June 25, 1887. 
THE GAKDENING WORLD. 
685 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
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♦ 
The Orchid Growers' Calendar. —Every 
year passed only serves to strengthen my firm con¬ 
viction that the best Orchid growers are they who most 
carefully shade their plants against bright sunshine. 
Much as we may deplore the absence of sunlight during 
our dull seasons, nothing works greater mischief than 
the sun does on Orchids cultivated under glass when 
once it gains power. Every attention should therefore 
be given to see that all the houses are properly shaded, 
and that the blinds are always interposed to break the 
rays of the sun when it is shining. At the same time, 
care should be taken that the blinds are not let down 
before they are needed, or left down after the sun has 
gone off the house. Permanent shading painted on the 
glass never answers the purpose like roller-blinds ; but 
where these cannot he used, or for any parts of the 
glass requiring to be shaded, and where the blinds will 
not reach, 'Williams’ Eureka Shading is very useful. 
In many places the rain-water supply will be getting 
short, and as water from no other source is equal to it, 
economy should always be exercised in its use, reservoir 
or pond-water being utilised for washing out or damping 
down the houses, and the rain-water for the plants 
alone. Extra care should now be taken, and any tanks 
that are very low should, if they require it, be at once 
cleaned out ready for filling up when rain comes.— 
James O'Brien. 
Cattleya Mendelii received its name in the 
sunshine of a May morning. The circumstance is not 
unworthy of putting upon record, since the history of 
this most admirable flower is not only of interest to 
Orchid growers in general, who always like to know 
where and by whom their plants were christened, but 
of very special interest to those who reside in Man¬ 
chester. It has never before been given. We may be 
allowed, accordingly, to say that the plant was imported 
from Brazil in or about 1859, without flowers of course. 
It fell into the hands of Mr. J. R. Petch, then the head 
gardener at Manley Hall, and by him it was soon per¬ 
ceived, when the buds were opening, to be a novelty of 
rare promise. During the uprise of that May-morning 
sun, an hour—and with an emotion for a poet to talk 
of—Mr. Petch watched the development of the wonder¬ 
ful charms of the unknown, a joy like that of Dampier 
discovering a new island, or an astronomer a new 
planet. About 9 a.m. it was fully blown. Then his 
much-honoured employer was asked to come out and 
see. Mr. Petch, as by legitimate right, bestowed the 
name, and prophesied at the same moment that the 
Cattleya Mendelii would stand supreme in favour when 
both should have passed away ; and most assuredly so 
it will.— Manchester Guardian. 
Odontoglossum citrosmum album. —A 
fine plant of this variety flowered recently in the col¬ 
lection of R. H. Measures, Esq., The Woodlands, 
Streatham. It was furnished with five spikes, and 
bore in the aggregate 137 flowers. The beauty of such 
a plant may well be conceived, and when to this we 
add the agreeable odour peculiar to the species, its 
value is considerably augmented. A very singular 
habit possessed by this Odontoglot is that of flowering 
from the young pseudo-bulb before the leaves have 
attained anything more than the appearance of bracts. 
The pendent flower-stalk is, however, axillary, as in 
other species. The odour emanating from a house full 
of different varieties, and greeting the visitor on enter¬ 
ing, as w 7 as our experience recently, produces an 
impression not soon to be forgotten. The collection of 
this species is transferred from house to house in four 
batches, in order to secure a succession. That which 
we saw in flower was the second batch ; while the 
others, in a cooler house, were only developing their 
flower-stems. 
Cattleya gigas. —In the collection ofG. Nevile 
Wyatt, Esq., at Lake House, Cheltenham, there is a 
plant of this beautiful Cattleya bearing four spikes, the 
largest of which has nine flowers upon it fully expanded; 
two others have six, and the other, five, in all twenty- 
six flowers of grand form, colour, and substance. After 
waiting for a period of five years without having a 
single bloom upon this particular plant, Mr. Wyatt is 
now rewarded far beyond his expectations. I have 
more pleasure in recording this fact, because an eminent 
Orchid-grower who saw the plant less than six months 
ago said, “You will never flower it.” Some of your 
readers may be'glad to know that the flowering bulbs 
have been made up this year, whereas those growths 
which were made in the autumn and winter produced 
nothing but leaves.— T. Simcoe. 
