Way 28, 1892. 
613 
ORCHIDS AT CHEL¬ 
TENHAM. 
Yes, sir, Orchids, nothing like Orchids and Chrysan¬ 
themums. There is an old saying that one might as 
well be out of the world as out of the fashion, and 
so it is with the gardener, who owing to old age, lack 
of love and interest for these lovely and fashionable 
flowers, for no matter how skilled he may be in the 
vegetable and other departments of the garden under 
his charge, if his love and interest for the above- 
named flowers is at all dull, he will be considered 
only a second-rate gardener at the present time ; but 
how long this “mania ” is going to last cannot be 
estimated, but certain it is for the time being it is 
becoming stronger every day. 
Now in case there are any such gardeners as those 
referred to I would urge them to pay the Queen’s 
Road Nurseries, Cheltenham, a 
visit at once,and I vouch for it they 
will come away with that once dull, 
dead interest, quickened (so far as 
the Orchids are concerned). The 
sight of Orchids here they will 
never forget, that is to say if they 
have an atom of sympathy for these 
aristocratic flowers. Thousands 
of fully-expanded flowers and as 
many more to open will be found in 
the numerous houses, and such 
gems as one rarely sees. Talk 
about superb varieties and forms of 
Laslia purpurata and Cattleya 
Mendelii, well, one does not know 
which to give the preference to. 
Mr.Cypher has long been noted for 
holding some of the best forms of 
Laelia purpurata in this country, 
and the same might be said of 
Cattleya Mendelii, such broad 
petals and sepals, with wonderful 
coloured lips and rich yellow 
throats, and not only one here and 
there, but simply scores; also some 
very fine varieties of C. Skinnerii 
were in flower. What a distinct 
and useful Cattleya this is, and 
what a beautiful colour. Of C. 
Mossae there were a great many 
flowers open ranging from nearly 
white to rosy purple. 
Then we passed to the Odonto- 
glossum house. Here again was 
a sight even surpassing the 
Cattleya house for beauty, for 
in my opinion no other Orchids 
can approach the Odonto- 
glossums for chasteness and 
beauty ; they retain their foliage 
all the year round, which is of a 
rich dark colour (and no foliage 
can harmonize so well with flowers 
as their own), and this applies even 
more forcibly to Odontoglossums 
if such could be the case. In this 
house there were many hundreds 
of spikes fully opened,and as many 
more to open. All the best varieties 
are to be seen in this house, and 
of course “ Alexandra ” predomi¬ 
nated ; but there were also some 
extraordinary fine plants of O 
vexillarium, varying very widely in colour ; but for 
myself I prefer the dark coloured forms. I also 
noticed some very fine spikes of O. Edwardii, and 
when seen in full vigour it certainly is a striking 
Orchid, but the colour is not so retiring as some 
others. There were also some well-flowered plants of 
Ada aurantica which brightened up the house 
immensely. These, together with a great many 
Lycaste Skinnerii, Oncidium concolor, etc., made a 
show which I shall not forget for a while. 
Now we find ourselves in the Dendrobium house, 
which is “rather quiet” just now, as with the 
exception of a batch of Dendrobium Rensonias majus 
(which one could not pass without making the 
remark what a beautiful little Orchid, and what a 
free bloomer!) there is not much to notice. Then 
wepassed to the Aeridesand Saccolabiumhouse. Here 
we find a splendid lot of vigorous plants, oh, yes, and 
some very fine Vandas, many of which were in bloom. 
Then we had a peep at the Cypripediums, many of 
which were in flower, such as caudatum, bellatulum, 
concolor, niveum.Stonei, Lawrencianum, some of the 
best forms of barbatum, and Argus. We also saw a 
nice plant of Lathamianum, and a host of other good 
things, while from the roof were hanging some 
CcelogyneMassangeanain bloom. Personally I do not 
care for this Orchid, its colour is not striking enough. 
I also noticed the beautiful Epidendrum O’Prienii. 
This is a charming plant, such a beautiful colour. 
Phalaenopsis are doing well, and we shall hear of 
them later on. 
I made no memoranda while looking through so 
cannot go into much detail from memory, but I 
believe, Mr. Editor, you like to hear how our 
country nurserymen are getting on from time to 
time, and that is my excuse for sending you these 
imperfect notes.— T. Arnold, The Gardens, Cirencester 
House, Cirencester. 
1 ORSYTHIA SUSPENSA. 
ASPEN HOUSE. 
