32 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  11,  1900 
AnGRJ)CUM  pellucidum. 
This  is  one  of  the  Orchids  one  would  like  to  see  more  plentiful,  its 
beautiful  flowers  on  the  long  pendulous  leaves  bein°:  quite  distinct,  and 
having  a  transparent  appearance  that  called  forth  a  very  vigorous 
encomium  from  Dr.  Lindley,  who,  according  to  Messrs.  Veitch, 
remarked  of  this  Orchid  that  “  its  flowers  were  as  delicate  and  trans¬ 
parent  as  if  they  were  flakes  of  snow  fixed  by  frost  in  the  very  act  of 
melting.”  The  plant  likes  a  hot,  moist,  and  shady  house,  and,  like 
most  others  of  its  kind,  must  never  be  dried  at  the  roots.  Small 
baskets  and  a  compost  of  sphagnum  moss  and  crocks  suit  it  best. 
Cypbipedidms. 
No  time  should  be  lost  in  repotting  any  of  the  early  winter 
flowering  section  that  have  passed  their  best.  The  plants,  it  should  be 
noted,  are  usually  growing  more  or  less  freely,  at  the  time  the  flowers 
are  open,  and  soon  take  ,  with  a  will  to  the  new  compost.  This  may 
consist  of  about  equal  portions  of  peat  fibre,  loam,  and  chopped  moss, 
and  a  little  limestone  has  been  found  by  many  cultivators  to  be 
advantageous  when  dealing  with  the  0.  bellatulum  section.  For  the 
strong  growers  large  pots  may  be  used,  and  the  roots  should  be  well 
spread  out,  working  the  compost  down  between  them,  and  watering 
soon  after. 
Oncidium  undulatom. 
The  majority  of  this  genus  have  flowers  mostly  yellow,  though 
in  some  cases  there  are  lovely  combinations  of  other  tints,  and  there 
is  sufficient  variety  ot  form  to  prevent  any  likelihood  of  a  charge  of 
sameness  being  brought  against  them,  a  variety  of  colour  is  also 
desirable.  This  is  found  in  the  pretty  species  above  named,  rich 
tints  of  plum  purple,  brown  and  chocolate,  with  a  little  yellow  or 
white  on  the  petals  being  usual.  It  produces  fine  twining  spikes 
in  the  way  of  those  of  0.  macranthum  from  the  centre  of  the  young 
growth.  It  cannot  be  called  a  difficult  Orchid  to  grow,  but,  like  all  in 
this  section,  must  be  kept  cool  and  moist. 
It  has  the  habit  of  pushing  one  pseudo-bulb  well  above  the  last 
node,  and  when  this  begins  to  root  the  roots  are,  of  course,  considerably 
above  the  surface  of  the  compost,  rendering  them  an  easy  prey  to  slugs. 
If  any  of  these  are  present  the  roots  must  be  covered  with  a  little 
new  compost ;  or,  better  still,  this  may  be  placed  about  the  pseudo-bulbs 
just  before  they  begin  to  root.  Naturally  a  strong-rooting  kind,  the 
pots  must  be  fairly  large,  thoroughly  drained,  and  the  compost  be 
rough  and  open.  During  the  season  of  active  growth  a  very  large 
amount  of  moisture  is  needed,  and  while  the  spikes  are  forming  these 
should  be  carefully  protected  from  injury. 
Resting  Orchids. 
What  a  sad  misnomer  is  this  term  in  many  cases.  With  the  idea 
of  resting  their  plants,  many  cultivators  are  still  in  the  habit  of 
almost  entirely  cutting  off  the  water  supply,  and  allowing  them  to 
get  into  a  more  or  less  attenuated  and  shrivelled  condition,  that  takes 
many  weeks  of  attentive  culture  to  set  right  again.  Generalities  are 
not  always  convincing,  and  I  will  mention  a  few  plants  that  are  often 
much  overdried. 
