January 13, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
307 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS, 
By John Fraser, F.L.S., Kew. 
Cypripedium Morganiae bupfordiense. 
The hybrid C. Morganiae was raised by Messrs. 
Veitch & Sons from C. superbiens crossed with C. 
Stonei, both handsome and valuable kinds. It is 
the prince of all hybrid Cypripediums, but varies to 
a slight extent in different collections owing probably 
to there being several seedlings in cultivation. The 
variety under notice was sent us by Mr. R. Hinde, 
gardener to Mr. Wells, Broomfield, Sale. It may 
have originated at Burford Lodge, Dorking, but the 
fact does not seem to be recorded. The original 
form had seven to ten deep purple lines or veins on 
the upper sepal, but in the bloom sent us there were 
thirteen of those lines. The petals were unusually 
heavily spotted with blackish-purple, and were 4iin. 
long, and over J in. in breadth above the middle. 
The massive lip was not much short of 3 in. in 
length and was of a deep purple. We frequently 
see it several shades paler in the neighbourhood of 
London. Possibly the good light and clearer, 
cleaner atmosphere of the locality from whence 
we received it would account for the high colour 
and the firm texture of the flower sent us. Accom¬ 
panying the above was a flower of Laelia anceps 
alba, Bull’s variety. It was of large size, all the 
segments being of good form and pure white with 
exception of the tips of the sepals and the interior of 
the tube of the lip. The latter portion was yellow 
with deeper veins and flushed with light green. 
The three-ridged disc was bright yellow. The true 
L. a. alba should be pure white with the exception of 
the disc of the lip. Numerous importations of whiue 
forms of the species have been made, and in which 
various tints of colour appear, so that it is impossible 
to trace the exact origin of individuals differing 
from the true L. anceps alba only in slight shades 
of colour. 
Cypripedium Pitcherianum, Williams’ var. 
There are two Cypripediums to which the name 
Pitcherianum has been given, but that which 
appeared in the American Florist, III. (1887), p. 178, 
from the pen of W. A. Manda, must be overlooked, 
for it was applied to C. Argus. That under notice is 
a hybrid and a very pretty one. There are several 
varieties differing in the richness of colouring. C. P. 
Williams’ var. has a very large upper sepal, which is 
white suffused with rosy-purple and deep purple on 
the midrib, with a green blotch at the base. The 
petals are spathulate, somewhat incurved and of a 
deep shining brown passing into yellow on the lower 
longitudinal half. The lip is of a deep shining 
purple-brown. It has been flowering for some time 
in the nursery of Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, 
Upper Holloway. 
Oncidium obryzatum. 
The sepals and petals of this species are irregularly 
banded with brown. The lamina is bifid and yellow 
marked with brown at the base, that is, round the 
crest. The flowers, as a whole, are of medium size 
for the genus, bat they make amends for size by 
their great number. Panicles are produced 3 ft. to 
4 ft. long, or even longer under favourable condi¬ 
tions, and good cultivation ; these scapes produce 
long, lateral racemes or even branches, so that the 
quantity of flowers produced by the plant is con¬ 
siderable. The species is said to have been discovered 
by Warscewicz in Peru about 1852. Little, however, 
is known of its habitats, and it is comparatively little 
known in collections. It may be seen, however, in 
the nursery of Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, Upper 
Holloway, where a good many little-known subjects 
find a home. 
Brassavola nodosa. 
There are numerous species of Brassavola, one or 
other of which finds a home in most collections, 
though it rarely happens that many of them are 
brought together, except in botanic gardens. Nor 
do specialists seem to take them in hand in the 
same way as Masdevallias, and the members of 
allied genera, many of which are more interesting 
than ornamental. The Brassavola under notice 
possesses both those characteristics. The flowers 
are fairly large for the genus, and borne in pairs as 
a rule upon the erect or ascending scapes. The 
sepals are long, linear, pale greenish and thinly 
spotted with purple externally. The petals are 
narrower, but otherwise similar. The lip has a long 
claw, rolled round the column so as to form a close 
tube, similar in colour to the sepals, but more heavily 
spotted ; the lamina on the contrary is heart-shaped 
or shell-shaped at the base, and pure white, with 
some clear purple spots near the mouth of the tube. 
