May  13,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
417 
Cypripedium  Lawrenceanum. 
Amongst  the  many  plants,  both  flowering  and  foliage,  that  are 
so  admirably  grown  at  Syon  House,  none  looks  better  at  the  present 
time  than  this  handsome  Orchid,  with  its  bold  flowers  and  ornate 
leaves.  There  are  some  dozens  of  plant*  occupying  a  front  stage 
in  one  of  the  houses,  and  the  spectacle  is  magnificent.  Each 
individual  specimen  is  in  perfect  health,  and  is  producing  astonishing 
numbers  of  flowers.  Syon  and  Mr.  Wythes  are  justly  celebrated 
for  their  vegetables  and  fruits,  but  it  is  none  the  less  a  fact  that 
such  Cypripediums  as  the  one  named,  with  others,  besides  Cattleyas, 
Odontoglossums,  Dandrobiums,  Yandas,  grand  Cymbidiams  and 
Laalias,  the  collection  of  Orchids  is  in  such  condition  as  would  be 
no  disgrace  to  a  specialist  in  their  culture  who  grows  nothing  else. 
No  structures  have  been  specially  erected  for  them,  and  big  sums 
have  not  been  expended  in  their  purchase.  They  are  housed  with 
other  plants,  and  must  give  a  good  return  for  the  space  they  occupy 
and  the  time  spent  in  attention  to  them,  or  they  would  have  to  go 
to  the  wall,  and  this,  so  far  as  can  be  seen  at  the  present  time,  is 
not  likely  to  be  yet  awhile. — Wanderer. 
Notes  on  Aerides. 
Judging  by  descriptions,  given  by  collectors  and  the  appearance 
of  newly  imported  plants  of  this  genus,  there  are  not  many  Orchids 
that  can  be  so  improved  as  these  by  carefully  considered  culture. 
We  are  told  that  the  plants  in  most  instances  are  straggling-looking, 
bare  of  foliage  along  yards  ot  length  of  stem,  and  though  flowering 
freely,  not  by  any  means  so  ornamental  as  a  well-cultivated 
specimen.  This,  of  course,  is  in  a  measure  true  of  all  species,  but 
all  species  have  not  the  same  noble  appearance  when  out  of  flower 
as  the  various  plants  comprised  in  this  and  the  somewhat  similar 
genera  Saccolabiums  and  Yandas. 
Unfortunately  they  have  been  for  a  long  time  much  neglected 
by  orchidists,  but  given  plenty  of  room  for  their  full  development 
there  is  no  other  section  in  the  order  more  truly  ornamental.  Take 
a  large,  well  grown  and  flowered  plant  of  A.  Fieldingi,  its  immense 
racemes  pushing  out  in  all  directions,  backed  by  the  striking  and 
beautiful  dark  green  foliage,  and  no  one  will  fall  out  with  you  for 
calling  it  a  thing  of  beauty.  Even  the  old  A.  odoratum,  the 
species  upon  which  the  genus  was  founded  over  a  hundred  years 
ago,  and  one  of  the  cheapest  and  most  easily  grown  of  all  Orchids, 
is  still  one  of  the  most  charming. 
One  drawback  to  the  culture  of  large  specimens  is  the  space 
needed  for  them,  and  this  has  doubtless  led  many  to  discontinue  it. 
But  in  several  places  there  are  vineries  almost  empty  during  the 
summer  months  that  would  make  capital  homes  for  them  with  no 
detriment  to  the  Ymes,  while  small  plants  of  most  of  the  kinds  look 
well  and  flower  freely  suspended  from  the  roof  of  the  ordinary 
Orchid  house.  In  the  usual  plant  stove,  too,  they  may  be  accom¬ 
modated,  and  in  any  of  these  positions  will  not  fail  to  give  a  good  | 
account  of  themselves  at  their  proper  flowering  season.  But  the 
best  of  all  places  is  a  large  spacious  structure  kept  up  to  a  moist 
tropical  temperature  and  not  unduly  shaded. 