Cypripadium Stonei. — 1 have just relieved a 
plant in a 10-in. pot of its burden of six spikes, three 
of which had five flowers upon them, the others four 
each, altogether twenty-seven flowers. This plant I 
have had under my care for ten years ; it is now in 
perfect health, and has not had a fresh pot for two or 
three years, which shows that C. Stonei flowers better 
when thoroughly pot-bound, and in such a state it is 
less likely to be over - watered.— Thomas Simcoe, 
Cheltenham. 
Cattleya Mossiaa with Mottled Petals.— 
The prime old favourite, C. Mossiae, contributes largely 
to the beauty of the Orchid houses everywhere just now, 
and numerous are the plants we have seen this year ; 
but the most curious is a pretty form with light rose- 
pink sepals and petals prettily mottled with crimson, 
now in flower'in Mr. W. Furze’s garden, at Roselands, 
Teddington. The mottling is after the style of that 
seen in C. Trianse Massangeana, now in Sir Trevor 
Lawrence’s collection, and in this case, as in that of C. 
Trianas, it will doubtless be constant. There are three 
flowers on the spike, and all similarly marked. Another 
interesting and beautifully-mottled variety of this 
species comes from Messrs. W. Thomson & Sons, 
Clovenfords, Galashiels. The two flowers sent on a 
spike are both marked, but not exactly alike. One 
seems older, which may account for the markings being 
less distinct. The sepals of the other are more or less 
spotted or striped with deep rosy purple on a pale rosy 
ground ; but the petals are far more decided and 
beautiful, being reticulated irregularly all over the 
surface with pale blush, almost white, veins on a deep 
rosy purple ground. 
Stanhopea Wardii.— The flowers of this species 
are large, conspicuous, and very ornamental. When 
they first expand they are rather powerfully but de¬ 
liciously scented, making their presence felt throughout 
the house in which they are located. The huge sepals 
are heavily blotched with purple on a yellow ground, 
and do not differ from the petals except in size and 
outline. The labellum has a much paler ground colour, 
with two large blackish purple, velvety spots on the 
hollow or excavated base. The whole of it is fleshy 
and somewhat spotted with purple on the upper lace. 
There are several varieties of this species, often erro¬ 
neously enjoying specific rank ; hut the best is S. W. 
aurea, with a deep golden yellow ground-colour. A 
healthy specimen of the typical form flowered last week 
at Style Hall, Gunnersbury. 
Stanhopea Wardii aurea. —The variety here 
mentioned is perfectly distinct from the type, and 
deliciously fragrant for some time after it expands. 
The base of the lip and petals are deep golden yellow, 
more or less spotted with purple. The upper half of 
the lip is white, more or less spotted with purple. It 
was flowering finely the other day at the Forest Hill 
nurseries of Messrs. J. Laing & Co. The species and 
its forms keep on flowering at different times during 
the summer and autumn months. 
Spotted Odontoglossum vexillarium.— 
Whether the general public would attach any value to 
a spotted form of this Orchid or not is a question ; but 
it is far from frequent, or rarely occurs in collections. 
A fine piece at Devonhurst, Chiswick, with rosy purple 
flowers is irregularly but closely spotted all over the 
sepals, petals and labellum with white. It is, further¬ 
more, a distinctly early-flowering form, as the flowers 
are now past their best, while other plants under pre¬ 
cisely the same treatment will not flower for some time 
to come. Originally a small piece, it has now six lead¬ 
ing growths, three of which bore three spikes each, 
while the other three had each four spikes, making in 
all twenty-one, with an aggregate of eighty flowers. 
Cattleyas at Messrs. Fred. Horsman & 
Co., Colchester. —All the fine varieties of these, as 
well as most other showy Orchids, are here represented, 
but the specialities which make such a rare show at 
present, are the fine strain of C. Mossife and C. 
Mendelii, for which this firm is noted. Out of the C. 
Mossises some grand white forms have flowered, and 
that charming and perfectly formed blush-white, with 
rich crimson lip, C. M. Smeeana, as well as some good 
C. M. Reineckiana. The bulk of the varieties, how¬ 
ever, are of the large-flowered dark crimson lipped 
strain, and it seems strange that in a large number in 
which good whites and superb dark-coloured forms 
have appeared, not a single narrow-petalled, or badly 
coloured intermediate variety, is to be seen. Among 
the C. Mendelii are some very richly coloured forms, and 
one or two nearly white. One form has a pure white 
labellum, without yellow in the throat, and only a 
crimson blotch in the centre ; and many other un¬ 
usual varieties are in flower, demonstrating the fact 
that there is great beauty and variety. C. Mendelii 
and C. Mossise, in showy varieties take a lot of beating. 
