374 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 9, 1895. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
By John Fraser, F.L.S., Kew. 
Sophronites grandiflora.—From first to last 
this has remained the gem of the genus and is likely 
to do so. The first discovery of it was made by M. 
Descourtily in Brazil upon the high mountains 
between Bannanal and Ilha Grande, and later on it 
was picked up on the Organ Mountains. All this 
argues that a high temperature is not particularly 
necessary to success under artificial conditions, but 
a light position near the glass is necessary to ripen 
the growth and enable the plant to flower, which it 
does during the winter months, when its warm 
scarlet ffowers are much appreciated by all classes 
of people who are fortunate to make its aquaintance, 
independently of Orchid growers. The number of 
times it has been figured in various works amply 
testifies to its popularity, for besides an attractive 
plant in the cool Orchid house, it makes a neat and 
beautiful picture on paper. More than a score of 
figures and plates of it have been given. Besides 
the intrinsic beauty of the plant it possesses another 
recommendation ; being of small size and its wants 
easily supplied in small pans suspended from the 
roof of a house, a large number of plants may be 
accommodated even in a house of limited dimensions 
without encroaching upon the space devoted to the 
larger-growing subjects upon the benches and stages, 
It has just recently found a place in the Orchid Album- 
Pi. 504. 
Pleione macula 1 a.—The Indian Crocuses, as 
the species of Pleione are called, are very attractive 
during the autumn and winter months when in 
bloom notwithstanding the fact that they lose their 
leaves before that time. They vary to some extent 
in the different shades of purple, rose and white with 
yellow or some modification of it on the disc of the 
lip. The species under notice has white sepals and 
petals which contrast beautifully with the spotted 
lip from which the name is derived. The ground 
colour of the lip is white with several large purple 
blotches round the sides and a large central area of 
golden-yellow; the latter is further ornamented with 
numerous broken plates or fringes running along it 
longitudinally and adding much to the interesting 
character of the flower as a whole. Orchid pots or 
pans are most suitable for the cultivation of the 
Pleiones, and loam, peat and sphagnum with silver 
sand make a compost in which they may be expected 
to succeed. Liberal supplies of water are necessary 
while growth is being made, and the plants at this 
time must be placed on a shelf near the glass to 
expose them to the influence of light. As the leaves 
wither they must be allowed to go to rest by with¬ 
holding water till they begin to push flower scapes 
when water must be again given to support the fresh 
activity of the plants. Thereisa fine illustration of P. 
maculatum in the Orchid Album PI. 503 , fig. 1, and on 
the same plate fig. 2 is an illustration of P. 
Lagenaria. 
Cattleya Hardyana Luciani.—For a long time 
after the introduction of this grand Cattleya it 
remained alone in the particular beauty which 
characterises it, and was, in fact, a rare plant in 
collections. Reichenbach at the time considered it 
to be a natural hybrid between C. Dowiana aurea 
and C. Warscewiczii, better known in gardens as C. 
gigas. Subsequent introductions seem to confirm 
rather than dispel the idea of the hybrid origin of C. 
Hardyana, though some of the recent discoveries or 
introductions approach C. Dowiana aurea so closely 
-that it is difficult, if not impossible, to draw a hard 
or fast line between the two, in fact, the distinction 
in some cases seems almost arbitrary. With the 
introduction of the beautiful variety under notice, 
the balance swings the other way and the colours 
approach those with which we are familiar in C. 
Warscewiczii, thus, as it were, completing the series. 
The sepals and petals are of a light but warm rose ; 
but the affinity is more clearly shown by the lip, the 
terminal lobe of which is rich crimson-purple, more 
or less interrupted towards the margin, is pale and 
much crisped and undulated. The side lobes are 
white with exception of a narrow purple margin, and 
a large yellow blotch occupies the central area 
between them. There is a coloured plate of it in the 
Lindenia, PI. 449. 
