February  22,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
153 
which  is  well  known  for  its  shallow  gravelly  soil,  and  where  it  is 
diflScult  to  grow  anything  in  dry  seasons.  This,  therefore,  makes  his 
€xperiments  with  Seakale  all  the  more  valuable,  and,  in  my  opinion, 
is  conclusive  evidence  of  the  excellence  of  the  system  he  so  ably 
advocated. — J.  T.  Blencowe. 
Odontoglossum  crispum  Mundyanum. 
There  were  very  few  Orchids  at  the  meeting  of  the  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society  held  in  the  Drill  Hall  on  Tuesday,  February  13tb. 
The  weather  was  against  growers  bringing  out  their  plants.  As  a 
consequence  the  Orchid  Com  'dttee  gave  few  honours.  One  recog¬ 
nition  took  the  form  of  a  first-class  certificate  to  N.  C.  Cookson,  Esq., 
Wylam-on-Tyne,  for  Odontoglos.sum  crispum  Mundyanum,  which  is 
portrayed  in  fig.  38.  It  is  a  strikingly  beautiful  variety,  with  flowers 
of  good  form  and  size.  The  ground  colour  is  white  with,  as  may 
readily  be  seen,  immense  markings  of  reddish  chocolate.  Tne  margins 
of  the  broad  sepals  and  petals  are  slightly  serrated.  The  splendid  lip 
is  white  with  prominent  red  markings.  It  is  a  variety  of  the  first 
quality,  and  was  much  appreciated  by  visitors  to  the  Hall,  as  was 
O.  c.  Cooksonianum  from  the  same  source. 
Epidendrum  (Diacridm)  bicornutum. 
Amokgst  the  several  Orchids  that  give  the  majority  of  growers  a 
considerable  amount  of  worry  and  anxiety  must  be  classed  Epidendrum 
bicornutum.  These  troubles  result  from,  in  some  cases,  an  inability 
to  flower  the  plant  at  all,  and  in  others  from  the  fact  that  the  stock 
gradually  dwindles  after  perhaps  flowering  once  until  it  has  to  be 
thrown  away.  This  failure  I  consider  to  be  extremely  regrettable,  as 
the  flowers,  when  the  plants  are  well  grown  and  can  be  kept  in  good 
health,  are  amongst  the  most  attractive  in  the  entire  Orchid  world. 
They  possess  an  exquisite  beauty  that  appeals  to  everyone,  and  every 
season  one  appears  better  and  better  able  to  appreciate  its  peculiar 
charms.  The  flowers  of  E.  bicornutum  (fig.  39)  have  not  the  gorgeous 
■colouring  or  the  size  of  the  Cattleyas  ;  but  they  have  a  grace  that 
is  entirely  their  own,  and  which  renders  the  plants  worthy  of  more 
than  extra  care  on  the  part  of  the  grower. 
It  is  now  many  years  since  the  culture  of  this  Orchid  was  first 
taken  up  at  Sunningdale,  and  I  need  scarcely  say  I  entered  on  the 
task  in  some  fear  and  trepidation,  as  was  natural  considering  the 
reputation  the  plant  had  made  for  itself.  I  was,  hoavever,  determined 
to  succeed  if  such  a  thing  were  possible,  and  I  may  say,  without  being 
accused  of  egotism,  that  I  have  done  so.  On  more  than  one  occasion 
the  exhibits  that  have  found  their  way  from  Sunningdale  Park  to  the 
London  shows  have  been  eulogised  in  the  pages  of  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture  and  its  contemporaries,  which  will  be  sufficient  warrant 
for  the  task  I  am  now  undertaking.  This  is  to  give  briefly  the 
methods  that  have  been  adopted  with  the  plant,  and  which  have 
resulted  in  regular  flowering,  and  what  is  perhaps  more  important, 
constant  improvement  in  the  condition  of  the  stock. 
At  the  outset  the  difficulty  was  to  find  the  best  place  for  the 
plants,  and  it  was  only  after  repeated  trials  that  they  eventually 
reached  a  hip-roofed  Pine  stove.  They  were  suspended  over  the  path, 
and  after  a  time  it  was  plain  to  see  that  the  position  practically  met 
their  requirements.  However,  they  were  destined  to  undergo  another 
move,  for  Pine  growing  was  discontinued,  and  I  cast  about  for  a  new 
and  equally  good  position.  This  was  found  in  the  structure  they  now 
occupy,  which  is  a  span-roofed  Croton  house,  running  east  and  west, 
and  fitted  with  lath  roller  blinds.  This  place  was  chosen  because 
previous  experience  had  taught  me  that  the  plants  must  have  almost 
all  the  light  that  our  climate  affords;  and  as  it  is  on'y  under  those 
conditions  that  we  can  insure  the  highest  degree  of  colouration  in  the 
Crotons  this  appeared  to  be  the  place.  The  results  have  far  exceeded 
my  most  sanguine  expectations,  for,  as  many  expect  Orchid  growers  can 
testify,  the  plants  simply  luxuriate. 
