422 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 2,1895. 
which easily detaches itself. The following year 
additions to those figures count by thousands, which 
do not comprise the plantations of the territories of 
the indigenous population.— Em. Rodigas in the 
Bulletin d'A rboriculture. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS, 
By John Fraser, F.L.S., Kew. 
Oncidium maculatum.— At first sight one is 
doubtful as to what genus the species belongs. It 
has some resemblance both to Oncidium and 
Odontoglossum, but is not strictly characteristic of 
either. Doubtlessly for this reason Lindley created 
a new genus to receive this and a few others. That 
under notice he described in the Botanical Register, 
1838 , t. 44 , under the nameof Cyrtochilum maculatum, 
in allusion to the curved or bent character of the lip. 
The specific name refers to the spotting of the 
flowers. The habit of the plant very much resembles 
that of an Odontoglossum, and the flowers are pro¬ 
duced in arching spikes in a similar way, and are 
each about 2 in. in diameter. The ground colour of 
the sepals and petals is sometimes yellow, but is 
yellowish green in the case of a plant now flowering 
in the cool Orchid house of E. H. Watts, Esq., 
Devonhurst, Chiswick ; but the surface is so heavily 
blotched with chocolate-brown as to be almost 
entirely covered, so that the ground colour is reduced 
to netted lines. The lip is kneed above the base and 
white, with one or two brown spots in front of the 
crest which is lined with purple. The species is by 
no means common in collections at the present day. 
Mr. Gibson, the gardener may well be proud of it. 
Sacco labium violaceum.—Anything that tends to 
increase the supply of flowers in winter is acceptable, 
particularly if those flowers are of pleasing colours 
and fragrant, as in the case of S. iviolaceum, S. 
giganteum and others. In the matter of colour there 
is a considerable amount of variety amongst the 
species of Saccolabium, and though the flowers of S. 
violaceum are neither brilliant nor highly conspicuous, 
yet they are pretty, pleasing and fragrant. They are 
produced in pendulous racemes from amongst the 
leaves and have oval-oblong sepals and smaller petals, 
all of which are white, finely spotted with purple. 
The lip is spreading, slightly curved and concave 
along the centre, and slightly three-lobed at the apex. 
It is almost wholly of a purplish-violet hue and there¬ 
fore beautiful by contrast with the other parts of 
the flower. It recalls the lip of Rhynchostylis 
coelestis, though the blue tint is less decided. It was 
first introduced to this country in 1840 from near 
Manila, but is now known to be common throughout 
the Philippine Islands, growing on trees We noted 
it the other day in the warm division of the Orchid 
house in the garden of E. H. Watts, Esq., Devon¬ 
hurst, Chiswick. Mr. Gibson grows it in a basket 
suspended from the roof, and consequently always 
well exposed to light. 
Dendnobium Ainsworthii with four seg¬ 
ments. —Irregular behaviour is pretty common 
amongst Orchids generally, but none are more liable 
to malformation than hybrids, and some of the latter 
have given frequent instances of it. We received 
a flower of Dendrobium Ainsworthii the other week 
from Mr. A Wright, gardener to J. McMeekin, 
Esq., Falkland Park, South Norwood Hill. As is 
well known, this is a hybrid between D. aureum and 
D nobile, the former being the seed parent. It con¬ 
sisted of four segments instead of six; but close 
inspection showed that all the parts were present, 
though they had developed in such a way that three 
of them remained inseparate, or in a state of combi¬ 
nation. The upper piece was almost as large as the 
lip spread out flat, and consisted of the dorsal, sepal 
and the petals combined. It was unequally divided 
half way to the base, the smaller half representing 
one of the petals, while the larger represented the 
sepal and remaining petal completely united to the 
apex and only betraying their true nature by the 
difference of texture and venation. The outer or 
right-hand side of it had the principal veins oblique 
and the rest much branched laterally, like those of a 
petal, and the texture on this side was more thin and 
papery than on the other. 
