May 19, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
595 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
By John Fraser, F.L.S., Kew. 
Amongst other plants exhibited at the meeting of the 
Royal Horticultural Society on the 8th inst., the 
undermentioned Orchids received certificates accord¬ 
ing to merit. 
Cypripedium macpochilum giganteum, 
Nov. hyb. 
The flowers of this hybrid as a whole are of 
enormous size, and not merely the lip as implied by 
the second name. The seed parent was C. caudatum 
Lindeni, and the pollen bearer C. grande, itself a 
hybrid. With such a parentage, large flowers would 
naturally be expected in the progeny. The upper 
sepal is lanceolate, pale yellow, and netted with 
greenish yellow. The petals are similar in colour 
at the base, but all the rest is of a deep brownish 
purple ; the two open flowers had petals igj in. long. 
The huge lip is light shining brown with a trian¬ 
gular area on the incurved claw covered with green 
spots. The starainode is triangular and yellow, 
with brown fringed edges. First-class Certificate. 
Exhibited by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
Disa langleyensis, Nov. hyl. 
In this we have a hybrid obtained from D. race- 
mosa, crossed with D. tripetaloides. The linear- 
lanceolate light green leaves are developed in 
rosettes lying upon the ground, while a few small 
ones are rolled round the scape, which is about 
i8 in. high, bearing a raceme of flowers. The upper 
sepal is hooded and rose coloured, with a short white 
spur tipped with green ; the lateral sepals are oval, 
obtuse and similar in colour. The petals are oblong, 
deep purple, striped with crimson, and infolded over 
the column. The small linear lip is deep purple. 
Award of Merit. Exhibited by Messrs. J. Veitch & 
Sons. 
Vanda suavis Rosefield Van. 
The pedicels of this variety are white, tinted with 
pale purple. The sepals and petals are white, 
richly marked with brownish purple or crimson 
spots, with a pale purple band all round, but a little 
way within the margin. The lip is of a rich crimson 
purple in the lower half, and a pale rosy purple 
upwards. First Class Certificate. Exhibited by 
De B. Crawshay, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Sidney Cooke), 
Rosefield, Sevenoaks. 
Odontoglossum triumphans Lionel Craw¬ 
shay, Nov. vay. 
The sepals of this distinct variety are broad and 
elliptic, warm brown, with a yellow tip and other 
yellow markings. The petals are toothed at the 
edges and yellow, with three large irregularly lobed 
blotches of a deep brown. The lip is short and 
broad, heart-shaped at the base, with a cuspidate 
involute tip, giving it the appearance of being bifid; 
it is a cinnamon brown, with a white area at the 
base, having a pale yellow crest upon it. The 
margins are creamy-yellow, deepening towards the 
tip. Award of Merit. Exhibited by De B. Craw¬ 
shay, Esq. 
Dendrobium dellense, iVew. Ay&. 
The seed parent of this beautiful hybrid was 
Dendrobium nobile Schroderiana and thie pollen 
bearer D. splendidissimum. The flowers are very 
large, with white sepals tipped with a small pale 
purple blotch. The petals are two or three times as 
broad, but similar in colour; the purple tips are 
scarcely noticeable. The lip is large, nearly 
orbicular, and creamy-white, with a very large rich 
maroon purple blotch with darker veins radiating 
through it. The lip shows the influence of D. 
splendidissimum. First-class Certificate. Exhibited 
by Baron Schroder (gardener, Mr. H. Ballantine), 
The Dell, Egham. 
Dendrobium nobile Schroderiana. 
This is the seed parent of D. dellense, and very 
pretty it is. The flowers are smaller than those of 
the latter, but the sepals and petals are precisely 
similar in colour. The lip has an orbicular lamina, 
that is white with a rich violet purple blotch in the 
throat. The plant shown was about 2 ft. high. 
First-class Certificate. Exhibited by Baron 
Schroder. 
Odontoglossum crispum apiculatum, Voi;. var. 
This new variety turned up in an importation from 
Pacho. The flowers are round with much imbricate 
segments. The sepals are lanceolate and white with 
a large reddish-purple blotch in the centre and a 
tint of purple on the back. The petals are ovate, 
lacerated on the margins, and pure white. The lip 
is yellow at the base with a large curved, rich brown 
blotch in front of the crest, or the blotch may be 
irregularly broken up into three. The column is 
brownish-crimson on the back towards the apex. 
