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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  12,  1895. 
Cattleya  aurea  VAR.  Mrs.  F.  Hardy. 
As  may  be.  easily  seen  from  the  engraving  (fig.  40),  this  is  a 
most  beautiful  Orchid  and  one  that  differs  considerably  from  the 
type,  having  very  long  petals  and  broad  sepals  of  an  exquisite 
pale  cream  tint.  A  fine  specimen  of  this  superb  Orchid  was 
exhibited  at  a  meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  on 
August  27ch  by  Messrs.  F.  Sander  &  Co.,  St.  Albans,  the  plant 
bearing  three  large  flowers,  for  which  a  first-class  certificate  was 
justly  awarded,  as  was  stated  in  our  issue  of  August  29t,h.  The 
flower  is  faithfully  pourtrayed  in  the  woodcut,  and  the  large 
spreading  lip  is  exquisitely  coloured  with  rich  maroon,  this  shade 
prevailing  into  the  throat,  which  is  deeply  veined  with  crimson, 
and  the  lip  is  surrounded  with  an  exquisite  frilling. 
L.ELIA  PR.?:STANS. 
This  is  a  splendid  autumn-blooming  species,  which  is,  un¬ 
fortunately,  difficult  o£  cultivation  and  not  everywhere  seen  in 
good  condition.  It  is  a  dwarf  evergreen  epiphyte,  with  short 
fusiform  stems  each  bearing  a  single  leaf.  The  flower  spikes 
bear  one,  sometimes  two,  large  flowers,  which  are  deep  but 
bright  rose  colour  on  the  sepals  and  petals,  the  lip  deep  rich 
purple  in  front  with  a  yellow  throat,  the  entire  flower  being 
stiff  and  of  good  substance.  As  mentioned  above  the  plants 
are  not  always  happy  under  cultivation,  and  one  cause  of 
failure  is  giving  them  too  much  pot  room.  It  is  no  use  potting 
such  species  as  this  after  the  same  manner  as  L.  purpurata 
or  such  large  robust  growers,  for  they  cannot  be  so  cultivated. 
What  they  like  is  a  position  close  to  the  roof  glass  and  to  be 
pinched  for  pot  room,  the  small  suspending  pan  now  so  much  used 
for  Orchids  suiting  them  admirably. 
They  may  be  grown  on  blocks,  but  the  constant  attention 
required  makes  this  treatment  almost  impossible  in  many  places. 
If  the  pans  are  used,  fill  them  nearly  to  the  rim  with  pot¬ 
sherds,  and  over  this  place  a  small  amount  of  compost,  upon 
which  wire  the  plants  firmly.  Work  the  compost  about  the  roots 
if  any  with  the  dibber,  but  do  not  cover  any  of  them  deeply. 
Give  just  enough  water  to  keep  the  moss  alive  and  no  more 
until  the  roots  begin  to  run,  and  after  this  increase  the  supply. 
They  must  not  be  overwatered  at  any  time,  nor  must  they  be 
allowed  to  get  quite  dry  during  winter.  As  soon  as  the  compost 
shows  the  least  sign  of  souring  remove  it  and  replace  with 
sound  and  fresh  material,  working  the  old  away  right  to  the 
drainage  if  necessary. 
By  this  means  the  plants  may  be  kept  in  health  for  a 
number  of  years  without  repotting,  which  is  always  a  check  to 
small-growing  Orchids.  A  good  deal  of  variation  exis;8  in 
the  colour  of  this  Orchid,  but  all  are  beautiful.  It  may  be 
grown  in  the  cool  end  of  the  Cattleya  house  or  even  with  the 
Odontoglossums,  but  the  former  is  perhaps  to  be  preferred. 
It  is  a  native  of  Brazil,  introduced  in  1838.  A  beautiful 
and  chaste  variety  of  this  Orchid  is  L.  p.  alba,  which  was 
exhibited  by  Mr.  W.  Bull  in  1889  before  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,  who  awarded  it  a  first-class  certificate.  This,  as  the 
name  implies,  is  a  white  form  of  the  type,  with  the  exception 
of  a  rich  crimson  blotch  on  the  lip. 
L.elia  Perrini. 
