384 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— August 26, 1856. 
parts, and, besides that, lias pure white flowers, with the 
exception of a small dot of purple at tho base of the 
labellum. Like the variety of L. bicolor, it is very 
rare, yet it is quite as hardy as tho one just named, and 
as easily cultivated ; but tho fact is, it is raro even in 
its native habitat, and is hut seldom imported. There 
was lately a nice little plaut of it at Mr. Rucker’s, 
Wandsworth ; but whether it is yet alive I know not. 
Lycaste Harrison lk syn. Maxillarja Habrisonti. 
—A fine old species, native of tho Brazils. I have seon 
largo plants as much as two feet across, and have in 
many places heard the complaint that this old plant 
seldom flowers. The reason of this is the old story— 
they have been grown in a too high and continually sus¬ 
tained temperature. The fact is, this plant is very good- 
natured; it will hear ill-treatment with indifference, 
growing on still in spite of either neglect or too great kind¬ 
ness ; hut unless it is treated properly, though it may live, 
and even grow, it will not flower. Grown in a cool house, 
kept warmer, of course, in summer, and rested in a 
much lower temperature in winter, every pseudo-bulb 
made tho procoding summer will flower as certainly as 
the seasons come round. Now, when a plant has be¬ 
come very large, there will he in the centre a large 
number of old, healthy pseudo-bulbs, with or without 
leaves. These are of litllo or no use to the later-formed 
bulbs. Hence, when the plants are potted, these old 
fellows should be cut off and taken away, leaving about 
three good sound ones at the end of oach rhizoma. 
Tho sound bulbs should be potted altogether, the leading 
or last-made one on each rhizoma pointing outwards to- 
wards the rim of the pot. The old ones may be thrown 
together on the top of a large pan, or wide-mouthed pot, 
to make fresh growths, and thus form a second specimen ; 
but it will be at least three years before they produco 
pseudo-bulbs strong enough to flower. This plant is 
well worthy of every care; the flowers are very large 
and very powerfully fragrant, the sepals and petals are 
cream-coloured, and the labellum is prominent and of a 
purple colour. 
Lycaste Skinnerii (Mr. Skinner’s).— Let not the 
more humble grower of Orchids envy his more wealthy 
neighbour because in his cool house he cannot grow 
the Saccolabiums, Aiiridos, or Vandas. Here is a 
species equal in beauty to any of the more aristocratic 
species from the hot jungles of Java or Borneo. I 
know no Orchid more beautiful than Lycaste Skinnerii. 
It is a native of the more temperate climate of Guati- 
mala, and, in consequence, has been found hardy 
enough to rank amongst those bearing a cool treatment. 
The sepals are pure white, tinged with crimson at the 
base; the petals are beautifully suffused with a rosy 
hue; and the lip is thickly studded and streaked with 
the most brilliant carmine. The whole flower frequently 
measures from four to five inches in diameter, growing 
on the top of a stem nine inches high, elevated above 
the foliage. It flowers, too, at various seasons, from 
May to September, and will thrive best in a moderate 
temperature. When growing, 00° to 65° will be suffi¬ 
cient heat; and when at rest, 40° to 50° will be the 
right heat. It thrives well in the usual compost of fibry 
peat, broken pots, and a small admixture of sphagnum 
added. I have also found half-decayed leaves, mixed 
with the above, have caused the pseudo-bulbs to grow 
larger and flower finer. When growing vigorously it 
requires a plentiful supply of water; but when at rest, 
in winter, it should be kept quite dry. 
Miltonia speotabilis (showy).— Undoubtedly this 
is the hardiest of the Miltonias, a beautiful genus of 
Orchidacem. I have grown it myself in a temperature 
of 45° to 50° in winter; and though this species is 
remurkable for having its pseudo-bulbs almost always 
yellow and sickly looking, tho plants that I so treated 
were a fair colour, and kept plump and healthy, and 
flowored well when tho natural increased heat of spring 
increased the heat of the house in which the plants 
wore growing. I am satisfied it will thrive better in a 
cool house than a hot one. Tho flowors are solitary, 
opening out of a spatho that rises from tho axils of the 
upper leaves; tho sepals and petals are white; the lip 
is very large, with a largo purplish-violet blotch, dense- 
coloured in tho centre, growing lighter towards tho 
margin. It requires to be grown in the shade to keep 
the plant a good colour. 
Ohontoglossum cjitrosmum (lemon - scented). — This 
is a most lovely Orchid, with a pleasing perfume, somc- 
1 thing like lemons. I had the honour of blooming it 
the first time in England, when I was gardener to 
T. Brockleliurst, Esq., at the Fence, Macclesfield, in 
1842. Tho flowers are large, and of a pleasing snow- 
white, suffused with rose colour. The raceme hangs 
down gracefully,and is moro than afoot long,producing 
frequently as many as a dozen flowers on each stem. 
Though a native of Mexico, this charming Orchid has 
proved sufficiently hardy; indeed, thrives better under a 
cool treatment. It should be grown in a pot well 
drained, and tho plaut should stand upoii a little hillock, 
raised considerably above the rim of tho pot; this will 
prevent the young shoots from damping off’ by water 
lodging in their leaves. Like all the rest of the tribe, 
it should bo kept moderately dry when at rest in winter. 
Ohontoglossum granue (magnificent). — This is 
rightly named, for it is a truly magnificent species. It is 
a native of Guatimala, where it was discovered by that 
successful collector, Mr. Skinner, and sent by him to 
James Bateman, Esq., Kuyperslcy Hall, who first 
flowered it. The flowers are very large, from five to six 
inches across; the sepals are mottled and barred with 
rich brown, like the back of a tiger, on a yellowish cream- 
coloured ground ; the petals aro rich brown, tipped with 
yellow; the lip is short and broad, sholl-like in shape, 
blotched with light pinkish-brown on a white ground. 
Its rank as an Orchid is first-rate ; the bloom continues 
long in freshness, aud, the more highly to recommend 
it, it does not requiro a high temperature, but will 
thrive bettor iu a low one, rendering it a valuable and 
effective plaut for tho cool house; 55° to 60° when 
growing, and 40° to 45° when at rest, are the proper 
temperatures i'or this fine Orchid. I cannot too 
strongly recommend it to the amateur ambitious of 
growing a few choice Orchids in his greenhouse. It 
should be grown on a block set in a pot amongst broken 
crocks; or, if grown in peat, in a well-drained pot, it 
! should be set upon the top of a flat hillock, raised 
considerably above the level of the rim of the pot, and 
kept regularly watered when growing, and well shaded 
from the sun. 
Odontoglossum pulcheli.um (pretty).—The delicacy 
of the flowers of this pretty species is very remarkable. 
They are produced on an upright spike, or raceme, from 
six inches to a foot in height, and the flowers are of a 
delicato satiny white, almost transparent, excepting the 
crest of the lip, which is of a bright crimson. Though 
| the individual flower is small (not quite an inch across), 
1 yet they aro so beautiful and so many on each spike, 
! that it is a very desirable, pretty species, worthy of a 
| place in every collection, however small. The same 
; temperature, winter and summer, as for the preceding 
| species suits this also. It should be grown in a pot, iu 
rough peat, and not much raised. The pseudo-bulbs 
are small and thickly placed together; hence, a small 
pot will hold a fair-sized plant. The plant is very green 
all the yoar round ; consequently, it should never be 
allowed to bocome very dry when at rest. 
T. Appleby. 
(To be continued.) 
