February IS. uoo. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
127 
experiment, flowered well, and if a cross could be effected they 
gave a promise of something worth securing. Yellow forms of 
the 0. Pescatorei type had been introduced, and one charming 
variety, for which Mr. Brownlow D. Knox obtained a first-class 
certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society on April 13th, 
l^G, impressed me greatly, and the impression was intensified 
when the same plant realised £165 at a public auction the next day. 
^here was little doubt that O. triumphans or 0. tripudians, most 
likely the former, had conferred the yellow colour, and it did not 
seem too much to expect similar results from an artificial cross. 
Three of the strongest plants were selected of 0. Pescatorei and 
triumphans, and two flowers of each were reciprocally fer¬ 
tilised-— i.e., the pollen of 0. Pescatorei was placed on 0. triumphans, 
and vice versa, thus twelve flowers were fertilised, and to my great 
■satisfaction it appeared to be effectual with nine, for in the course 
of a week the ovaries were perceptibly enlarging. They were 
carefully watched, and as they slowly advanced golden visions 
began to rise of a few thousand yellow flowered plants of 0. Pes- 
-catorei, and these hopes were sustained for nearly six months, 
when the capsules, which were then well developed, commenced 
shrivelling, and upon examination were found to contain nothing 
in the shape of fertile seed. 
With the other plants of the two species named a different ex- 
penrnent had been tried—namely, seven or eight flowers were 
fertilised with their own pollen or with that from other flowers on 
the same spike, but in only one case was the ovary in any way 
affected— i.e., where a flower of 0. triumphans had been fertilised 
with pollen from another flower on the same plant, and in this 
instance the development only lasted for a week or two, and the 
■capsule then collapsed as in the previous case. These experiments 
were interesting as proving what Darwin and others have recorded 
namely, that pollen often has the power of affecting the ovary, 
though it cannot influence the ovules, and cases have even been 
-described where the ovules too have been affected, but no embryo 
produced. Experiments were tried with several other Odonto- 
glossoms, but without success, except in one instance, between 
'O-Kossi majus. A flower of the former was 
■fertilised with pollen from 0. Rossi majus ; on March 29th, 1888, 
capsule was produced, which slowly developed and ripened until 
-June 30 th, 1889, when it commenced dehiscing. The pod was then 
removed, and was found to be packed with minute seeds, which 
when examined under a glass appeared to be perfect. In the course 
of the following week the seed was sown, and now a few diminutive 
seedlings are just visible. The reverse cross failed to produce any 
result, and in any case the seedlings from such parents are not 
likely to possess any special merit even if they survive, which is 
■doubtful. These experiments are only examples of many others 
tha.t have been attended by similar results ; even Mr. Sedeu has 
found his skill of little avail, and yet these beautiful puzzling 
natural hybrids are being continually introduced. The Odonto- 
^lossums are certainly very remarkable in this respect, for though 
they have been employed with many other Orchids the results 
are invariably the same. Perhaps the most extraordinary part of 
all is that pollen of some of the Odontoglossums has been used to 
fertilise flowers of Zygopetalum Mackayi, every care being exer¬ 
cised to prevent self-fertilisation, yet though seedlings have been 
obtained they have all been identical with the seed bearer, and I 
have heard very emphatic language employed with regard to the 
Zygopetalum by disappointed hybridists, who had been waiting in 
wain for different results. 
So much for the artificial attempts to secure hybrid Odonto¬ 
glossums. Now turning to the imported plants we find that the 
following have fair claims to be considered as hybrids :—0. 
brachypterum, between 0. Pescatorei and 0. luteo-purpureum ; 
"O. elegans, between 0. cirrhosum and 0. cristatum ; O. eugenes, 
between O. Pescatorei and 0. triumphans ; 0. excellens, of similar 
iparentage, and one of the most handsome yet obtained ; 0. Hors- 
mani, the same parentage as 0. brachj-pterum ; 0. Murrellianum, 
'between O. nseviura and 0. Pescatorei; 0. Schroederianum, between 
O. tripudians and O. Pescatorei, a very distinct and beautiful 
Orchid (fig. 20) ; 0. stellimicans, similar parentage to 0. excellens ; 
O. vexativum, between 0. maculatum and 0. nebulosum ; and 0. 
Wilckeanum, between 0. crispum and O. luteo-purpureum, one of 
•the best of the whole group when represented by a good variety. 
