August 13, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
791 
ORCHID NOTES & GLEANINGS. 
Bv the Editor 
Cypripedium wincqzianum.—The apparently 
difficult name to pronounce, here used to specify this 
hybrid, takes its derivation from M. Arnold Wincqz. 
The parents were C. harrisianum, itself a hybrid, 
and C. haynaldianum, the progeny being intermediate 
but showing strange and beautiful combinations of 
colour, judging from the coloured plate of it in 
the Lindenia PI. 620. The dorsal sepal recalls C. 
harrisianum in form and colour, but is more oval, 
and the colours altogether brighter and even hand¬ 
some; the centre is brown-purple, passing into 
bright red close to the pure white edge, the contrast 
being striking. The spathulate petals are very 
similar in colour to those of C. haynaldianum, 
though shorter and broader; the lower two-thirds 
are greenish-yellow, blotched with brown-black, 
while the apical portion is washed with rose having 
a slightly violet tint. The lip conforms to C. 
harrisianum in form, and is heavily shaded with 
reddish-brown in front. The seed was sown in tbe 
establishment of L’Horticulture Internationale, 
Brussels, five years ago. 
Rare Orchids at Kew.—-The public is most 
taken with the larger flowers, whether Orchids or 
otherwise; nevertheless, there are those who in 
looking more closely at the form and individuality 
of things can appreciate the beauty and structure of 
even the smallest flowers quite apart from decorative 
effect. Many amateur growers may be placed in 
this category, and that the same or even a greater 
amount of pleasure can often be derived from a con¬ 
templation of interesting little flowers we feel quite 
certain. Owing to the rebuilding of the Orchid 
house at Kew the collection is housed at present in 
the Cape and Begonia houses, as well as in the 
private pits. Though the former are not particu¬ 
larly adapted for Orchids, a considerable number is 
flowering even at the dullest period of the year, The 
small yellow flowers of Lockhartia Weigettii are 
followed by seed pods that open widely with three 
valves in the same manner as a Pansy. Other In¬ 
teresting subjects in flower at present are Bifrenaria 
aurantiaca, Laelia xanthina, Odontoglossum 
Krameri, and Polystachya Kirkii, all except the 
latter being large enough and sufficiently showy for 
general cultivation. The rosy-flowered Disa ner¬ 
vosa is notable for the length of its spur, and the 
relatively narrow opening to the flower compared 
with that of the better known species. Very singu¬ 
lar is the pale blue Bartholina pectinata having its 
lip cut into slender filaments, but standing out stiffly 
like the teeth of a comb. Curious and beautiful is 
the terrestrial Cynorchis grandiflora, with a purple 
and lobed lip. Restrepia maculata is also uncom¬ 
mon as well as pretty. The most curious anchmost 
interesting of all in our opinion is that named 
Cirrhis viridis-purpurea, the lip of which resembles 
a wasp or some similarly venomous insect. The 
petals are brown on the back and purple on the face ; 
but the lip is green,and transversely banded with dark 
purple bars, and with crimson-purple at the base. 
It is also narrow, sharply pointed at the end, and 
more or less convex on the surface, so that the re¬ 
semblance to some uncanny insect is not inconsider¬ 
able. 
- «» « ■ 
TUB Orcluil Brower’s Calendar. 
Manure for Orchids. —How and when to apply it. 
—This is the fourth season that I have had the 
pleasure to write the Orchid Calendar, and those 
that have been good enough to peruse my notes will 
know that at seasons of the year I have advocated 
the judicious use of some stimulant for this aristo¬ 
cratic family. My contention is and always has 
been that plants in a healthy state, and rooting freely 
are much benefited by generous treatment. Terres¬ 
trial Orchids we always have given weak doses of 
manure water at various periods, but not until the 
past few years have we been bold enough to try it on 
the epiphytal section. Laelia anceps was the first 
we paid attention to, our plan being, as soon as tbe 
spikes are in sight, to treat them to weak doses of 
manure water—just a pinch of guano that you can 
take with the thumb and finger in four gallons of 
water. In this the baskets or paos are dipped up to 
the rims about once a week. To show that when 
used judiciously no possible harm will accrue, I may 
say that seeds have germinated on plants so treated, 
and not only so, but have made excellent headway 
under similar treatment, so much so that we hope to 
flower quite a good batch next season. We often 
get four-flowered spikes on the dark varieties. The 
colour of the flowers, too, is much more brilliant. 