Catasetum splendens album. —Numerous 
varieties have turned up, having so much of a general 
resemblance except in colour, that it has been con¬ 
sidered most convenient to group them under the 
first that flowered and conventionally may be 
regarded as the type. All of them are supposed 
natural hybrids between C. Bungerothi and G. 
macrocarpum. That under notice flowered about 
the end of December last and bore nine flowers on a 
raceme. The sepals are white, slightly shaded, 
while the petals are purer, but tinted with green. 
The lip is fairly well expanded, finely toothed at the 
margin, and entirely of a beautiful creamy-white, 
except at the bottom of the short spur or sac, which 
is lightly shaded with green. There is a beautiful 
plate of it in the Lindenia PL 455 . Its ornamental 
value will be best seen by contrast with some of the 
darker varieties. 
Catasetum Lindeni.— The remarkable variety 
of form and colour that has turned up amongst the 
importations of C. Bungerothi, and C. macrocarpum, 
has been a veritable surprise to Orchid growers and 
all that have any acquaintance with them. The 
subject of this note, like several others, combines the 
characters of the two species in such a manner that 
it is considered a natural hybrid between them. The 
flowers have the size and general aspect of those of 
C. Bungerothi, but the colours are those of C. 
macrocarpum ; the lip in form and consistency, does, 
however, partake of that of the latter, though much 
more expanded. It occupies the same habitat as 
both species, and hitherto only a single specimen of 
it has turned up. The sepals and petals are yellowish 
or whitish yellow densely marked all over with 
transverse blotches or bands of no great size but of 
a lively purple. The lip is yellow, lightly shaded 
with green externally and of a more lively yellow 
internally, but blotched on the basal portion in a 
similar manner to the sepals and petals; there is 
also a series of small blotches towards the apex of 
the same. It is one of a group of about twenty new 
forms of Catasetum quite recently introduced by 
Messrs. Linden, L’Horticulture Internationale, 
Brussels. There is a figure of it in the Lindenia PI. 
453 , and an Award of Merit was accorded it by the 
Royal Horticultural Society in November last. 
Catasetum splendens Aliciae.—Like several 
other forms of the supposed natural hybrids that 
have been placed under C. Splendens, this differs 
considerably from the type, as indeed most of the 
rest do from one another. C. s. Aliciae has a strong 
leaning towards C. Bungerothi judging' from the 
size and general structure of the flower. The latter 
is considerably larger than that of C. splendens, the 
lip is more reniform and more expanded, while the 
spur is relatively small and shallow. The sepals 
and petals are sharply acuminate, much longer than 
those of C. splendens, almost by half an inch, and 
they are entirely of a lively rose shading towards 
purple. The petals are similar in form and colour 
and closely approach one another under the upper 
sepal. The lip is of a beautiful white, finely and 
irregularly toothed round the margin and concave, 
but well flattened out. The sac or spur is pale 
yellow in the bottom, and is the only hue that con¬ 
trasts with the general purity of the lip. The variety 
flowered about the end of December in the hothouses 
of L’Horticulture Internationale and is dedicated to 
S. A. S. Madame the Princess of Monaco. There is 
a beautiful plate of it in the Lindenia PI. 457 . 
Orchids from Ravenswood, Melrose. —A 
bright and select lot of Orchids have been sent us 
by Mr. William Rea, gardener to Admiral Fairfax, 
C.B., Ravenswcod, Melrose, N.B. The first that 
took our attention was the beautiful and fantastic 
as well as relatively rare Aerides vandarum. The 
sepals and petals are wavy, twisted, and, like the 
rest of the flower, white. The lip is a strangely con¬ 
structed organ, and reminds one more of a Vanda than 
an Aerides. A little green at the tip of the strange spur, 
a tint of pink on the face of the column, and a fainter 
tint of yellow on the base of the lip uere all that 
contrasted (if that term may be used) with the purity 
of the flower. Two large flowers of Odontoglossum 
Rossii rubescens on a peduncle, reminded us of the 
beauty of a species now getting rare in a wild state. 
