March 25, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
233 
of preventing the temperature falling below 45°. Under these conditions 
the plants did well, especially at the warmest end of the house, which 
would be kept about 50°, but they did not succeed so well at the coolest 
end, which must have fallen to 40°, Last year I was induced to try the 
cool treatment for these plants, and in consequence lowered the tempera¬ 
ture 5°—that is, to 40° during severe weather; but when mild it stood 45° 
or more, no fire heat being needed to maintain this temperature. Tlr's 
gave the low temperature system a fair trial, and in our case the plants 
went further back in three months than they made progress in one year. 
O. cirrhosum was the first to resent this treatment, and Ada aurantiaca ; 
in fact plants of the latter were lost, while it is doubtful if those of 
the former can be thoroughly recruited in two years. We bad previously 
grown these in the house during the winter, in which we now grow 
Cattleyas, and wonderfully well they had done. They had developed 
pseudo-bulbs of a large size, and the increased size of the plants had been 
wonderful. O. triumphans suffered least, and then 0. Pescatorei. 
O. Alexandras suffered considerably, and the plants are not so good as they 
were before being subjected to the cool treatment. During the past year 
they have made wonderful progress, and they never were in better con¬ 
dition at their roots. 
This winter we arranged three thermometers in the house, one at each 
end and one in the middle, and have found that there is 8° difference 
between the warmest and coldest end. The one at the coolest end has not 
been allowed to fall below 45°, the one at the warmest end has stood at 53°. 
This has been during cold nights, or when the thermometer outside has 
been 35° and below. On mild occasions, when the temperature given 
could have been maintained without the use of fire heat, this was not 
attempted, but the pipes were kept gently warm whatever the tempera¬ 
ture of the house might be. The plants by this treatment have done 
well, and in future the low temperature system will not be practised. 
My advice to all cultivators anxious to increase the size of their plants 
and the number of their pseudo-bulbs, is not to have the plants in a 
lower temperature than 45° to 55°, the first at the coolest end of the 
house during severe weather. To do Ada aurantiaca and O. cirrhosum 
well they should not be in a lower temperature at any time than 55° 
at night. 
I have recently seen some Cattleyas that have been grown on the cool 
system that has found favour in several quarters during the past few 
years. ^ Some of these plants have passed into the garden of a friend, and 
what is their condition by the side of his plants that have had warm 
treatment? These have been grown in a general plant stove, and have 
fine stout pseudo-bulbs with large bold foliage; they are in the best 
condition, and very healthy. The plants grown in a cool house have a 
yellow sickly cast, as if they have been starved, as no doubt they have. 
My friend has many fine pieces of Cattleyas, and intends erecting a 
house in which to cultivate them by themselves, and therefore is buying 
a few to assist in filling the structure when ready for them, and he 
says “They shall not have a lower temperature than 60°, and that during 
cold weather.’’ “ Will you give them much air ?” was the next question ; 
and the answer was “ No, they will be ventilated on the same principle as 
my stove; this structure has had no air admitted through the ventilators 
since October last, and will get none for some weeks to come.” This 
exactly coincides with my own experience of Cattleyas, for I grow them 
moderately warm, never having subjected the plants to a lower tempera¬ 
ture than 60° to 65°, the former being the temperature given for cold 
weather, except perhaps on a solitary occasion when a night has proved 
very windy and cold and the temperature has been lowered rather than 
overheat the pipes. The whole of my plants were imported pieces 
obtained during the past three years, for I had but two or three plants 
previous to this time. They produced sheaths the first year, but they 
were not allowed to bloom ; the second season they made good growth 
and flowered freely. This soason again they are flowering well, and 
others have plenty of sheaths. The pseudo-bulbs of those imported three 
years ago are decidedly better, being larger and with bolder foliage than 
they possessed in their native homes. 
I am of opinion that unless Cattleyas make finer growth under 
artificial treatment than in their native habitat they are not receiving the 
treatment they desire. It is unnatural for them to have a yellow sickly 
appearance, and this will not be the case if the plants are carefully 
watered during the winter and given the heat advised above. Carelessness 
in watering is the ruin of more Cattleyas than any other cause. If over¬ 
watered during the winter or their resting period they will fail to do 
satisfactorily.—S. W. D. 
ACANTHEPHIPPIUM BICOLOR. 
Amongst the floral treasures found by Biume was an Orchid dis¬ 
covered in the woods of Mount Salak, Java, and which proved to be so 
distinct from any then known, that a genus was founded upon it, and the 
plant was named Acanthephippium javanicum. The characters upon 
which that botanist relied were sufficiently important to deserve generic 
rank, and though there have been many alterations in the nomenclature 
of Orchids, this has been retained and was adopted by the late Mr. (4. 
Bentham in his review of the family. Botanically the genus is nearly 
related to Bletia, and with that the author last named places it in the sub¬ 
tribe of the Epidendreae, Bletieaj. In appearance, however, the few 
species known are but little like the Bletias, the p'eudo-bulbs being stout, 
conical, covered with the sheathy bases of leaves, and bearing at tbe summit 
broad lanceolate leaves with strongly marked ribs. The young shoots rise 
from the base oE the old pseudo-bulbs, and with them are produced the 
few-flowered racemes of somewhat tubular flowers, the sepals and petals 
closely surrounding the lip and column. The colours are curious—not so 
bright as many Orchids now in cultivation, but they are attractive, and a 
well-grown plant like that shown in the woodcut is worth a place in a 
collection. 