This  very  useful  and  pretty  species  is  now  in  bloom,  and  adds 
to  the  attraction  of  the  flowering  house  at  its  dullest  season. 
Although  not  so  variable  as  some  of  the  other  members  of  this 
genus,  there  is  a  great  difference  between  the  best  and  the  mildest 
forms.  The  best  flower  I  have  seen  this  season  was  a  very 
delicately  tinged  variety  measuring  about  7  inches  across  the 
sepals.  It  is  rather  early  for  this  to  be  in  flower,  but  the  blossoms 
are  none  the  less  welcome.  Ordinary  Cattleya  house  treatment 
suits  it  well,  and  no  difficulty  will  be  found  in  its  cultivation 
if  a  few  details  are  carefully  attended  to.  It  does  not  like  much 
pot  room,  but  delights  in  somewhat  rough  compost,  the  peat 
being  broken  into  lumps,  and  plenty  of  crocks  or  charcoal  being 
added  to  this  and  the  best  sphagnum.  Give  it  a  light  position 
and  encourage  it  to  grow  strongly  until  it  blooms,  after  which 
it  must  be  kept  dormant  or  no  flowers  will  be  produced  the  next 
season. 
This  species  often  arrives  in  a  dirty  condition  and  needs 
much  cleansing  and  growing  before  it  looks  ready  well.  Still 
it  is  one  of  the  most  easily  established  if  treated  as  frequently 
advised  in  these  pages  for  imported  Cattleyas,  not  hurrying 
the  plants  in  any  way  at  first  or  allowing  any  compost  until 
the  bulbs  are  plumped  up.  A  typical  flower  would  have  the 
ground  colour  soft  rosy  purple,  the  lip  much  richer  in  front  and 
on  the  edge,  becoming  nearly  white  in  the  throat.  From  three  to 
four  flowers  are  usually  produced  on  a  spike,  and  they  remain 
in  good  condition  about  sixteen  days  if  kept  dry  in  a  cool 
atmosphere.  The  flowers  may  be  left  on  until  they  fade  without 
in  any  way  injuring  the  plant,  provided  the  latter  is  healthy, 
but  if  a  newly  imported  or  only  semi-established  piece  they 
should  be  taken  off  as  soon  as  the  variety  can  be  determined. 
This  strengthens  the  plants  materially,  allowing  the  pseudo¬ 
bulbs  to  swell  to  their  fullest  extent,  whereas  if  allowed  to 
remain  their  plumping  up  process  is  arrested  at  the  very  worst 
time — viz.,  the  approach  of  winter.  It  is  an  easy  matter  to 
weaken  these  plants  in  the  manner  indicated,  but  quite  another 
thing  to  bring  them  round  again.  Several  varieties  have  been 
described,  and  there  are  many  more  in  existence  worthy  of  a 
varietal  name,  but  not  being  one  of  the  most  popular  it  has 
been  to  a  certain  extent  kept  in  the  background.  L.  p.  alba 
and  nivea  are  white-flowering  forms,  while  L.  p.  superba  is  a 
large-flowering  dark  coloured  variety.  These  are  all  natives  of 
the  Oregon  Mountains  in  Brazil. — H.  R.  R. 
A  SEPTEMBER  EVENING  IN  HYDE  PARK. 
Passing  from  the  busy  throng  of  Piccaiilly  into  the  fashionable 
Park  Lane  it  occurred  to  us  that  there  might  be  something  of  interest 
in  Hyde  Park.  There  generally  is ;  so  suiting  the  action  to  the  word 
steps  were  turned  in  that  direction,  and  entering  at  the  Stanhope  Gate  a 
sight  presented  itself,  the  extreme  beauty  of  which  one  would  have  to 
travel  a  long  distance  to  find  a  superior.  True,  many  of  the  features 
that  help  to  make  the  Park  a  household  word  on  the  lips  of  all  English¬ 
men  were  conspicuous  by  their  absence.  The  famous  London  season 
was  over  ;  Vanity  Fair  looked  empty  and  uninviting,  and  instead  of  the 
long  lines  of  gaily  dressed  ladies  sitting  chatting  under  the  trees,  huge 
piles  of  green  chairs  indicated  that  they  were  no  longer  required.  No 
high  spirited  steeds  now  pranced  in  Rotten  Row,  or  stylish  four-in-hands 
perambulated  the  long  sweeping  drives.  All  the  gems  of  fashion  had 
departed  ;  some  one  way  some  another,  perhaps  to  follow  the  grouse  or 
partridge  over  breezy  moorlands,  to  go  rod  in  hand  by  the  silvery 
stream,  or  to  scud  along  on  the  crested  waves  under  the  yacht’s  white 
canvas.  We  might,  perhaps,  pause  and  wonder  what  has  become  of  all 
those  who  a  few  weeks  ago  added  a  distinct  air  of  animation  to  this,  the 
chosen  rendezvous  of  the  aristocracy. 