The linear, leathery leaves are flattened above, and 
not terete as is the case with so many others of the 
genus. A flowering specimen may be seen in the 
Orchid house at Kew. The plant is neat in habit 
and deserving of more extended culture. It is a 
native of the West Indies, and was described many 
years ago by Lindley in his Genera et Species Orchid- 
arum, 114. 
Lycaste Skinneri alba. 
Writing a few days ago from St. Albans, Mr. J. M. 
Nab says :—“ When visiting Liverpool recently I had 
the pleasure of looking through the choice and select 
collection of Orchids formed by Reginald Young, 
Esq., and noted there one of the grandest Lycastes 
that I have ever seen, a glorious specimen carrying 
24 fully-developed flowers. The individual blooms 
were of enormous proportions, measuring 7 in. 
across. Orchid culture has reached a high state of 
perfection at Fringilla, reflecting great credit upon 
Mr. Poyntz, the enthusiastic and able gardener.” 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar. 
The weather of last week was very severe 
in this district. On the morning of January 
5th the thermometer registered 25° of frost, and 
during such weather there is always some danger of 
the plants getting damaged by drip, especially if the 
sash bars are not provided with grooves to carry off 
the condensed moisture when the temperature rises. 
Shifting the plants out of the direct line of the drip 
is the safest plan to follow; being careful also to 
drain off any water that may have got into the 
young growths, or they would most likely rot. 
Syringing. —Very little syringing was required 
during the mild weather that preceded the frost, but 
now that we have to fire strongly to keep the tem¬ 
perature right, the houses naturally dry up much 
quicker, necessitating the use of this most useful 
appliance twice daily to counteract the effect which 
the dry, harsh heat would have on the plants. 
Vandas, Aerides, Saccolabiums, and Phalaenopsis 
suffer most from strong firing, so that the damping of 
the pots and stages is of the utmost importance if the 
bottom leaves are to be retained. This can be done 
without making the plants too wet. 
Vanda Amesiana. —Although not to be compared 
to V. Kimballiana in point of beauty, V. Amesiana 
must be considered a good addition to this genus. 
Its time of flowering, the fragrance of its blossoms, 
together with its very easy culture, should make it 
popular with amateurs. The temperature of the 
Cattleya house suits it well, and it will do well in 
thoroughly drained pots surfaced with live sphag¬ 
num moss. I have seen them doing well when kept 
wet all the winter, but think they do best when kept 
moderately dry during the dull months. The thick 
terete leaves, too, suggest a rather prolonged season 
of rest in their native habitats. 
Pleiones. —As these pretty dwarf-growing Orchids 
go out of bloom they must be repotted, as any 
neglect in this respect causes them to dwindle away. 
Peat loam, moss, a little dried cow-dung, and 
silver sand suit them well. They should be raised 
an inch above the rim of the pots or pans which 
must be well-drained. The flowers are then better 
shown off when in bloom. The pseudo-bulbs may 
be put rather close together, but allowing room 
enough for the proper development of the bulbs and 
foliage. Water should be given sparingly until they 
are well under weigh, when plenty of moisture 
should be afforded. A good position in the Cattleya 
house is the best place for them during their grow¬ 
ing season ; when they have finished up their 
growths, and the foliage shows signs of going off, 
gradually reduce the moisture at the roots ; they 
require a good season of rest, and when resting 
there is no better place for them than a vinery from 
which the frost is merely kept out. 