Thus  the  vast  majority  of  gardeners  can  supply  the  chief  require¬ 
ment  without  much  trouble,  as  they  have  only  to  choose  between  the 
Pine  stove  and  the  Croton  house.  The  next  step  must  be  the  basket- 
in(T  of  the  plants.  I  prefer  for  thi.<  purpose  shallow  teakwood 
receptacles,  as  it  has  been  proved  that  the  plants  like  to  dry  rather 
quickly  after  watering,  which  would  not  occur  if  deep  baskets  holding 
a  considerable  quantity  of  compost  were  employed.  “  But,”  will  be 
asked,  “  what  shall  the  compost  consist  of  t  ”  and  I  would  reply  about 
'2  inches  of  the  best  peat  and  broken  crocks,  with  live  sphagnum  moss 
over  the  drainage.  This  does  not  sound  much,  but  as  a  matter  of 
fact  it  will  be  amble  for  our  purpose.  For  potting  or  renewing  the 
compost  we  choose  the  period  immediately  after  the  plants  have 
ceased  to  flower,  after  which  the  only  attention  they  receive  or  require 
is  watering,  but  this  must  be  done  with  care  and  judgment.  Thrips 
should  not  attack  the  plants,  but  if  they  do  the  structure  must  be 
fumigated. 
During  the  winter  months  the  plants  are  suspended  on  the  south 
side  of  the  house,  but  in  the  summer  they  occupy  the  northern  slope. 
As  has  been  said,  they  must  have  ample  light,  and  the  lath  blinds  are 
only  run  down  in  the  summer  when  the  sun  is  shining  very  fiercely, 
and  they  are  drawn  up  again  very  early  in  the  afternoon.  The  house 
is  always  c'osed  with  plentv  of  moistum,  but  never  to  the  point  of 
stagnation.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  to  the  atmospheric  conditions 
that  I  attribute  my  success  with  this  and  other  “  miffy  ”  Orchids. 
The  atmosphere,  I  insist,  must  be  kept  sweet,  no  matter  how  moist 
and  warm  it  may  be.  There  must  be  an  absence  of  that  stuffiness 
which  is  common  to  some  houses,  as  such  a  state  will  inevitably  lead 
to  failure.  I  like  the  house  to  feel  comfortable  to  all  who  may  enter, 
and  not  to  be  close  and  oppressive.  I  should  have  said  previously 
that  the  compost  must  never  become  si  dden  ;  indeed,  the  roots  are 
better  just  on  the  dry  side  during  the  short  days  of  winter. 
These  directions  are  very  simple,  but  they  are  exactly  such  as  I 
have  long  adopted,  and  which  I  am  convinced  will  lead  anyone  to 
success  if  they  are  carefully  observed.  If  I  have  ornitttd  any  point 
Pig.  38. — Odontoglossum  crispum  Mundyanum. 
that  a  reader  desires  information  upon,  I  shall  be  glad  to  give  it, 
as  my  great  desire  is  to  see  this  Orchid  as  extensively  grown  as 
its  merits  entitle  it  to  be.  I  may  add  that  Broughtonia  sanguiuea 
will  flourish  under  similar  conditions,  but  requires  slightly  less  peat 
and  sphagnum  moss. — F.  J.  Thorne,  Sunningdale  Park,  Berks. 
CYCLAMEN  CULTURE. 
It  is  difficult  to  say  why,  but  the  fact  remains  that  many 
excellent  growers  of  plants  still  consider  the  growing  of  a  good 
collection  of  Cyclamens  a  test  of  superior  ability.  That  they  require 
care,  I  admit,  but  they  are  certainly  as  easy  to  grow  as  Felar- 
goniums.  And  to  go  even  further  than  this,  I  think  I  can  say  that 
to  present  Pelargoniums  of  the  regal  section  in  the  form  our  best 
exhibitors  do  is  a  much  more  difficult  task  than  to  do  the  same  with 
Cyclamens.  .  ^  j 
It  is  a  pity  that  private  growers^ — where  possible — do  not  stuay 
more  closely  the  way  the  market  men  grow  their  plants.  They  would 
often  learn  useful  lessons  that  would  save  them  much  unpleasantness 
and  disappointment.  And  one  of  the  things  they  would  learn 
be  that  the  majority  of  the  plants  they  grow  are  too  much  coddled 
and  kept  too  warm  summer  and  winter.  The  Cyclamen  is  an  instance 
of  this.  In  reality  a  semi-hardy  perennial,  it  is  treated  in 
instances  like  a  tropical  or  stove  plant,  with  the  result  that  much  of 
its  natural  vigour  is  lost. 
First  the  seeds  are  sown  in  a  strong  bottom  heat  ;  when  tne 
seedlings  appear  they  are  kept  from  every  breath  of  air,  and  usually 
spend  the  first  six  mouths  or  so  of  their  lives  in  a  Melon  house  on 