But  surely  in  spite  of  this  there  is  something  yet  remains  ;  truly  so, 
there  is  the  grand  old  Park  itself,  the  broad  stretches  of  green  turf,  the 
fine  avenues  of  timber,  in  which  might  be  noticed  the  first  faint 
tints  of  approaching  autumn,  and  last,  but  by  no  means  least,  the 
brilliant  display  of  plants  and  flowers,  or  in  other  words,  the  summer 
bedding.  The  early  days  of  September  may  seem  rather  late  to  take 
notes  on  the  condition  of  flower  beds,  and  especially  considering  the  long 
dry  summer  with  the  necessity  of  constant  watering,  we  can  hardly 
speak  too  highly  of  the  large,  varied,  and  truly  magnificent  display 
provided  to  please  the  eye,  and  appeal  to  the  senses  of  all  classes,  high 
or  low,  rich  or  poor. 
Strolling  along  in  the  direction  of  the  Marble  Arch  one  might  be 
forgiven  if  for  a  time  the  attention  was  transferred  from  the  flowers 
themselves  and  centred  on  the  contrasting  figures  of  those  who  had  come 
by  accident  or  design  to  admire.  First  a  venerable  looking  gentleman 
with  eyeglass  poised  on  his  nose,  how  intently  he  studies  first  one  bed 
and  then  another,  as  if  anxious  that  he  should  not  miss  a  single  item. 
Behind  him  come  a  group  of  happy  children,  content  for  a  time  to  leave 
their  gambols  on  the  green  grass  hard  by  to  admire  the  beauty  of  one 
bed  or  drink  in  the  sweet  perfume  arising  from  another.  Such  expres¬ 
sions  as  “  Oh,  how  lovely  !  "  Come  and  smell  this,”  or  “  I  wish  we  had 
some  of  these  flowers  in  our  garden,”  their  garden  perhaps  comprising 
a  few  square  feet  of  backyard  space,  were  heard  following  each  other 
in  rapid  succession.  Then  comes  a  City  man  on  his  way  home,  doubt¬ 
less  an  enthusiastic  amateur  gardener  too,  for  as  he  lingers  to  admire,  out 
comes  his  pocket-book  and  a  few  notes  are  made.  Maybe  he  is  forming 
an  idea  for  the  future  adornment  of  his  own  little  plot  in  the  suburbs. 
The  British  workman  too,  easily  discerned  by  his  dress  and  manner, 
journeys  through  the  Park  on  his  way  home,  perhaps  going  out  of  his 
way  to  do  so  in  order  that  he  may  feast  his  eyes  on  the  brightly  coloured 
and  sweetly  scented  flowers.  Many  others  as  they  wended  their  way 
along  excited  curiosity  ;  but  we  must  pass  on  from  the  admirers  to  the 
admired. 
Fuchsias  may  be  safely  termed  the  chief  feature,  and,  in  fact,  the 
most  effective  bedding  plants  in  the  Park.  By  dint  of  careful  attention 
an  abundant  display  of  bloom  and  healthy,  sturdy  foliage  has  been 
maintained  throughout  the  whole  summer,  and  even  so  late  as  the 
present  time  they  present  masses  of  gay  flowers.  One  effective  bed  was 
formed  of  Fuchsia  Madame  Corneillson  intermixed  with  the  curious 
but  attractive  spikes  of  Erythrina  crista-galli,  on  a  groundwork  of 
Alteinanthera.  Then  came  a  pretty  arrangement  formed  of  tall 
Fuchsias,  Celosia  pyramidalis,  yellow  Tiger  Lffies,  and  Begonias,  The 