First  there  is  the  labiata  section  of  Cattleyas.  It  is  a  mistake  to 
think  that  because  no  outward  signs  of  growth  are  apparent,  that 
therefore  none  is  going  on.  The  flowers  are  forming  in  embryo, 
and  the  plumping  of  the  basal  buds  is  not  by  any  means  completed 
when  the  pseudo-bulbs  finish  swelling  in  summer  and  autumn;  yet 
almost  before  they  are  finished  the  water  supply  is  suddenly  cut  off, 
and  the  flowers  are  starved  in  the  very  earliest  stages.  I  think  I  am 
not  far  wrong  in  sajing  that  these  lovely  Orchids  in  the  majority  of 
instances  are  very  much  underwatered  in  autumn,  and  in  the  endeavour 
to  plump  them  again  are  overwatered  in  spring.  This  often  leads 
to  the  damping  of  new  growths,  which  naturally  have  not  the  same 
stamina  as  those  from  plants  that  have  not  been  allowed  to  shrivel. 
In  a  less  marked  manner  the  same  thing  happens  to  Dendrobiums, 
especially  those  of  an  evergreen  character.  The  deciduous  kinds,  if 
properly  finished  and  ripened  in  autumn,  can  hardly  be  kept  too  dry  at 
the  roots  from  the  time  the  last  leaf  falls  until  they  are  re-introduced 
to  their  growing  quarters.  The  well  known  Odontoglossum 
citrosmum,  again,  is  best  quite  dry  in  winter,  this  being  one  of  the 
few  kinds  that  may  be  allowed  to  shrivel  with  impunity.  But  no 
other  member  of  the  genus  will  stand  such  treatment,  though  almost 
every  one  likes  a  resting  season  of  longer  or  shorter  duration. 
The  long  dry  season  various  Orchids  have  to  pass  through  in  their 
native  habitats  is  advanced  as  an  argument  in  favour  of  similar 
treatment  being  accorded  them  under  cultivation,  but  this  theory 
is  not  altogether  a  good  one.  All  plants  of  a  Vanda-like  habit,  or 
nearly  all,  have  to  put  up  with  far  drier  conditions  of  climate  when 
growing  wild  than  they  are  found  to  like  at  home  in  our  houses,  and 
many  other  iijstances  might  be  cited.  Plants  have  not  the  choice  of 
their  own  growing  quarters,  and  if  by  observation  of  their  likes  and 
dislikes  we  can  improve  these  wildings  it  is  far  better  than  following 
Nature  too  implicitly. — H.  R.  R. 
Notes  on  Dendrobiums. 
Continuing  my  remarks  on  Dendrobiums  from  page  16,  I 
may  say  that  other  kinds  that  will  thrive  with  spectabile  are 
Hodgkinsoni,  one  of  Messrs.  F.  Sander  &  Co.’s  recent  introductions, 
and  JohnsoniaB,  which  takes  a  very  long  rest.  D.  amboinense  is  a 
very  remarkable  plant  that  produces  at  various  times  of  the  year 
flowers  which  only  remain  fresh  for  a  day  or  two,  and  it  is  for  this 
reason  we  have  never  been  able  to  exhibit  it  before  the  Orchid  Com¬ 
mittee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society.  It  was  discovered  by 
Henshall  in  Amboyne,  and  was  flowered  by  Messrs.  Rollisson  at 
Tooting  in  1856.  Messrs.  F.  Sander  &  Co.  imported  a  few  plants 
about  seven  or  eight  years  ago,  one  of  which  came  under  my  care. 
We  found  it  very  difficult  to  grow  satisfactorily.  All  the  above, 
except  amboinense,  will  stand  fog. 
Other  useful  New  Guinea  and  Australian  Dendrobes  for  autumn 
and  winter  flowering,  that  require  similar  treatment,  are  bigibbum 
(grand  for  Christmas),  canaliculatum,  Phalmnopsis,  stratiotes,  and  undu- 
latum.  The  flowers  of  the  latter  remain  fresh  for  over  three  months. 