Bifrenaria tyrianthina.—Various names have 
een given to this Orchid, which was first introduced 
from Brazil in 1836, but appears to have been lost 
to cultivation and recently re-introduced. It is 
allied to Maxillaria and Lycaste, to which it may be 
compared in general appearance. The oblong 
pseudo-bulbs bear a solitary, elliptic-oblong, plaited 
leaf. The flower scapes are shorter than the leaves, 
beneath and by the side of which, however, the 
flowers are well exposed. The scapes bear two or 
three flowers each of good average size and showy. 
The dorsal sepal is lanceolate-oblong, but the lateral 
ones are broader and unite with the base of the 
column so as to form a spur. They are purple- 
violet, and the smaller petals are similar in hue, but 
paler in the centre and towards the base judging 
from the coloured illustration in the Lindenia PI. 446. 
The lip is paler towards the margin, but is veined 
with dark purple over the greater portion of the 
interior. As recently as 1890 a plant flowered in the 
collection of W. C. Walker, Esq., Percy Lodge, 
Winchmore Hill, and which had come from Brazil 
in company with B. Harrisoniae, and more recently 
it has been introduced by Messrs. Linden, L’Horti- 
culture Internationale, Brussels; and the plate 
above mentioned was drawn up from one of the 
specimens which flowered. 
Dendrobium nobile Cooksoni —A large plant 
of this beautiful Orchid was receutly a con¬ 
spicuous object in the plant houses at Greenlands, 
Henley-on-Thames. It is upwards of 2 ft. in 
diameter, appears to be in perfect health, and 
carried a large number of the finely-coloured, 
curiously-shaped flowers. It differs from the type 
D. nobile in that the petals have developed a 
partially concave form at the tips, the markings 
upon them being also of a richer hue. D. n. Cook¬ 
soni was first noticed in the Orchid collection of 
Theodore Lange, Esq., Heathfield House, Gates¬ 
head, but was first exhibited by N. C. Cookson, 
Esq., Wylam-on-Tyne, after whom it was named by 
Reichenbach. - 
Orchids at Chardwar.—When at Chardwar, 
Burton-on-the-Water, to-day, I was pleased to see 
the collection cf Phalaenopsis in such good condition. 
One plant of P. Stuartiana, which was only a very 
small one twelve months ago,has now three leaves over 
10 in. long and very firm, and it is carrying a splen¬ 
did spike of twenty blooms open. Some of the P. 
Schillerianas have leaves over 12 in. long, and 
several are in bloom. A very fine variety of P. 
amabilis has twelve blooms, and a fine form of P. 
grandiflora aurea is also noteworthy. Among other 
Orchids in bloom I noticed Lycaste Skinneri 
delicata, very chaste, and two plants of L. Skinneri 
alba, one a splendid form and snow white, with very 
broad petals well thrown back,also Lycaste Youngiana 
with twenty-two blooms ; Cattleya Trianaei, several 
varieties, one especially fine with large open lip, 
somewhat similar to Leeana ; also a good form of 
Cattleya amethystoglossa and C. Walkeriana with 
two blooms. Among Dendrobes I noted several 
good forms of D. Wardianum, also D. formosum, and 
several good D. crassinode and crassinode Barbari- 
ana with forty blooms ; Phaius grandifolius with 
several long spikes ; Saccolabium Harrissonae has 
two good spikes, and Oncidium ampliatum several 
good spikes in bloom and many to follow. Among 
Cypripediums in bloom I noted C. bellatulum, 
Calypso, Cardinale, calurum, Argus, callosum, 
Chamberlainianum, Harrissianum, several forms, 
Lathamianum nitens (a very fine form), venustum, 
and Roezlii. The Odontoglossums are showing a 
quantity of spikes, several good forms of O. crispum 
being in bloom ; also some O Rossii and pulchellus 
majus, and a splendid hybrid with two spikes. The 
Dendrobium nobile and other varieties promise a 
profusion of bloom later on, and the Coelogynes are 
just beginning to open and will make a good display 
for some time to come.— J. C., Feb efih. 
