StippUmenl  to 
March  15,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
215 
Zygopetalum  Balli. 
The  number  of  new  Zygopetalutns  that  find  their  way  to  the 
Drill  Hall  or,  for  the  matter  of  that,  to  any  exhibition,  is  compara¬ 
tively  limited,  and  one  is,  perhaps,  as  a  consequence  received  with  the 
greater  pleasure.  On  Tuesday,  February  27th,  Z.  Balli  (fig.  55)  was 
shown  before  the  Orchid  Committee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,  and  received  the  award  of  merit.  The  flower  is  decidedly 
handsome,  and  distinct  from  all  other  members  of  the  family.  The 
sepals  are  rosy  carmine  with  a  white  base  and  margins  ;  the  petals  are 
of  a  similar  shade,  but  the  colour  is  not  in  one  I  mass,  but  is  divided 
into  spots  at  the  tips.  The  central  portion  of  th^  lip  is  deep  crimson, 
and  the  front  lobe  is  pure  white.  The  exhibitor ^was  G.  S.  Ball,  Esq., 
Wilmslow,  ! 
I 
Cypripediuin  Ashworthas.  / 
The  hybrid  Cypiipedium  named  Ashwor^ge  (fig.  56)  was  first 
exhibited  by  E.  Ashworth,  Esq.,  Wilmslow,  Cheshire,  in  the  autumn  of 
1893,  when  it  was  honoured  by  the  Orchid  Committee  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  with  an  award  of  merit,'  It  was  said  to  be  the 
result  of  a  cross  between  C.  Leeanum  superbum  and  C.  selligerum 
majus,  and  the  flower  is  of  an  attractive  appearance.  The  dorsal 
.sepal  is  very  fine,  chiefly  white  with  a  green  base  spotted  purple. 
The  petals  and  lip  are  of  a  rich  bronzy  purple  shade.  This  information 
will  no  doubt  meet  Mr.  R.  Browne’s  requirements. 
Odontoglossum  lyroglossum. 
Botanists  find  little  difference  between  this  and  0.  luteo-purpureum, 
and  possibly  they  are  in  the  right  of  it  from  their  point  of  view.  All 
the  same  it  is  easy  enough  to  pick  the  plant  cut,  and  it  is  quite  distinct 
from  all  other  varieties  of  this  very  variable  section.  The  petals  come 
almost  at  a  right  angle  with  the  dorsal  sepal,  and  the  lip  is  usually  a 
little  rolled.  The  brown  spots  on  the  yelldv  giiund  are  clear  and 
well  defined,  and  altogether  it  is  a  variety  |vell  prthy  of  care  and 
attention. 
Orchids  for  Catting 
Those  who  cultivate  Orchids  simply  for  the  4ke  of  cut  flowers 
are  at  a  great  advantage  culturally  to  others  who  grW  for  a  lengthened 
display  in  the  houses.  This,  for  the  obvioui  reason  that  many  plants 
cf  not  over-strong  habit  have  yet  vigour  enr  jgh  to  foduce  and  perfect 
blossoms,  but  to  carry  these  over  a  lew  wee  s  would 
strain.  Their  increasing  popularity  for  this  prpose  isa  better  argument 
in  their  favour  than  any  encomium  I  could  pass  upon  them,  and  a  brief 
list  of  the  best  of  those  to  keep  up  a  display  throughout  the  year  will 
be  more  serviceable. 
Of  the  highest  importance  in  this  connection  is  the  beautiful 
labiata  section  of  Cattleya.  Their  culture  is  so  simple  that  even  a 
tyro  in  Orchid  growing  will  be  able  to  keep  them  in  health,  and  if  he 
does  this  they  are  sure  to  flower  profusely.  The  only  exception  to 
this  rule  is  C.  gigas,  which  does  not  flower  freely  in  all  collections,  but 
is  not  shy  if  properly  treated.  Besides  this  and  C.  labiata  autumnalis 
we  have  0.  Dowiaua  and  its  better  known  variety  aurea,  C.  Eldorado, 
C.  Gaskelliana,  C.  Luddemanniana,  C.  Mendeli,  C.  Mossim,  C.  Per- 
civaliana,  C.  Trianae,  and  C.  Warneri.  All  these  are  variable,  and 
given  a  good  selection  of  each  there  will  be  little  difficulty  in  keeping 
up  a  display  of  flowers  throughout  the  year. 
Fig.  56.— Oypkipedidm  Ashworth.®. 
Cypripediums  of  course  cannot  be  left  out  of  a  list  of  this  kind, 
but  so  numerous  are  they  that  nothing  like  a  representative  collection 
can  be  grown  in  most  places.  Many  of  the  hybrids  raised  from  the 
older  free-blooming  kinds  are  excellent  for  the  purpose  indicated,  and 
these  old  ones  themselves  ought  not  to  be  forgotten.  Any  of  the 
hybrids  that  have  blood  of  C.  insigne,  0.  barbatum,  or  C.  villosum  are 
good,  and  the  newer  C.  Charlesworthi  is  excellent.  All  may  be  used 
again  and  again  for  decoration  if  the  water  is  frequently  changed, 
while  the  culture  is  remarkably  simple. 
Early  in  the  year  the  well-known  Coelogyne  cristata  is  capital  for 
cutting,  the  pretty  white  flowers  on  light  elegant  sprays  coming  in 
usefully  for  every  purpose  for  which  cut  flowers  are  likely  to  be  needed. 
Dendrobiums  are  a  host  in  themselves,  whether  it  is  the  spring- 
flowered  species  with  small  fascicles  of  showy  flowers  like  D.  nobile, 
D.  Wardianum,  and  a  number  of  others,  or  the  lovelv  autumn  and 
winter-flowering  species  such  as  D.  phalsenopsis,  D.  bigibbum,  and 
D.  Johnsoni  (D.  Macfarlanei). 
Laelias  such  as  L,  purpurata  and  the  IMexican  species  and  varieties, 
almost  the  whole  of  the  large  Odontoglossum  family,  and  the  equally 
beautiful  Oncidium;  the  showy  Masdevallia,  Sophronitis,  E[)idendrum 
vitellinum,  and  Lselias  harpophylla  and  cinnabarina,  all  with  bright 
orange  or  scarlet  blossoms,  cannot  be  left  out,  and  there  are  many 
others  that  might  be  named. 
Into  the  culture  of  these  it  is  not  necessary  to  go  now,  but  a  few 
of  the  leading  points  should  be  noted  whether  the  plants  are  to  be 