A. javaaicum, already noted, was the first known, but does not seem 
to have been introduced until 1844 or a little before that time, as in that 
year a plant flowered in Loddiges’ nursery, and was figured in the 
“ Bo’anical Register,” t. 47, 1846. It subsequently flowered at Kew, 
and was figured in the “ Bctanical Magazine” in 1850. The varieties 
represented in these two plates differ in colouring considerably ; the earlier 
one has yellowish flowers striped with purple outside the inner surface 
and the lips of sepals and petals being of a purplish lilac colour ; in the 
other the yellow is much brighter, and the streaks are reddish, with a 
tinge of purple. The species is readily distinguished by the lip being 
deeply three-lobed, the centre lobe contracted in the centre, and toothed. 
A. bicolor, of which a plant is represented in fig. 44, though not dis¬ 
covered until some time after A. javanicum, was first introduced to this 
country, as it was figured in the “Botanical Register” in 1835, t. 1730. 
It was found in Ceylon by Mr. Watson, then superintendent of the 
Government Garden at Peradenia, and by him was sent to the London 
Horticultural Society. The flowers are yellow, the petals streaked with 
red on the inner surface, and the sepals deeply tipped with a darker shade 
of the same colour. The engraving was prepared from a plant shown by 
Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., at the Orchid Conference in May last 
year. 
A. striatum is another species that has been described by Lindley and 
Mr. Bateman as possessing “French white” flowers, and another has 
been described under the name of A. sylhetense with “ white scentless 
flowers,” but these are little known, and if they are in cultivation they are 
confined to collections of r unties. A. bicolor succeeds well in a pot with 
peat and light turfy loam in an intermediate or Cattleya house, giving 
plenty of water during growth, and having a well-marked season of rest. 
-L. C. 
HORTICULTURAL SHOWS. 
LIVERPOOL. 
The fourth Spring Show of this Society was held in St. George’s Hall, 
on Thursday, March I8th. The Exhibition on the whole was not quite 
equal to those of previous years. The weather was most unfavourable, 
and deterred many competitors from staging their plants. The number of 
entries were never so numerous, and it was anticipated that the Exhibition 
would prove a remarkable one. 
Stove and Greenhouse Plants. — The large Crotons and Palms that 
usually adorn the Exhibition from Wyncote Gardens were missed this year, 
but there were some remarkably fine plants. In the class for six plants, 
three flowering and three foliage, three competitors staged. Mr. A. Crosbie, 
gardener to B. Hall, Esq., was first with a grand plaut of Croton angusti- 
folius about 5 feet through and well coloured ; Latania borbonica, and a 
good Croton IMooreanus; a large plant of Rhododendron Gibsoni being 
noticeable. Mr. J. Jellico, gardener to F. H. Gossage, Esq., Camp Hill, 
Woolton, was a close second ; and Mr. A. R. Cox, gardener to W. H. Watts, 
Esq., Elm Hall, Wavertree, was third, and staged Cattleya intermedia 
with about sixteen flowers. For one greenhouse plant Mr. G. Rhodes, 
gardener to Mrs. Horsfall, Aigburth, was placed first with a large well- 
flowered example of Imantophyllum miuiatum. Mr. J. Lowndes, gardener 
to S. S. Parker, Esq., second with Chorozema cordatum splendens well 
grown and flowered. Mr. C. Copple, gardener to T. S. Rogorson, Esq., St. 
Michael’s Hamlet, third, with a similar plant to the first named, but not 
quite so well flowered. For one stove plant Mr. A. R. Cox took the lead 
with Phajus grandifolius with five or six large spikes. Mr. A. Crosbie 
followed with the same variety. Mr. H. Went, Mere House, Ntwton-le- 
Willows, secured the remaining prize with a Gardenia. The best single 
foliage plant was from Mr. A. Crosbie, a large specimen of Asparagus 
plumosus; Mr. A. R. Cox, being second with Dracaena Baptisti. 
Groups .—In the class for a group of miscellaneous plants arranged for 
effect to occupy a space of £0 square feet in semicircular form, two com¬ 
petitors entered, and the groups were better than they have been before at 
the spring shows. Mr. A. R. Cox was first with a tasteful arrangement, 
the groundwork being formed with Ferns, Orchids, Azaleas, Cinerarias, 
Primulas, and Narcissus, with highly coloured Crotons, Dracsenas, Aralias, 
and Palms rising above them, edged with Panicum variegatum and dwarf 
red Tulips. Mr. J. Jellico, Camp Hill Gardens, secured second honours 
with a very pretty but not such a light arrangement. 
Azaleas .—These were fairly weU represented, and the premier plants in 
the open c’ass were well grown specimens. Mr. W. Wilson, gardener to 
H. Cunningham, Esq., Gorsey Cop, Gateacre, was the most successful with 
Criterion, Charmer, Striatum, Flag of Truce,and phcenicea. Mr. A. Crosb'.e 
was second, but these plants were not fully out. In the amateurs’ class for 
four plants in 8-inch pots Mr. P. Barber was placed first with healthy well- 
flowered plants. Mr. T. Gowan was second vrith rather smaller plants, and 
Mr. A. Crosbie third. With one plant Mr. J. Lowndes was first with a 
very largo profusely flowered plant of Virgin Queen. Mr. J, Jellico was 
second, having also a fine plant of Fielder’s IVhite. 