-- 
Vines. —The berries of the bunches borne by the 
earliest canes will now be swelling apace—thinning, 
of course, having been properly carried out. Where 
the early Vines are a trifle later than this, and the 
berries are nicely set, too long time must not elapse 
before operations are commenced. Take care not to 
remove too many berries at one time, it being a safer 
and hence a wiser plan to thin gradually, especially 
with these very early Grapes. The pinching out of 
laterals will need attention, these should not be 
allowed to lengthen for a foot or so before removal, 
but must be stopped at the first leaf. The tempera¬ 
ture by night should range between 65° and 70° 
Fahr. if possible, but if the sharp weather renders it 
difficult to maintain this temperature it is much 
better to allow it to drop a degree or two lower than 
to make the house smell too strongly of fire heat. In 
the succession houses the disbudding of the shoots 
must be looked after. They must not be too rashly 
removed, however, for even experienced hands at 
tying down meet with mishaps sometimes. The 
thinning of the bunches must not be delayed too 
long, and on no account should the canes be too 
heavily cropped, but the size and strength of the 
plant must receive due consideration. Keep the air 
well charged with moisture, and see that the supply 
of water to the roots is well maintained, always using 
water chilled to about the same temperature as that 
of the house. Houses that are being started must 
receive a thick layer of fermenting material upon the 
outside borders, and if some spare boards or sheet 
iron are available to throw off the deluges of cold 
rains or heavy downfalls of snow so much the better. 
Figs.— Continue the applications of liquid manure 
to plants in pots which are swelling their fruits, 
unless they are growing strongly enough without. 
As growth proceeds in the other houses attention 
must be paid to the stopping of the shoots, which 
may be done at about five or six joints from the com¬ 
mencement. This will serve to throw the strength 
of the tree into the swelling of the first crop of fruit, 
and also to assist in the formation of fruit in the axils 
of the leaves which shall be matured later on in the 
season. Any trees in the later houses that have not 
been pruned must be seen to without delay. Pruning 
should consist in the thinning out of the branches, 
removing those that have become bare or have 
exceeded their limits. These are much better cut 
clean out and fresh growths to take their places 
encouraged to break away from the bottom. The 
pruning of Fig trees under glass is not a lengthy 
operation provided the summer pinchings and 
stoppings are properly looked after. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —Continue the dis¬ 
budding of the trees in the early house as advised in 
the last calendar. Keep the syringe vigorously at 
work night and morning, using chilled soft water. 
As soon as the fruit is properly set the temperature 
may be raised two or three degrees. Give air when 
practicable in the mornings, shutting up the house, 
however, early in the afternoon, thus saving a portion 
of the sunheat, which is of a far more genial character 
than that proceeding from the hot-water pipes. The 
later houses must be kept as cool as possible until 
started, frost only being excluded during the night, 
and air freely given during the day. 
Strawberries.— As soon as the fruit is set upon 
the earlier batches of plants the upper portion of the 
flower stalk must be cut off, and the fruit thinned out 
to nine or ten to each plant, which will be quite 
sufficient crop. The syringe must be vigorously 
plied to ward off the attacks of red spider. The 
temperature may be kept gradually upon the increase 
until as the fruit commences to ripen it may rise to 
75° or 80® Fahr. by day with sun heat. Succession 
batches should be introduced at intervals into heat, 
a temperature of about 45 0 Fahr. by night rising to 
50° by day being amply sufficient to start them. 
Melons and Cucumbers.— As soon as the young 
plants have pretty well filled the pots with roots, but 
before these become anything like entangled with 
each other, they should be planted out in the beds 
made up for them. A good plan is to heap the soil 
upon the bed (which must be thoroughly warmed 
through) into mounds, upon which the youog Melons 
or Cucumbers are planted, making the soil around 
them nicely firm. The young plants may be dewed 
gently over with the syringe during bright weather, 
the walls and floor of the house also being frequently 
damped, and a minimum night temperature of 65° 
Fahr. maintained, rising to 75 0 on bright sunny days. 
— A. S. G. 
HE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
The severe weather we are still experiencing will 
doubtless put many things back in this department, 
as it will be some time even after a thaw does take 
place before the land will be in a workable condition 
particularly on heavy and wet soils. Under such 
circumstances the only thing is, if crops cannot be 
sown in the open ground, some preparation must be 
made for bringing them forward under glass. Peas 