Award of Merit. Exhibited by Messrs. Charles- 
worth, Shuttleworth & Co., Heaton, Bradford. 
Dendrobium cretaceum. 
The spreading or drooping stems of this species and 
the flowers show that it is closely allied to D. 
primulinum and D. Pierardi. The sepals and petals 
are linear, revolute at the edges, and French white. 
The claw of the lip is folded over the column and 
compressed, while the lamina is orbicular, finely 
fringed at the edges, French white, and marked with 
slender, forking, pale purple lines. Award of Merit. 
Exhibited by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart, (grower, 
Mr. W. H. White), Burford Lodge, Dorking. 
Catasetum tenebrosum. 
The flowers of this species are much darker than 
usual for the genus. The elliptic sepals are dark 
green and heavily covered with dark brownish- 
purple spots. The petals are smaller and paler, but 
otherwise similar. The curious lip is triangular 
incurved at the side, widely emarginate with a tooth 
in the notch, and sharply toothed all along the sides; 
it is orange-yellow with a group of black spots near 
the base on each side. Botanical Certificate. 
Exhibited by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart. 
Odontoglossum Pescatorei van. 
The sepals of a variety exhibited by Welbore S. 
Ellis, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Masterton), Hazelbourne, 
Dorking, were lanceolate-elliptic, and white suffused 
with pale purple. The petals were oblong-ovate, 
and white with a few violet-purple spots in the 
centre. The lip is white with violet-purple spots at 
the base, a golden crest with violet lines on the 
lateral appendages of the crest. Award of Merit. 
Bifnenaria inodora. 
The flowers of this species show a peculiar contrast 
in colour. The upper sepal is obovate, the lateral 
ones oblong and apple-green. The petals are much 
smaller, sub-rhomboid, and paler in hue. The three- 
lobed lip is rosy-purple, striated with deeper veins, 
especially the side lobes, and the middle lobe is 
pilose. The contrast is very striking and peculiar. 
Botanical Certificate. Exhibited by R. I. Measures, 
Esq. (gardener, Mr. Hy. Chapman), Cambridge 
Lodge, Camberwell. 
Microstylis Scottii. 
The leaves constitute the most ornamental part of 
this plant. They are ovate and of a bronzy-metallic 
lustre, with pale greenish-yellow markings towards 
the sides when older. The sepals and petals are 
small, linear, and pale purple. The lip is horse-shoe 
shaped and pale green. Botanical Certificate. 
Exhibited by Messrs. W. L. Lewis & Co., 
Southgate. 
Coryanthes Wolfiana, Nov. sp. 
The flowers of this species are smaller than those of 
C. macrantha, and the tubercles of that species are 
much less evident here. The hood is, however, 
remarkable for its solid and fleshy character. 
The segments are orange coloured with dark 
chocolate spots all over. them. Award of Merit. 
Exhibited by F. W. Moore, Esq., Royal Botanic 
Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin. 
Dendrobium Wardianum candidum. 
So far, D. Wardianum has not been very prolific in 
varieties distinguished by well marked colours. The 
flowers have varied in size probably as a result of 
good or indifferent cultivation, and strong stems 
when newly introduced generally give rise to large 
flowers. The purple tips to the sepals and petals 
also vary more or less in their intensity. Sepals 
and petals are wholly pure white in D. W. candi¬ 
dum, and this fact serves to show off the rich orange 
blotch with the two smaller maroon ones at the base 
of the lip. The apical portion of the latter is pure 
white. A small plant flowered recently in the 
gardens of J. MacMeekin, Esq., Falkland Park, 
South Norwood Hill, and the flowers measured 
3I in. across the petals, and the latter were about 
in. in diameter. 
Vines and Vine Culture. — The best book on Grapes. By 
Archibald F. Barron, Superintendent of the Royal Horticultural 
Society’s Gardens, Chiswick ; Secretary of the Fruit Com¬ 
mittee. Demy 8vo., Handsomely bound in Cloth. Price, 5 s.; 
post free, 5 s. 3d. Publisher. Gardening- World, i, Clement’s 
Inn Strand, W.C. 
liE BlROiN, 
Brussels Sprouts. 
