580 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 4, 1903. 
and especially embryo ones, require some special assistance 
from other live organisms than may be in ordinary peat and 
sphagnum. There is such a. thing as symbiosis. Usually a 
fungus attaches itself to the root of the plant, but, instead 
of destroying, assists in imparting vigour to it. These microbes 
may not always be present in the soil, and, in fact, we know 
that they are not, so that it behoves cultivators to try various 
experiments in order to find whether or not these microbes 
may be present. Many cultivators only begin to reap a fail- 
success after they learn to sow seeds on pots containing old 
plants, and where, we may presume, the proper microbes were 
present in sufficient numbers. We may give one hint as to 
the success which has hitherto attended the raising of seedling 
Orchids ; the hint is to confess to the relatively few that ever 
reach the flowering stage. Considering that a full-sized 
Cattleya seed-pod would contain about one million seeds, it 
is only necessary to contrast the number of plants raised with 
the possibilities of raising even a small percentage from one 
seed-pod. Possibly, if hybridists were able to raise over 50 
per cent., the country, or rather the Orchid market, would be 
overstocked and drugged with seedling hybrid Orchids in the 
course of a year or two. We know that the chief value of 
Orchids lies in the fact that few can possess them for many 
years until the owners like to part with them. 
The author of the chapter on Hybridisation says that in the 
olden times it took some of the raisers about twenty years ;o 
flower some of the hybrids which they raised, but he says that 
the present-day horticulturists have many facilities afforded 
them which our forefathers did not possess, and these, together 
with the advanced knowledge of the subject, enable the culti¬ 
vator to shorten the time that may elapse between the seedling 
and the flowerino- stage of the babies which he may have in. 
hand. 
Mr. Chapman says he has been successful in flowering plants 
in little more than two years from the time of raising the 
seed. Furthermore, he considers that, with proper treatment, 
few Orchids, perhaps, would require more than five years or 
six years to carry them to the flowering stage. We are glad 
that he has taken up this vantage point, instead of lecturing 
upon the old idea that it takes twenty years to raise certain 
classes of Orchids. A slight stretch of the imagination would 
be sufficient for some people to aver that it would take 100 
years to flower certain types, and thus, again, we should have 
a sort of new century plant. The writer admits that seed pro¬ 
duction is a great strain upon the mother plant, and that 
reason deters many from attempting seed production from 
choice and expensive Orchids. Against this we have the fact 
that many hybrid Orchids, are often, if not always, superior 
to their parents in the matter of constitution. Being raised 
in this country, they are practically natives of artificial pro¬ 
duction, but, nevertheless, more adapted for cultural conditions, 
in this country than are their parents; so that seedlings, 
whether hybrids or not, if raised in this country, might be of 
more use to the owner, because more easy to cultivate, and 
therefore less liable to become lost than the original, which 
may have cost £50 or £500, as the case may be. In some in¬ 
stances Orchids have been raised without being the result of 
cross-breeding or hybridisation. In such cases we should con¬ 
sider it an advantage over native importations, provided the 
seedlings are better able to withstand the artificial treatment 
in which they are placed in houses than the parents. 
Mr. Chapman is also responsible for many cultural articles 
relating to the different species, and for that- alone the book 
will be valued by those who wish to leam how to grow Orchids, 
as well as to get information concerning the same. Opening 
the book at random at the word “ Catasetum,” we notice that 
the author says they are not difficult to grow, provided the few 
essential points are observed. Some of these conditions are 
abundance of heat and moisture during active growth and a 
well-marked period of rest afterwards. He then details suit¬ 
able compost and when water must be given. Catasetums 
enjoy a greater amount of light than most Orchids when 
making their growth ; it is therefore essential to grow them 
either in pots or baskets and suspend them near the glass, 
where they may get a maximum of light, as in the case o: 
tropical Dendrobiums. We have no hesitation in saying tha 
the new edition is a vast improvement upon the first one, anc 
those who liked the first edition will be all the more pleasee 
with this one. 
Aphelandra aurantiaca Roezlii. 
(See Supplement.) 
Those who have to provide plants for a winter display a 
well as in summer will now be busy propagating or growing oj 
the subjects which have been recently rooted for this kind oj 
work. The plant from which our illustration was prepared wa 
taken during one of the dullest months of the year, when fog 
were rife and flowering plants comparatively scarce. If the 
can be grown to relatively high perfection in winter, we ca: 
imagine how much better it would be for the plants if it wa 
possible to bloom them in summer. Moreover, flowerin. 
plants are even more desirable in winter to brighten the house 
or for decorative work in other ways, and for that reason i 
is well worth while giving our best attention at the present tint 
to those tilings which will give satisfaction and pleasure i: 
winter, in staving off the relative barrenness of our wintej 
season. 
A considerable number of species of Aphelandra have bee) 
introduced to cultivation, but some of them flower in spring 
when other plants are getting abundant. Furthermore, tl 
species under notice is one of the dwarfest and one of t!i 
showiest of all when in bloom. The flowers of the typical 
aurantiaca are deep orange-scarlet, and certainly showy, hi 
the variety is superior to it in certain respects. The flowei 
are of a brighter scarlet, and the leaves differ somewhat in heir 
twisted, though that is not always particularly apparent. The 
are, however, of a rich dark green, but beautifully overlai 
with a silvery hue between the primary veins, and this shad 
may extend slightly over the other parts. Such being the eas 
we could well understand that the plant is liable to be infeste 
with very few enemies, the smoothness of the leaves preven 
ing- them from getting any permanent foothold, so that tl 
cultivator, by the aid of the syringe, can keep his plants clea: 
This is no small matter where plants are numerous and tl 
garden not over supplied with labour. Other points about tl 
plant are its dwarf habit and the little space it requires for i 
accommodation, while the leaves and flowers are each in the 
own way of an ornamental character and pleasing to look upo 
After the plants have gone out of bloom they should 1 
allowed to go to rest by gradually withholding water, thoud 
they should never be allowed to shrivel by overdoing it. - 
this time a temperature of 50 deg. will be quite sufficient 
night, with a few degrees’ rise during the day. Some time 
March the plants should be pruned and placed in a warm 
house—namely, that .similar to the stove, a pit being tl 
proper place for it, provided the cultivator has got it at cor 
mand. A little more water must be given at the roots, b 
syringing overhead should be attended to, in order to indut 
fresh growth. When the buds have fairly started the plan 
may be repotted, reducing the ball so as to get them ink 
smaller pots, After they have become well established ail 
growing in the small pots, it will then be advantageous to shf 
them into a larger size, in which they may be flowered. Wlu 
the spikes, begin to make their appearance, and the pots af 
well tilled with roots, the plants enjoy feeding with weak liqu.1 
manure. Many people grow on fresh plants from cutting 
every year. Young joints should be taken off with a heel 
the old wood, inserted in sandy soil and rooted in a propagati r 
case. Our Supplement was prepared from plants in the mi¬ 
sery of Messrs. J. Veitoh and Sons, Ltd., Chelsea. 
Oechius at Monceieffe, Bkidge of Earn*.— l or several yeas 
past Sir Robert D. Moncrieffe has been accumulating a very fie 
collection of Orchi Is. Last year he erected a tine range of tev 
houses, 150ft. long, and at present the cool house is full i 
magnificent spikes. 
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