Of course, unless the flowers are already formed, no 
amount of stimulants will put them there, but it 
helps to build up the constitution of the plant and 
thus ensure better results in the future. My advise 
is, do not overdo it, or the remedy will be worse 
than the disease. 
Cool House. —Where a great quantity of Odon- 
toglossums is grown, it will be necessary to com¬ 
mence overhauling some of the most forward of the 
plants at an early date, or it will be late before the 
whole can be got through, therefore it may be well 
to get in a good supply of peat and moss, for there 
is nothing so annoying as to have to wait for the 
material. Delays, too, are dangerous. 
"Do you manure your Odontos ? ” I was asked 
the other day. Well, generally speaking, no. The 
only time we deem a little help in this way benefi¬ 
cial is when they are developing large spikes, and as 
our plants in this stage are hung up they are taken 
down and dipped similarly to the Laelia anceps. 
The water, therefore, does not quite reach the moss, 
which, in consequence, keeps green. 
The great thing in keeping Odontogiots thriving is, 
as we have frequently pointed out, to afford them 
some fresh material each season, and not let them 
(as is too often the case) remain until they begin to 
go back before doing it. 
Thrips. —During the summer months these little 
pests make great headway if left to themselves. It 
is, therefore, advisable to fumigate often.—C. 
The Stove. 
Now that the month of August is here, and we are 
nearing the end of the summer, every effort should 
be made to put the occupants of the stove into train¬ 
ing, so to speak, with a view to fitting them for pass¬ 
ing through the dull season with the greatest com¬ 
fort to themselves. This can only be done by 
hardening the tissues of the leaves and stems, and 
by maturing the wood as far as possible, and the best 
way to effect this is to give plenty of air both by 
night as well as day. 
The advantages to the plants of a current of air 
passing through the house at night are not grasped 
by many gardeners, with the result that too often we 
find the stove kept closely shut up all night, and a 
high temperature and excessively moist atmosphere 
maintained, which things are conducive to rank, but 
correspondingly flabby, growth. The top ventilators 
may be closed at night, but the bottom trap doors 
should be left nearly wide open. As the nights have 
been occasionally cold, it is advisable to keep a little 
heat running through the pipes, and thus the air 
passing into the house will be warmed during its 
passage into the house. Keep the syringe plied 
vigorously morning and afternoon, taking care that 
the under surfaces of the leaves are washed as well 
as the upper ones. There is often very little time at 
this season of the year for sponging, and thus the 
bi-daily syringings, are of the greater importance. 
Aristolochias. —Where the plants are in good 
health they are apt to make too much growth for 
the welfare of the plants standing on the stage below 
them, and hence it will be advisable to thin out these 
growths to some extent. This will not materially 
affect the Aristolochias, but will give the plants be¬ 
neath a much better chance, and will, moreover, im¬ 
prove the appearance of the house. The growths 
that are allowed to remain should be allowed to hang 
nearly at their full length, only allowing room to 
pass beneath them. 
Stephanotis. —Keep a sharp look-out for mealy 
bug here, for this is very partial to the plants, and 
is apt to prove a great nuisance unless it is persis¬ 
tently kept under. About a tablespoonful of 
petroleum in a gill of warm water kept well stirred 
and applied with a soft brush will soon clear out the 
bug. It is a good plan to mix the petroleum with 
soft soap before adding the water—the'soap forms a 
good vehicle for the oil. 