The blotches were very rich and distinct, while the 
petals and lip were of a beautiful rosy tint. A bloom 
of Sophronites grandiflora was notable for its size, 
texture, and glowing scarlet colour. It measured 
fully 2 | in. across the petals. Amongst them also 
was a handsome variety of Lycaste Skinneri, with 
deep carmine-purple petals. A hybrid Dendrobium, 
to which we must refer on a future occasion, was a 
picture of beauty ; it bore four large blooms on one 
very small stem, in structure like that of D.Findlay- 
anum. Mr. Yea is to be congratulated on the hand¬ 
some and substantial character of his flowers at this 
stormy juncture, for they could not well be better at 
any period. 
IHi PLANT HOUSES. 
The Stove. 
The cold wave, which in its Arctic-like severity has 
so long persisted in staying with us, is now, to the 
gardener's intense relief, a thing of the past, and 
with the milder order of things, which we may now 
rightfully expect to see, the inmates of our plant 
houses will soon be in full vigour of growth. The 
days, too, are lengthening considerably, and this, 
with the slight increase in temperature that the 
occupants of the stove should now receive, will 
greatly stimulate growth. The thermometer should 
now stand at about 65 ° Fahr. during the night in 
the warmest stove, and at about 6 o° in the inter¬ 
mediate house, a substantial rise being allowed in 
both during bright and sunny days. 
The atmosphere must be kept nicely moist at all 
times by means of copious dampings down, as well 
as by the use of the syringe, which, after its enforced 
rest during the winter months, may once again be 
brought into play with great advantage. The water 
used for syringing should be as soft as possible, and 
must be free from sediment or foreign matters in 
solution, which, besides disfiguring the leaves, stop 
up their breathing pores, being thus directly in¬ 
jurious to the health of the plant itself. Syringing 
should be conducted sufficiently early in the after¬ 
noon to allow of the plants drying before nightfall. 
If necessary, air may be cautiously administered in 
the middle of the day by means of the bottom 
ventilators, which will be quite sufficient for a week 
or two. 
The potting of the permanent subjects should now 
be well nigh completed, but, if not, should be brought 
to a conclusion as soon as convenient, for the plants 
in the other departments will now also be calling out 
for attention in this respect. 
Crotons and Dracaenas. —Shapely little plants 
of these popular decorative subjects never come 
amiss, and as old plants have a tendency to become 
leggy and unsightly it is necessary to keep up a 
stock of young ones from cuttings. These may be 
taken as soon as they can be obtained and inserted 
singly in small pots. Use light, sandy soil, and 
press it firmly about the stem of the cutting to pre¬ 
vent its being easily disturbed, afterwards plunging 
in a warm propagating frame. The present is also 
a favourable season for the ringing of Dracaenas. 
The outer and inner layers of bark must be cut 
through with a sharp knife, a small portion being 
removed. Bind the wound up with moss, keeping 
this nicely damp for a few weeks to favour the 
emission of roots. 
Any stove Ferns that are now starting to make 
fresh growth should be examined without delay to 
see that the crowns are free from the presence of 
brown scale which when growth is further advanced 
is exceedingly difficult to get rid of. Adiantums are 
particularly subject to the attacks of this pest. 
Greenhouse and Cool Conservatory. 
In this department the most careful management 
will be necessary during the next few weeks, for 
March is usually an excessively trying month. We 
often get bright sunny days whichjare not infrequently 
accompanied by cold cutting winds that render it a 
matter of some difficulty to give air without causing 
draughts. Such days as this, moreover, are usually 
followed by cold, frosty nights, and thus two extremes, 
both of them productive of evil, viz. too high a 
temperature during the day and too low a one at 
night, have to be guarded against. The air 
also is usually very dry at this time of year, 
and thus an increased supply of water at the root is 
an essential to the welfare of the majority of green¬ 
house subjects. Spiraeas particularly piust be very 
carefully watched with regard to this, as, from their 
liability to fill their pots with roots, they have but 
little soil around them, and a few hours, neglect with 
regard to water will inevitably cause them to flag 
badly. 
Azaleas. —These of course are amongst the 
showiest and the most popular of greenhouse flower¬ 
ing subjects ; and batches of them should be brought 
in as required from the forcing pits. Plants which 
have dropped their flowers should have their seed 
vessels picked off before they have reached any size, 
as if left on a great deal of the strength and vitality 
of the plant is wasted. Such plants may be removed 
to a warm pit where a gentle heat obtains, and the 
