February 1 , 1889. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
103 
even Chrysanthemums are now in bloom, and in a friend’s garden near 
Barmouth, Marie Louise Violets have been blooming all through the 
winter; in fact, from September up to now a bunch can always be 
gathered. In the same garden there are now in bloom Wallflowers, 
Primroses in variety, Chrysanthemums, and Roses. From another 
neighbouring garden a regular supply of Rhododendrons has been sent 
'to a London family from three weeks before Christmas. A Mardchal 
INiel Rose on a wall at “ Harlech ” is carrying a number of buds, one I 
•saw beautifully developed. But lest I should make some plodding gar¬ 
dening friend envious of Nature bestowing her gifts so lavishly upon 
poor little Wales,” whilst such results are hardly attained even with 
'artificial aid in the best gardening districts of Merry England, I will 
for the present cease ; but would first say to those whom the cares of the 
world will permit, Establish yourhomes and your gardens where Nature 
in plain language dictates, amidst health-giving surroundings, where 
your summers will be longer and your winters shorter, and where God 
nn Nature is more manifest.— Welsh Coast. 
AN ADMIRER OF ORCHIDS. 
At the Birmingham Police Court, January 30th, a warrant was 
issued for the arrest of an American or Canadian, giving the name 
of E. Wymans Ritchie, who is charged with forging and uttering a 
bill of exchange for 230 dollars on a Birmingham bank, in the 
following circumstances. While Mr. Chamberlain was away last 
autumn on his wedding tour, a fashi mably dressed man called at 
Highbury and asked for permission to inspect the Orchids. He 
gave the name of Ritchie, and brought a letter of introduction 
purporting to be from Mr. Erastus Wyman, a wealthy man, living 
in the United States, whose acquaintance Mr. Chamberlain had 
made during his visit in connection with the Fisheries question. 
The object of Mr. Ritchie’s visit to Highbury, the letter stated, 
was to add some rare American specimens to Mr. Chamberlain’s 
collection of Orchids. Mr. Austen Chamberlain readily acquiesced 
in the visitor’s request to be shown over the Orchid houses. “ Mr, 
VANDA AMESIANA. 
Though not distinguished by large dowers, this is a graceful 
•and attractive little Orchid, with slender racemes of five or six 
flowers the same size as represented in fig. 18. The leaves are 
narrow, channelled, and curved ; the sepals white or blush tinted ; 
the lip rich crimson in the centre fading to a lighter margin. It 
was shown by Lord Rothschild at a meeting of the Royal Horti- 
•cultural Society on January 15th this year, when the Floral 
'Committee awarded a first-class certificate by sixteen votes against 
three. 
WINTER FLOWERING ORCHIDS. 
The following Orchids I can well recommend for flowering 
•during the winter months. Most of them commenced flowering here 
the week before Christmas, and none lasts in bloom for less than a 
month, but most of them are still in full beauty. First on the list 
is the old and well known Cypripedium insigne, of which the plants 
are mostly growing in wide pans. Plants in pots do not appear to 
flower so well. Turfy loam and peat in equal portions with chopped 
sphagnum and lumps of charcoal added seem to suit them. Give 
'them a good clear drainage, for they should have water freely while 
•growing. C. Lowi does be3t in pots with me when similarly 
treated. C. pardinum and C. venustum flower freely, but are easily 
•overpotted. C. Godefroyae appears more delicate still, but its flowers 
■are quite distinct from the above, being white and beautifully 
spotted. My plants of this are young, but those which I have 
treated liberally with sharp white sand and chopped sphagnum are 
■more healthy. The well known Calanthe vestita rubra and 
C. Yeitchi are very showy. Amongst Cattleyas, C. guttata is a tall 
•growing species, producing numbers of lovely spotted flowers; next 
comes C. Trianse, C. Forbesi, and C. chocoensis alba, not a very 
full flower but showy and free as well as scented, therefore desirable 
"to grow. Coming to Dendrobiums, the best for this season is 
D. Wardianum ; several large plants are growing in baskets sus¬ 
pended from the roof in full flower, they last about six weeks, and 
■are a feature in themselves. D. Pierardi, a much smaller flowering 
species, but very free and pretty. Amongst Lcelias we have in 
flower L. acuminata autumnalis, nearly over now, and a variety of 
L. anceps with a lovely Lily like flower, as well as L. albida ; these 
are mostly growing either in baskets or on blocks of wood, the 
latter suit them best. A few plants we have of the pretty little 
Limatodes bicolor on small blocks of wood, and it is quite at 
home. Maxillaria picta is also growing well and flo wering freely on 
•wood ; this is a small prettily marked flower, and lasts quite six 
weeks. I have next to mention the Odontoglossums. We have 
several each of the following in full flower—0. Alexandrae, 0. Cer- 
wantesi, 0. maculatum, and 0. Rossi majus, about a couple of dozen 
•of the last in full bloom adding a charm to the whole col¬ 
lection ; it is a dwarf Orchid and free flowering. I have it 
growing equally well in pots, baskets, and on wood. In Oncidiums 
there is nothing very showy just yet, but we have in flower 
0 ornithorhynchum, 0. flexuosum, 0. tigrinum, and 0. unguicu- 
latum ; in the first named the flowers are scented much like new 
mown hay, the colour mauve, it is a free flowering plant. I must 
not leave out the cream of the winter flowering Orchids, Coelogyne 
cristata, which is just now very beautiful, and anyone who pretends 
to have a collection of Orchids must not omit this charming 
species.— Thomas Record. 
FIG. 18.—VANDA AMESIANA. 
Ritchie ” professed to take a great interest in everything he saw, 
and gave a minute description of the Orchids which he intended to 
add to the collection. At the conclusion of the inspection he 
expressed his thanks to Mr. Austen Chamberlain for his kindness, 
and was about to take his leave, when he suddenly discovered that 
he had lost his purse, from which he would suffer great incon¬ 
venience, as he was changing his hotel that night, and there was no 
time to go to the bank. Would Mr. Austen Chamberlain lend him 
a little money, he asked, to tide him over the difficulty? Mr. 
Chamberlain lent him £10, and the stranger went away with many 
expressions of gratitude. The next day he called aia n at Highbury 
and asked whether Mr. Austen Chamberlain would introduce him to 
a Birmingham bank, as he required to cash a bill for 250 dollars oil 
the American banking firm of Drexel, Morgan, & Co. Mr. Cham¬ 
berlain gave him an introduction to a local bank, where the bill was 
duly cashed, and with the money thus obtained “ Mr. Ritchie ” 
repaid the loan advanced by Mr. Austen Chamberlain. After a 
time the bill was returned to the drawer, who could not be found, 
i and nothing was, of course, heard of the Orchids. On leaving 