It is strange that so many show the 0. Pescatorei parentage, and 
it frequently happens that they exactly resemble that parent in 
'habit and foliage. Some of the finest of the hybrids have appeared 
amongst importations of 0. Pescatorei, and a short time since a 
■flower was sent to me from a plant in an importation of that species 
with rich yellow sepals and petals and a few dark spots, clearly 
showing the influence of a cross either with 0. tripudians or 0. 
itriumphans. 
In direct contrast to the Odontoglossums are the Cypripediums, 
ias regards the facility of obtaining hybrids under artificial con¬ 
ditions, for nearly half the known hybrid Orchids have been ob¬ 
tained in the genus Cypripedium, and their numbers will in a few 
years be greatly increased. These have been so frequently referred 
to that it is not necessary to recapitulate what I said last year on 
the subject. There is one matter, however, which deserves atten¬ 
tion, and that is the comparatively few wild forms of the genus 
which can be ranked as probable hybrids. The only ones that 
occur to me are C. Curtisi, which possesses characters intermediate 
between C. ciliolare and C. superbiens, and the companions C. 
Godefroyae and C. bellatulum, which present a combination of the 
chief features in C. niveum and C. concolor. With these excep¬ 
tions the majority of Cypripedium species known to me are very 
distinct, or if they show their relationship to some other species, 
there is no combination of characters, and they might be better 
regarded as varieties than as hybrids. Yet under cultivation 
everyone knows we have some most remarkable and charming com¬ 
binations, not only between pure species, but between them and 
hybrids, and even between hybrids themselves. Why there should 
be this great difference between the Cypripediums and Odonto¬ 
glossums it is impossible to say, and we can only conjecture that 
some condition is wanting for the latter, and until that is supplied 
failure may be expected. A large majority of Orchids are obviously 
laa. 20.—ODOXTOGLOSSUM SCHECEDEEIAXUM, 
specially adapted for cross-fertilisation, and it is difficult to under¬ 
stand why that cannot be as well accomplished in our houses as in 
the heights of Mexico or South America. It is true that a few 
Orchids are habitually self-fertilised, especially some of our hardy 
native species, but the Odontoglossums seem wanting even in this 
power under cultivation. Some of the Ophrys and Orchises 
become sterile when transplanted, and one species has been ob¬ 
served to be fertile in one district and sterile in another ; but no 
explanation has yet been offered of these mysterious occurrences, 
and they must be included with the numberless phenomena which 
render the Orchids a source of perpetual interest to the thoughtful 
cultivator.— Lewis Castle. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
January 11th. 
Many exhibits of interest were arranged in the Drill Hall on this, 
the second meeting of the year ; Orchids, in which variety, beauty, and 
good culture were represented ; Hellebores in great variety ; various 
early hardy spring flowers ; Cyclamens of the first quality ; a pic¬ 
turesque assortment of standard, dwarf, and berry-bearing shrubs, with 
a good collection of Apples. There was also a large assemblage of 
members, attracted largely, no doubt, by the annual general meeting of 
the Society, which was held during the afternoon. 
Feuit Committee. —Present: Sir Charles W. Strickland, Bart, (in 
the chair), and Messrs. John Lee, A. W. Sutton, P. Crowley, Harrison 
Weir, R. D. Blackmore, J. Cheal, P. Barr, W. Bates, F. Q. Lane, J. T. 
Saltmarsh, G. W. Cummins, J. Hudson, J. Smith, G. Bunyard, W. 
Dominy, Sidney Ford, and J. Wright. 
Mr. W. Leach, Albury Park, sent a dish of Ham Green Favourite 
Tomatoes, cut from plants sown in September, and a cultural commen¬ 
dation was awarded ; he also sent large Coldstream Leeks, and was 
accorded a vote of thanks. Mr. Arthur W. Sutton proposed a vote of 
condolence with Mrs. Wildsmith on the loss of her husband, who was a 
valuable member of the Committee, and attended the last meeting. 
The proposal was seconded by Mr. J. Hudson, supported by Mr. G. 
Bunyard, and passed unanimously. 
Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons exhibited a collection of forty-five varieties 
