August  22,  1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
173 
S 
L/ELIO-CaTTLEYA  elegans. 
This  superb  Orchid  was  long  known  as,  and  still  continues  to 
be  called,  Lgelia  elegans,  but  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  it  origi¬ 
nated  as  a  hybrid  between  Lselia  purpurata  and  Cattleya  guttata 
Leopoldi,  while  the  Schilleriana  groups  of  sub-varieties  are 
supposed  to  have  sprung  from  L  purpurata  and  C.  intermedia.  It 
has  therefore  been  placed  in  the  new  genus  established  by  Mr.  Rolfe 
for  these  bi-generic  hybrids — viz.,  Lselio- Cattleya.  The  whole  of 
the  varieties  are  beautiful  free-blooming  Orchids,  and  should  be 
represented  in  all  collections.  The  original  L.  elegans  was,  accord¬ 
ing  to  an  old  gardening  periodical,  discovered  by  a  Belgian 
collector  in  the  employ  of  M.  Verschaffelt,  and  first  flowered  in 
this  orchidist’s  garden  in  1848.  It  is  a  native  of  St.  Catherine’s 
Island  in  Brazil. 
If  ordinary  precautions  are  taken  with  it  and  the  plants  kept  to 
a  proper  routine  of  growth,  there  will  be  found  no  special  difficulty 
in  its  culture.  The  plants  should  be  grown  in  a  good  light  position 
in  the  Cattleya  house,  and  a  free  circulation  of  air  kept  up  about 
them  all  the  year  round.  They  may  be  reared  in  pots  of  medium 
size,  the  compost  consisting  of  the  fibry  portions  of  peat  used  with 
an  equal  proportion  of  good  fresh  sphagnum  moss.  In  potting  keep 
the  base  of  the  pseudo-bulbs  a  little  above  the  rim,  and,  while 
keeping  the  compost  as  loose  as  possible  by  intermixing  a  little 
crocks  or  charcoal,  see  that  the  growths  are  fixed  firmly,  or  the  roots 
cannot  get  hold  of  the  compost. 
Care  is  necessary  in  watering  that  the  bottom  of  the  pseudo¬ 
bulbs  are  not  wetted  more  than  is  avoidable,  this  being  especially 
the  case  with  newly  imported  or  semi-established  plants.  The 
growth  usually  attains  a  height  of  about  18  or  20  inches,  and  from 
between  the  pair  of  apical  leaves  the  flower  spikes  proceed.  From 
three  to  six  flowers  are  usually  produced  on  each,  the  individual 
blossoms  varying  from  4  to  6  inches  in  width  across  the  petals. 
In  the  typical  form  the  ground  colour  is  rosy  pink,  the  side 
lobes  of  the  lip  being  white,  the  central  one  deep  pqrple.  This 
usually  flowers  in  July  or  August,  and  it  is  noticeable  that  the 
deeper  coloured  varieties,  as  mentioned  below,  are  usually  the 
latest  to  flower.  A  form  of  this  Orchid,  L.  e.  alba,  is  pure  white, 
with  the  exception  of  the  lip,  which  is  tinged  with  rose,  and  has  a 
bright  purple  blotch  on  the  middle  lobe.  L.  e.  blenheimensis, 
L.  e.  marlboroughensis,  and  L.  e.  Duchess,  all  originated  in  the 
Duke  of  Marlborough’s  collection  sft  Blenheim  Palace.  L.  e.Emiliae 
is  similar  to  the  variety  alba,  but  not  so  good  a  grower.  L.  e. 
Mossise  has  very  rich  deep  coloured  flowers,  darker  in  ground 
colour  than  the  majority,  with  spots  on  the  sepals  and  petals. 
L.  e.  Schilleriana  is  a  rare  and  beautiful  form  with  nearly  pure 
white  blossoms ;  but  as  mentioned  above,  this  and  its  many 
sub-varieties  are  grouped  as  distinct  from  L.  elegans. 
L.  e.  Turner!  is  a  magnificent  form,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  Orchids  in  cultivation,  and  which  no  collection  should 
lack.  This  was  named  after  the  late  Mr.  J.  A.  Turner  of  Man¬ 
chester,  and  has  sepals  and  petals  bright  purple,  with  veins  of  a 
deeper  hue.  The  lip  has  the  usual  purple  blotch  in  front  and  the 
side  lobes  are  rosy  white. 
This  does  not  nearly  exhaust  the  list  of  varieties  of  this  Orchid  ; 
in  fact,  quite  twice  as  many  might  have  been  named  of  the  elegans 
section  alone,  but  as  many  of  them  are  nearly  or  quite  unique,  and 
consequently  very  expensive,  perhaps  enough  has  been  mentioned. 
They  come  in  at  a  very  useful  time,  and  help  to  carry  on  a  good 
display  until  the  end  of  September,  being  also  frequently  seen  at 
exhibitions.  It  is,  in  short,  one  of  the  most  generally  useful 
Orchids  in  existence,  and  deserving  of  very  extended  culture. 