It is the practice with some gardeners to sow the 
seed of these in boxes, pans, or on a slight hot-bed; 
where this was done the plants will now be large 
enough for planting in the open quarters, so that no 
time should De lost in getting them out now that the 
ground is moist. Unless sprouts are wanted very 
early in the season there is no advantage gained by thus 
coddelling them under glass, on the contrary much 
time, space and labour is wasted, as good plants may 
be had by sowing the seed on a warm border in 
March, and if these are well looked after they will 
usually be large enough for transplanting by the end 
of May. If more attention be paid to after cultiva¬ 
tion instead of getting early plants, there would be 
better results. Like all other of the Brassica tribe, 
these require ground that has been liberally treated, 
and contains lime, potash and sulphuric acid in 
abundance. 
To grow them well the cultivator should bear these 
things in mind, for as they occupy the ground a long 
time they take more out of it than any other crop, so 
that unless the ground is well prepared beforehand 
by liberal manuring, this must be added from time 
to time as the plants grow. Rains are more frequent 
in some parts of the kingdom than in others, and as 
this is a crop that requires abundance of moisture 
this must to some extent be taken into consideration 
at the time of planting. Where ground can be afforded 
it is far better to plant these on a piece that has 
not been occupied for a year or two with any of the 
Brassica family. The rows should be marked out 
three feet apart, and drills drawn about four inches 
deep ; a couple of rows of some dwarf growing crop 
may be planted or sown between them, such as 
Radishes, Cabbage Lettuce, Milan Turnips or early 
Carrots, as any or all of these might be cleared off 
the ground before the Sprouts are large enough to 
interfere with them. There is a great advantage in 
planting in drills, particularly in dry seasons, as by so 
doing they may be more easily watered, and if the soil 
that was drawn out be levelled round the plants 
when well established this will help to keep them 
steady "and in an upright position. 
When the crop that was growing between the 
plants is cleared off, the ground should have a 
sprinkling of nitrate of soda or superphosphate, if 
the weather be showery this will soon be washed 
down to the roots, when they will grow away rapidly. 
If any of the plants have a tendency to fall on one 
side put a stick to them and tie them up with a piece 
of matting. This may seem superfluous labour to 
some, but it does not take long to do and may be the 
means of saving several more from being pushed 
over, whereas if left alone a great number of the 
Sprouts would be spoiled. The great thing to be 
aimed at is to have sturdy growth from the com¬ 
mencement, therefore plant out when the plants are 
small, allow 3 ft. between the rows and 2 ft. 6 in. 
from plant to plantj treat liberally then there need be 
no more fear of the results. When well grown a good 
plant should be from 2 ft. 6 in. to 3 ft. high, studded 
with fine hard Sprouts from bottom to top. There 
are now such a number of excellent varieties that it 
is difficult to say which is best, though some are 
more hardy than others. 
For general use we have found Sutton’s Exhibition 
and Veitch's Paragon both excellent kinds, and for 
early use Sutton’s Gem. A word or two about 
gathering may perhaps be of advice, also as to 
successional lots. For a late supply plant about the 
end of June on a piece of firm ground. Sprouts do 
not form on plants treated thus till late in the 
season, and as they are more hardy do not suffer by 
the frost, so may be left for use in early spring. 
When gathering take off the Sprouts with a sharp 
knife, be careful not to injure the foliage, as this 
will hang down in severe weather protecting both 
stems and sprouts. Again, do not gather if it can 
be avoided when they are frozen very hard, as this 
injures the stems. Choose the opportunity in the 
after part of the day to gather in such weather for 
the next day’s supply. Take them to a cool cellar, 
when they will be thawed by the following morning, 
and therefore will not be subject to the sudden hot 
temperature of the kitchen white frozen.—Kilclieii 
Gardener. 
Ferns and Fern Culture. By J. Birkenhead, F.R.H.S.— 
How to grew Ferns, with selections for stove, warm, cool and 
cold greenhouses ; for baskets, walls, wardian cases, dwelling- 
houses, &c. Price, is.; by post, is. 6d. Publisher, Garden¬ 
ing World, i, Clement’s Inn, Strand, London, W.C, 