T he garden at Aspen House, the residence of W. 
Y Baker, Esq., is well stocked with fruit trees, and 
the houses chiefly with Orchids. At the time of our 
visit the principal house had been emptied for re 
pairs and painting, so that the Orchids were crowded 
together in other houses, and therefore not under 
condition to be seen to best advantage. A goodly 
number of them were in bloom, particularly Cypri¬ 
pediums, of which about eighty species and varieties 
are grown. Those requiring a pretty high tempera¬ 
ture are located in the house under ordinary circum¬ 
stances devoted to Odontoglossums and other sub¬ 
jects requiring cool treatment. A water tank runs 
beneath the whole length of the stages, and which is 
shallow except that portion used for dipping water 
from. The stages themselves are constructed so as to 
hold a shallow bed of water, and this is covered with 
wooden staging on one side, while on the other bench 
inverted pots or small saucers are used for standing 
the pot plants upon. By this latter means every pot 
is isolated, so that crawling vermin cannot get at the 
plants ; and the atmosphere is at the same time well 
supplied with the necessary moisture so beneficial to 
cool Orchids. 
Mr. Wm. Woodley, the gardener, has only within 
a few years past taken to the culture of Orchids, 
although he has had charge of the place for the last 
sixty-five years. Several changes in the fashion fer 
particular kinds of flow'ers have taken place within 
that time, but he feels as much or even more interest 
in them than in other flowering plants. Some two 
months ago he had a fine display of Cattleya Trianae ; 
now C. Mossiae is in season. Some imported pieces 
of it now in bloom have very large flowers, particu¬ 
larly one with blush sepals and petals and a richly- 
coloured lamina. Dendrobium thyrsiflorum bears 
some fine racemes of bloom, and 
so has D.chrysotoxum. Phalaenop- 
sis grandiflora aurea and Oncidium 
Papilio might also be mentioned 
here. 
TheCypripediums constitute the 
most prominent feature at present, 
and they are moreover conspi¬ 
cuous at all times of the year, for 
there are always some of them in 
bloom no matter what the season 
is. A fine piece of C. Druryi is 
now' quite attractive,although only 
recently imported and now well 
established. Other standard sorts 
that are hardly ever absent from 
a collection are C.ciliolare.C.Law- 
renceanum.C. Argus, C. hirsutissi- 
mum, and C. barbatum O’Brienii, 
sometimes called C. biflorum 
O’Brienii. The rich dark olive 
green venation shaded with brown 
on the upper sepal is very 
characterisiic of C. politum. 
A vinery close by is also closely 
crowded with the overflow from 
the compartments of the house 
under repair. Here .some fine 
pieces of Odontoglossum citros- 
mum, grown in baskets suspended 
from the roof, are now in bloom. 
They are sweetly scented and show- 
some variety, one having a clear 
rose lip being particularly notice¬ 
able. Several Cypripediums have 
also found their way' here, and 
amongst them we noted a little 
batch of the new Cypripedium 
Chamberlainianum, about which 
so much has been said recently. 
The plants seem healthy, and will 
no doubt soon get nicely esta¬ 
blished. C. concolor is in bloom, 
and though not uncommon in 
collections is,nevertheless,a quaint 
little Orchid. The yellow flowers 
of Cattleya citrina contrast well 
with a batch of the scarlet spathed 
Anthurium Scherzerianum 
A lean-to house usually occupied 
with bedding plants is now filled 
with the Odontoglossums and 
other species of that class. A 
number of kinds that delight 
in a high temperature are also temporarily 
located here, including two pieces of Cym- 
bidium Lowianum in blcom. The flow'ers are dis¬ 
tinct on the two plants, and the lip of one is very 
richly coloured. The lamina of the lip is of a rich 
crimson-brown or reddish-maroon, while the throat 
or disc is white, and therefore shows well by contrast. 
Alongside of these are pieces of Dendrobium in¬ 
fundibulum and D. Jamesianum. The former has 
very long stems and is now flowering a second time- 
upon the old stems. Several of the Odontoglossums 
are also in bloom, and a healthy and freely-flowering 
piece of Marechal Niel Rose occupies the back w all 
The house is low and well lighted, while the plants 
as they are arranged on the shelves look well, and if 
kept cool and well shaded in summer would answer 
as an Orchid house. It would no doubt answer 
better in w-inter, when Orchids as well as other 
plants generally require all the light which our dull 
climate will supply. 