Most  of  the  Indian  Orchids,  especially  the  Moulmein  and  Burraah 
species,  require  a  long  rest  in  a  dry  a’ry  house  to  induce  them  to 
flower;  but  those  enumerated  must  never  be  allowed  to  become  dust 
dry. — F.  J.  Thorne. 
AQUILEGIAS. 
The  Aquilegias  (fig.  5),  or  as  they  are  more  commonly  called, 
“  Columbines,”  are  among  the  most  useful  and  beautiful  plants  for 
adorning  our  gardens  during  the  early  summer  months.  They  possess 
an  elegance  which  only  needs  to  be  seen  to  be  fully  appreciated,  espe¬ 
cially  Avith  the  long-spurred  section,  of  which  the  well-known  Aquilegia 
chrysantha  may  be  regarded  as  typical,  and  which,  when  well  estab¬ 
lished  and  covered  with  its  myriads  of  blossoms,  may  take  a  place 
among  the  choicest  perennials.  These  Aquilegias  are  easy  to  cultivate, 
and  their  best  method  of  propagation  is  by  seeds,  which  they  yield 
abundantly.  In  the  flower  garden,  where  partial  change  is  needed 
from  the  general  run  of  bedding  plants,  the  Columbines  are  specially 
adapted ;  and  growing  well  in  ordinary  soil  is  only  another  point  in 
their  favour.  They  make  a  most  pleasing  bed  alone,  or  they  may  with 
good  effect  be  associated  with  annuals  in  the  mixed  border,  or  with 
some  dwarfer  bedding  plants. 
It  may  not  be  altogether  lost  if  I  briefly  cite  some  of  the  most 
showy  members  of  the  Columbine  family,  which  by  giving  to  each 
its  average  height  and  predominant  colour,  may  tend  to  assist  those 
desirous  of  embracing  one  of  the  most  elegant  groups  of  perennials. 
A.  ALPINA. 
This  is  a  showy  species,  growing  from  1^  foot  to  2  feet  high  and 
bearing  showy  blue  flowers  ;  a  mcst  desirable  plant  for  the  second 
row  in  the  border  or  for  the  higher  positions  on  the  rockery.  It 
succeeds  well  in  ordinary  sandy  loam  of  good  depth  made  fairly 
rich,  and  where  possible  comparatively  moist.  It  inhabits  high 
elevations  in  the  European  Alps,  over  which  it  is  somewhat  widely 
distributed.  This  must  not  be  confounded  with  A.  vulgaris,  flowers 
of  which  are  of  a  deeper  purple-blue,  though  the  characteristic  dis¬ 
tinction  is  in  its  longer  stamens  and  larger  flowers. 
A.  CALIFORNICA. 
This  is  a  most  distinct  and  highly  decorative  species  from  the 
locality  signified  in  its^specific  name,  and  which  has,  in  conjunction 
with  the  yellow-flowered  chrysantha,  produced  some  chaste  and 
elegant  hybrids.  It  attains  a  height  of  2^  feet,  and  produces 
flowers  of  a  bright  scarlet  hue  somewhat  profusely.  If  only  on 
account  of  its  distinguishing  colour  it  is  entitled  to  a  first  place 
among  choice  hardy  plants.  When  established  it  forms  a  compact 
handsome  bush. 
A.  CHRYSANTHA. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  showy  and  floriferous  of  all  the  Colum- 
hines,  and  one  which  when  well  established  in  a  rich  deep  soil 
attains  to  a  height  of  some  3  feet  and  nearly  as  much  in  diameter. 
It  is  at  this  stage,  which  under  good  cultivation  may  be  reached 
in  about  three  seasons,  that  they  are  admired  by  all  who  see  them. 
There  is  no  formality  about  them,  but  a  natural  grace  and  beauty 
which  all  may  enjoy  owing  to  their  delicate  and  pleasing  shades  of 
colour.  It  is  by  letting  them  alone  after  being  once  well  planted 
that  they  may  be  had  in  perfection.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  this 