Miltonia  Eoezli  alba. 
This  beautiful  variety  is  now  in  flower,  and  a  splendid  thing  it 
is  when  well  done.  Unfortunately  it  is*  not  by  any  means  the 
usual  thing  to  see  it  so  grown,  and  the  principal  reasons  are,  it  is 
grown  too  cool  and  not  kept  clean.  The  Cattleya  house  is  the  place 
for  it,  and  here  it  will  thrive,  but  if  kept  with  the  cool  section  of 
Odontcglots  it  only  ekes  out  a  miserable  existence.  Thrips  are 
its  most  inveterate  enemy,  and  in  order  to  keep  these  insects  in 
check  very  frequent  syringings  and  spongings  are  necessary.  The 
plants  should  be  potted  in  good  peat  and  sphagnum,  and  the 
drainage  needs  special  attention. 
A  good  deal  of  moisture  is  required  at  all  times,  but  especially 
when  growing  freely.  The  plants  never  seem  entirely  at  rest,  and 
it  is  best  to  let  them  have  their  own  way  ;  attempting  to  dry  them 
oif,  and  so  induce  them  to  rest,  being  sure  to  end  in  failure.  It 
not  infrequently  flowers  twice  in  the  year,  and  the  bloom  spikes 
are  produced  from  the  base  of  the  pseudo-bulbs.  The  flowers  are 
3  inches  across,  wholly  pure  white,  excepting  a  small  blotch  of  pale 
yellow  on  the  lip.  The  typical  O.  Roezli  was  introduced  from  New 
Grenada  by  M.  Roezl,  after  whom  it  is  named,  in  1873,  the  present 
variety  being  first  flowered,  I  believe,  by  Mr.  Bull.— H.  R.  R. 
ROMAN  HYACINTHS. 
White  flowers  are  always  appreciated,  and  never  more  so  than 
during  the  dullest  months  of  the  year — December  and  January. 
Flowers  are  usually  in  large  request  throughout  the  period 
mentioned,  both  in  a  cut  state  and  on  the  plants,  which  are  to  be 
employed  for  decoration.  Roman  Hjacinths  are  especially  valu¬ 
able  for  both  purposes,  and  as  they  are  so  easily  managed,  and  last 
FIG.  25.— APPLE  EAELY  WHITE  TRANSPAEENT.  {See  page  170.) 
well  for  a  considerable  period  when  the  flowers  are  fully  expanded, 
a  quantity  should  be  grown  by  all  lovers  of  winter  flowers. 
Considering  the  popularity  of  white  flowers  in  midwinter,  the 
bulbs  are  comparatively  cheap.  Bulbs  potted  now  would  produce 
flowers  as  early  as  November,  with  a  little  gentle  forcing  after  the 
pots  had  become  filled  with  roots  ;  or  flowers  may  be  retarded  to 
later  dates,  though  it  is  advisable  to  pot  a  few  successional  bulbs. 
Five-inch  pots  are  the  most  useful  sizes  if  plants  are  wanted  for 
decoration,  as  they  are  handy,  and  have  not  the  clumsy  appear¬ 
ance  of  large  pots.  Simply  for  cutting  the  blooms,  the  bulbs  may 
be  grown  in  6  and  7-inch  pots,  and  in  boxes  holding  about  two 
dozen  bulbs.  Some  start  all  the* bulbs  in  boxes,  and  transfer  them 
to  pots  as  they  come  into  flower,  selecting  those  bulbs  having 
flower  spikes  advancing  simultaneously.  The  bulbs  bear  this 
treatment  with  impunity.  It  insures  uniformity,  and  is  to  be 
recommended  on  that  account,  especially  for  early  bulbs,  which 
cannot  always  be  depended  on  to  develop  equally  when  forced. 
The  compost  employed  for  potting  should  be  fairly  light  and 
porous.  I  find  four  parts  of  fibrous  loam,  two  parts  of  sweet  leaf 
soil,  and  one  part  sand  and  decayed  manure,  with  a  little  charcoal, 
make  an  admirable  mixture.  The  loam  may  be  pulled  to  pieces 
with  the  haild,  but  the  leaf  soil  and  manure  should  be  passed 
through  a  quarter-inch  sieve.  These  materials  are  best  prepared 
in  a  moist  state,  especially  the  loam,  which  falls  so  much  to 
dust  if  dry.  The  condition  of  the  compost  regarding  moisture  is 
important  when  potting.  It  ought  to  be  neither  dry  nor  wet. 
When  used  moist  no  water  is  needed  by  the  bulbs  until  growth 
commences. 
The  number  of  bulbs  for  a  pot  depends  on  their  size.  Not 
more  than  four  may  be  placed  in  a  5-inch  pot  of  the  larger  bulbs, 
