this occurs throughout even 
where the rejected names, like Reineckiana and Wageneri (under C. 
Mossias), have been recorded in botanical works by scientific authorities. 
After the C. labiata group has been fully discussed the remaining 
species are taken in alphabetical order, commencing with C. Acklandiaa, 
and ending with 0. AValkeriana. Laelia is treated in a similar manner, 
descriptive lists of hybrid Cattleyas and Laelias following together with 
Sophrocattleya Batemanniana, the hybrid between Sophronitis grandi- 
flora and Cattleya intermedia, and which was first referred to Laclia, 
Fig. 56 .—Sophrocattleya Batemanniana. 
but has since been elevated into a new genus, the name indicating the 
two parents, and the method is a very good one in the case of bigeneric 
hybrids where it can be done without producing a cumbrous compound. 
It has been previously adopted with the hybrid between I’hilesia and 
Lapageria, which was converted into Philageria. For the woodcut 
pourtraying the Sophrocattleya we are also indebted to Messrs. Veitch 
and Sons. 
Tho literary character of the work is admirable. There arc a few' 
literal errors, but they are of little importance, and the book has 
evidently been carefully written and revised. We could have wished, 
however, that the index had been somewhat more comprehensive, as 
some of the varieties are not included, and many s.vnouyms are omitted. 
Still it constitutes a most welcome addition to Orchid literature, 
thoroughly reliable, and just what we should expect from the great 
Orchid experience of the firm. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOWS. 
FAVERSHAM AND DISTRICT.— November 16th ano 17tii. 
The first annual Show of this Society was held in the Diitl Hall, Favcr- 
sbam, on the 16th and 17th inst. The Association was only formed twelve 
months ago, and a great deal of its success is due to the energetic Hon. 
Secretary, M r . C. Siidolph, who is assisted by an able Committee. The 