Bougainvillea glabra. —As plants which are 
flowering freely have now a great strain upon them, 
constant and liberal feeding must be practised. There 
is nothing better than liquid cow or farmyard 
manure, and if they get plenty of this the plants will 
not hurt. Pull down the flowering branches from 
the glass, and allow them to hang down, which they 
will be made to do by their own weight. Growths 
which are not flowering, or have already bloomed, 
may be thinned out to make room for the others. 
Table Plants. —Crotons, Dracaenas, Aralias, 
etc., that have been purposely kept In small pots in 
order that they may be available as table plants will 
need a great deal of water just now, and it is impera¬ 
tive that they should not be neglected, or they will 
inevitably lose their bottom leaves, and their appear¬ 
ance will be spoilt. Liquid cow manure and soot 
mixed is a capital stimulent for them, and it may be 
used with the greatest safety. If chemical manures 
are employed they should be dissolved in the water, 
for as the pots are full of roots, and many of these 
roots are close to the surface the application of 
chemicals in the powder form endangers them con¬ 
siderably. 
Dracaena sanderiana. —This distinct habited 
Dracaena is best when in a young state, for after a 
few months the plants begin to get leggy and scraggy 
looking, whilst the variegation becomes less pro¬ 
nounced. Take off the tops of any plants that have 
got to this stage, and insert them as cuttings. 
Strobilanthes dyerianus. —Like the above- 
named Dracaena this plant is only good in a young 
state. The foliage of the older plants is coarse, and 
the rich colouring that marks the leaves of the 
younger plants is absent. It is necessary, therefore, 
to keep up a continuai stock of young stuff. In this 
stage it is one of the handsomest stove foliage plants 
we have. —A. S. G. 
-- 
(Sfeanings ftjmn %> Dmtlii 
of Srieitr^. 
The following subjects were discussed at the 
Scientific Committee meeting of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society on the 26th ult. 
Tomatos and Sleepy Disease.—Plants 
suffering from this now not uncommon complaint 
were forwarded to Dr. W. G. Smith for examina¬ 
tion. He reports as follows—" My observations 
agree with those of Mr. Massee given in the Gar¬ 
deners' Chronicle, June 8th, 1895. I have already seen 
several cases of this disease this season. I do not 
see an easy way of getting rid of the fungus. Mr. 
Massee's suggestion of liming the soil seems a good 
one, but I have had no experience.” 
Outgrowths on Potatos —Mr. Sutton sent 
some tubers having curious excrescences upon them, 
received from Mr. Kerr, of Dumfries. They were 
reserved for examination. 
Asters Diseased. — Mr. W. P. Wright, of Fair- 
view, Willesborough, Ashford, Kent, sent some 
specimens, and observes that " Growers of Asters in 
East Kent, especially in the Dover district, are in 
trouble over an Aster disease, which destroys 
thousands of plants. Some go off directly they are 
put out, others at a later stage. I found small white 
grubs in the lower part of the stems, and I do not 
feel any doubt that they are the cause of mis¬ 
chief.” In the Naturalist, the organ of the Yorkshire 
Naturalists’ Union, there is a paper by Rev. Hilderic 
Friend on this subject. The worms in question are 
of the family of Enchytraeidae, a group of annelids. 
Mr. Friend discovered a presumably new form in 
China Asters, and named it E. parvulus on account 
of its minuteness. A full description of the worm is 
given in Mr. Friend’s paper. There is nothing to be 
done but consign the plants attacked to the flames. 
An account of the Aster worm will be found in the 
Gardeners' Chronicle for August 14th, 1897, p. 89, with 
figure. 
Melons with Seeds Germinating. — Mr. Veitch 
read a letter from Mr. A. McKeller, of The Gardens, 
Sandringham, describing a Melon sent to Marl¬ 
borough House, which was full of young Melon 
plants, quite green. They were plunging their roots 
into the flesh of the Melon and feeding upon it. 
Similar growths have often been seen in Lemons and 
Oranges, as well as Cucumbers, Pumpkins, Papaws, 
and other fleshy fruits. The cause appears to be 
that the fruit has been kept some time in a warm 
atmosphere. 