Here  growth  will  be  free,  but  the  foliage  will  be  to  some  extent 
consolidated  as  it  is  formed,  and  by  a  gradual  reduction  of  the 
temperature  as  winter  approaches,  and  a  corresponding  rise  in 
spring,  the  plants  will  keep  to  their  annual  cycle  of  growth  and 
rest.  This  is  far  superior  to  the  old-fashioned  plan  of  drying 
oft — copied  no  doubt  from  Nature,  but  still  very  unsatisfactory 
in  practice.  There  are  many  ways  of  growing  Aerides,  the  plants 
taking  as  a  rule  with  a  good  will  to  whatever  is  provided  as  an 
artificial  rooting  medium. 
Being  true  epiphytes,  it  was  formerly  the  custom  to  give  a  bare 
root  run  over  large  blocks  or  some  description  of  pottery  ware,  but 
this  treatment  is  too  poor  to  obtain  the  best  results.  Sphagnum 
moss  is  the  best  material  to  U9e,  as  it  holds  ample  moisture  for 
the  needs  of  the  plant,  while  if  kept  in  proper  mechanical  condition 
by  the  addition  of  plenty  of  large  rough  lumps  of  charcoal  and 
potsherds  it  cannot  settle  down  to  a  close  inert  mass.  The 
receptacles  will  vary  in  size  with  the  different  species.  For 
instance,  no  one  acquainted  with  Orchids  would  think  of  potting 
A.  odoratum  and  A.  roseum  under  similar  conditions. 
The  former  being  a  much  larger  habited  kind  would  need 
more  room  and  a  very  rough  compost,  the  latter  a  small  pot  or 
basket,  and  the  rooting  medium  in  ratio  with  its  size.  A  slight 
difference  in  temperature  should  also  be  allowed,  those  species 
coming  from  the  higher  mountainous  part  being  kept  cooler  and 
more  airy  than  the  inhabitants  of  lower  altitudes.  Root  moisture 
is  a  point  needing  consideration,  for  although  the  Orchids  named 
are  nearly  aquatic  in  their  needs  during  the  time  growth  is  most 
active,  a  considerable  lessening  of  the  supply  is  necessary  when  both 
root  and  top  growth  are  quiet. 
The  odoratum  section  comprises  some  very  beautiful  plants, 
one  of  the  best  being  the  splendid  A.  Lawrenciae,  a  plant  worthy 
of  the  greatest  care.  It  has  longer  racemes  and  more  brightly 
coloured  blossoms  than  A.,  odoratum,  and  was  introduced  from  the 
Phillipine  Islands  by  Messrs.  Sander  &  Co.  in  1883.  The  typical 
FIG.  86. — AERIDES  VANDARUM. 
odoratum  is  too  well  known  to  need  description,  and  A.  suavissimum 
differs  from  it  in  having  smaller  flowers  of  a  pale  lilac  tinge 
produced  about  a  couple  of  months  later  in  the  year.  A.  virens 
has  been  described  as  a  poor  form  of  A.  odoratum,  but  this  is  hardly 
true  of  some  of  the  best  forms.  It  is,  however,  a  very  similar 
plant,  and  was  introduced  frofn  Java  in  1843. 
The  beautiful  A.  Fieldingi  flowers  in  May  and  June,  and  is 
known  as  the  “  Fox  Brush  ”  Aerides,  owing  to  the  gracefully 
curved  racemes  of  flowers.  It  is  one  of  Messrs.  Yeitch’s  intro- 
ductions,  their  collector,  Mr.  T.  Lobb,  having  sent  it  home  in  1850. 
A.  crispum  is  a  fine  species,  not  so  large  in  habit  as  some  of  the 
preceding,  but  producing  elegant  racemes  of  large  fragrant  blossoms  ; 
and  A.  crassifolium  is  another  favourite  kind  that  should  be  grown 
by  all.  A.  Yandarum  (fig.  86)  is  totally  different  in  habit  and 
flower,  bearing  cylindrical  leaves,  and  short  few-flowered  racemes, 
after  the  style  of  Yanda  teres .  It  does  with  less  heat  than  some 
other  species,  being  found  growing  naturally  high  up  on  the 
Himalayas. — H.  R.  R. 