Temperatures. —East India House during severe 
weather, 55° to 60° at night. Cattleya House 50° 
at night. Cool House 45° at night. A rise of 5“^ 
all round by day with fire heat. With sun heat a 
e of 10° will be beneficial.— C. 
dl^aning^ fuom Wtftils 
Science* 
Caulifloweps and the Electric Light.—Experi¬ 
ments have been carried on for four winters by the 
Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station 
authorities, with the view of testing the effect of the 
electric light on various vegetables and flowers. 
The results of several of those experiments went to 
how that the growth of Lettuces was considerably 
hastened, and that various flowers were earlier and 
brighter when grown under its influence. Many 
plants suffered considerable injury in cases where 
the lamp was hung inside the house. This injury it 
was found could be avoided by suspending the lamp 
outside the roof so that the rays might be toned 
down by the glass roof, or at all events the injurious 
effects mitigated. This was further assisted by 
covering the lamp either with a clear or an opal 
globe. The previous experiments with Cauliflowers 
were confined to two dozen plants, and to give more 
weight to the results, it was determined to conduct 
a trial on a much more extended scale. Accordingly 
a house 60 ft long and span-roofed was set apart for 
the purpose. The lamp was placed about 9 ft. above 
the ridge of the roof and right above a curtain that 
divided the house into two compartments. The 
object was to light one compartment and keep the 
other in the dark. The glass of the lamp was there¬ 
fore painted a dense black on that side to throw the 
light into one compartment only. Roof curtains 
were also employed to cover that portion of the 
house which was intended to be kept dark during the 
night, but which together with the moveable parti¬ 
tion could be removed by day to permit of equal 
light, heat and ventilation. 
Sowing the Seeds.— Seeds of Extra Early Dwarf 
Erfurt, Gilt Edge Snowball, and Early Snowball, 
were sown in boxes on the 24th of August under 
ordinary conditions, and on the 4th of October they 
were transferred to the houses. No bottom heat 
was employed, merely a bed 8 ft. wide running along 
the middle of the floor of the house. The plants 
were about 6 in. high at this time. The light was 
turned on at nights about a week later, and artificial 
heat was applied on the 25th of the same month. 
Duration of the Electric Light.—As already 
indicated, the electric light was started on the iith 
of October, and it was carried on till the i8th of 
January, or just 100 days. The light was not run all 
night, but for a varying period during each night. 
The total hours of electric light were 484J, so that 
the average of the whole per night was 4.8 hours. 
During the course of this time there were nine nights 
on which no artificial light was employed, but for 
what reason is not stated, nor why the light should 
not have been continued for a regular and stated 
period each successive night. 
Results.—Twenty-eight days after the experi¬ 
ment, the plants in the light compartment were seen 
to be considerably larger than those under normal con¬ 
ditions. Notwithstanding this the plants in the light 
house were later in showing their flower heads than 
the others. This agrees with the results of previous 
experiments. Nineteen heads were forming on the 
gth of December, while only twelve were to be seen 
in the other. Some of them were cut on the 13th of 
January, and from that time cutting was continued 
till the i8th, when the experiment was concluded. 
A table of the results were given, but the averages 
show some curiously conflicting figures. The 
varieties. Early Snowball and Early Erfurt, pro¬ 
duced a greater weight of material even in taking the 
average, .in the light house, but Gilt Edge Snowball 
was slightly heavier in the dark house. The latter, 
together with Early Snowball, produced the larger 
heads on an average in the dark house. The leaves 
were longer in the dark than the light house, except 
in the case of Early Erfurt, where the conditions 
were reversed. On the whole, the last-named variety 
gave the most satisfaction under the influence of the 
artificial light. A physiological peculiarity of the 
plants in the light house was that the leaves of the 
plants were more erect under the influence of the 
light. Evidently no tangible advantage is to be 
derived from the forcing of Cauliflower with the 
electric light as an auxiliary. Unless the heads 
could be had ready for cutting at a much earlier 
period than otherwise with such aid, so as to com¬ 
mand a higher price in the market, the experiment 
could never be made to pay the working expenses. 