Peculiar Growth of Odontoglossum 
vexillarium. —On a recent visit to the beautiful and 
well-kept gardens at Coltness Wishan, where all-round 
gardening is carried out in a thoroughly practical 
manner by Mr. Whitton, I came across a peculiar freak 
of growth of Odontoglossum vexillarium. The plant 
referred to is a very strong specimen having three bulbs 
on one growth, the basal one being about 3 ins. long 
and stout; then from the top of this is a narrow bulb 
2 ins. long, and from the top of this again is a stout 
bulb above 1J ins. long, with foliage. I have never met 
with this before, and should be glad to know if there 
are any more about. On the same plant there are 
half a dozen such as this mentioned.-— Alfred Outram, 
Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, Upper Holloway. 
-- 
HORTICUL TURAL S OCIETIES. 
Royal Oxfordshire Horticultural .—June 
21st.—The fact that the June show at Oxford is for all 
intents and purposes a part of the engagements of 
the commemoration week at Oxford will account for 
its being jubilee day, and the local celebration of that 
day at Oxford does not take place until the 2Sth. 
What delightful places these College Gardens are for 
holding flower shows ! This one took place in St. 
John’s College Gardens, and they are pleasantly 
wooded—five acres in extent. The college was founded 
in 1556, by Sir Thomas White, on the foundation of 
St. Bernard’s College, an order of Cisterian Monks. 
Three large tents were set down among the shady trees, 
and they were well filled. The company was not so 
good as usual, owing to so many having gone to London 
to witness the proceedings consequent upon the Queen’s 
Jubilee. 
As Mr. Cypher, of Cheltenham, and Mr. H. James, 
of Norwood, were found competing in the open class 
for nine stove and greenhouse plants, it may be assumed 
some good plants were staged. Mr. Cypher was 
first, and Mr. H. James second. Some good Heaths 
were shown ; in the centre of Mr. James’ group was a 
very fine specimen of Erica Cavendishiana. These two 
exhibitors also competed with six Heaths, and Mr. 
Cypher was first with some well-grown and bloomed 
plants of E. tricolor Wilsoni, and its variety superba, 
Cavendishiana, Kingstoniana, effusa, and hirsuta alba. 
Mr. H. James came in a good second. There were 
classes also for twelve show and twelve fancy Pelar¬ 
goniums ; and in the former, Mr. Charles Turner, 
Royal Nursery, Slough, was first with some admirable 
plants, conspicuous being The Baron, Edward Perkins, 
Confessor, Amethyst, Mr. J. Hayes, Gold Mine, Sister 
of Mercy, Despot, and Comtesse de Choisseul; second, 
the Warden of Wadham College (I cannot give his 
gardener’s name, as it is not the custom of Oxford to 
place the name of the gardener on the exhibition card). 
Mr. Turner was the only exhibitor of twelve fancy 
varieties, having very pretty plants of Princess Teck, 
Queen of the Hellenes, Ellen Beck, The Shah, Mrs. 
Langtry, Nelly Fordham, and Sims Reeves. The 
foregoing classes were open to all comers. 
A very fine group of specimen stove and greenhouse 
plants, including some fine Ericas, were staged by Mr. 
Chapman, gardener to J. Spode, Esq., Hawkesyard 
Park, Rugeley, and a special prize was awarded to it. 
Then there were plant classes for members only. In 
the class for stove and greenhouse plants there was 
little, if any competition, and the plants shown did not 
call for notice. The best specimen stove plant was 
Bougainvillea glabra, from Mr. T. Arnall, Headington 
Hill, Oxford ; a good plant of the Tabernsmontana 
being second, but the exhibitor’s name was not attached. 
The best greenhouse flowering plant was a fine specimen 
of the Ivy-leaved Pelargonium, Madame Crousse, from 
Mr. T. Mattock, Headington Nursery, Oxford. The 
best foliaged plant was a fine Eucephalartos villosus, 
from Mr. Geo. Jacob, Mill Lane Nursery, Witney, 
