60 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 16, 1904. 
Masdevallias I noted that scarce and interesting little species 
M. musoosa, whose sensitive lip is a never-failing source o 
interest to old and young, especially the latter, for the ^stio 
imagination of youth is capable of associating this mouth-liHe 
apparatus with the many magazine stories afloat., for the tiower 
very truly swallows its victim. 
After such a, season as the past one, one does not expect to 
see a great show of seed-pods, hut the crop promised from a 
house of Odontoglossums certainly justifies the pride which Mr. 
Cypher exhibits in them. Perhaps Odontoglossum londesbon 
ouo-hian.mii, having so formidable a name, thinks itself justified 
in'cloin" great things; it certainly seems so, fora flower-spike 
which f measured was then, over 19 ft. long, and gave promise 
of several more feet yet. Pleione maculata was making a 
pretty display, and may certainly lay just claim to being the 
most handsomely marked Orchid known. The scarlet flowers 
of Scphronitis, grandiflora were a great attraction, and no green¬ 
house collection should he without a batch. Vanda caerulea 
does remarkably ivell here, as does all the \ anda class, J-hat 
showy flower Oncidium Krameri seems to be always m bloom, 
no matter at what season, one visits the collection,, yet how] 
seldom does one see it outside the nurseries. Mr. Cypher is] 
o-oiing in extensivelv for raising new varieties, and is anxiously 
watch in cr his thousands of seedlings—everyone from worked 
flowers. Such an enthusiast deserve® to have a. rich reward, 
and I am certain that every Orchid lover will join with me m 
hoping that the success may be even beyond his anticipation, 
for is not, hisi gain ours also? Kewite. 
Plants Recently Certificated 
By the Royal Horticultural Society. 
January 5th. 
ORCHID COMMITTEE. 
Maxillaria cucullata, , . , , 
The sepals of this small species are brown, tinted with reel. 
The petals are more decidedly red, with darker veins, lhe lip 
is tongue-shaped and brown. 
Bulbophyilum micropetilum. 
The sepals of the small flowers are straw-coloured, with three 
to five purple lines along the middle-. The petals are very 
minute or absent. The lip is tongue-shaped, and of a, dusky 
hue. 
Epid c ndrum cooperiannm. 
The sepals and petals of this species are narrowly oblong 
or linear, and shaded with purple and brown. The four-lobed 
lip is relatively large and bright rose, with a white disc. 1 he 
column is also rose-coloured. 
Maxillaria macrura. 
There is no lack of size in this instance, though the flowers 
are by no means -brightly coloured. The sepals are 3§ in. to 
4 in. long- and brown. The petals are more decidedly lanceo¬ 
late and slightly paler. The lip is reflexed at the sides, yellow, 
striated with brown, and hinged to the base of the column. A 
Botanical Certificate was awarded to each of the above four 
when shown by F. W. Moore; Esq., Royal Botanic Gardens; 
Glasnevin. 
FLORAL COMMITTEE. 
Moichosma riparium. 
The above winter-flowering plant is a near relation to the 
Mosquito Plant, and very acceptable at this season of the year 
on account of its large panicles of white or blush-colouied 
flowers with dark anthers. The individual flov eis aie mini .e, 
hut they are produced in enormous numbers-. The leaves are 
ovate, bluntly toothed, and agreeably fragrant. The plant is 
therefore a suitable subject for the decoration of the gieen- 
house or conservatory in winter. Award of Merit to Messrs. 
H. Cannell and Sons, Swanley. 
Readers’ Competition.— Particulars of Weekly Prize see 
centre page. 
Begonia Rex Family. 
Begonias with ornamental foliage do not get so much en¬ 
couragement as, they really deserve, and where pot plants are 
wanted all the year round these fill a long-felt want when 
flowers 1 are very scarce. In the beginning of the year they are 
easily cultivated, and what looks prettier than a Rex Begonia 
grown to perfection in a pot, and suits admirably for smoking 
or drawing or sitting-room, when placed on a table showing 
their beautiful colours, or even a back wall in a fernery covered 
with plants. This can be had by covering the wall with wire 
netting, and after this has been done take a stick and push all 
the holes full of moss; some good moss out of a lawn will suit, 
but do not use any rubbish or stuff from which no substance is 
to be had, or this will cause disappointment and failure. Keep 
adding a good mixture of peat loam and silver sand ; then after 
this is done, it will be ready for placing the Begonia® in their 
growing quarters. 
Just let me state how these can be propagated by the leaves. 
First and foremost, select leaves nearly fully developed and 
fresh and no sickly look about them. Cut the leaves, stalk and 
all, clean off the plant. Before doing this; have a mixture of 
loam, leaf-soil and sand (white preferably), equal parts mixed, 
well up- together. Place this on the stage in the stove, and if 
ashes are on the stage, mix them all together, as these will 
keep the soil porous. The leave® having been cut from the 
plant, take a sharp knife and draw it sharply over the veins on 
thei back of the leaf ; them push the stalk as far as it will go into 
the mixture recommended and make fairly firm. Place a few 
stones over the leaf to keep it down. Then give a, watering 
with a, fine rose to settle the soil. If a bell-glass can he got, 
place this over them and in a few weeks’ time young eyes will 
be seen peering from the stalk. As soon as these are in. 
high take a sharp' knife and cut all these eyes separate so a® to 
allow them to> look after Mem selves and form young crowns. 
When about lj- in. high have them removed into 2J-in. pots 
with a good mixture of turfy loam, leaf-soil, sand, and a few 
pieces of charcoal and crocks to- keep the soil porous. When 
these pots -are filled with roots give a, shift into larger pots, 
never using any larger than 32, and give -a shower overhead 
morning and evening to keep them clean and healthy. 
Flitchwick. 
Cat-mint. 
While rambling in Middlesex during the past season I was 
fortunate enough to come across this' rare Middlesex. plant 
(Nep-eta Catania), and, remembering the legend concerning it, 
viz., that cats are extremely fond of it; and that “ if you set it 
the cats will eat it,” I determined to remove a small plant to 
test this statement. The plant was duly transferred to. my 
garden in August last, and in proportion to the lapse of time; 
I must admit that my scepticism also progressed in much the 
same ratio. But during the first week of October signs be¬ 
came apparent that the plant was receiving favourable notice 
from someone or something, and inquiries were made accord¬ 
ingly. I found, however, that Mint sauce was not just then 
indemaad, and that this plant had not been mistaken for the 
one which usually supplies it. A watch was therefore set upon 
it, and in, the course of a month my scepticism completely 
turned to admiration for the botanist who had so accurately 
and so appropriately designated its specific name; for, by the 
middle of December, every particle above ground had entirely 
disappeared. _ . , 
During the process of destruction I covered it once with 
garden clippings; but the cats removed them ; in fact, these 
feline terrors, these carnivorous creatures, these “ bloody gri¬ 
malkins”—as Gilbert White calls them—danced before the 
plant in fiendish delight; so much so, indeed, that the ground 
round about it became patted down by reason, of their incanta¬ 
tions ! All the cats in the neighbourhood came to the feast, 
and all were presumably equally interested. Why and whene- 
fore? Probably not one of these creatures had even seen or 
