December  26, 1895, 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
599 
Angr^cum  Sanderianum. 
A  CHARMING  little  Orchid  for  winter  and  early  spring  flowering 
is  Anscrsecum  Sanderianum,  of  which  the  woodcut  (fig.  91)  is 
a  faithful  representation.  Though  it  was  introduced  into  this 
long-lasting  properties  making  them  almost  indispensable  in  choice 
wreathe,  bouquets,  and  dress  sprays  ;  and  largely  as  they  are  used  at 
present  there  is  no  doubt  their  popularity  will  still  further  increase. 
The  soft  and  pleasing  tints  of  Cattleyas,  the  golden  yellow 
Dendrobes,  and  the  glowing  colour  of  such  as  Sophronitis  and 
Disas  find  many  admirers,  but,  as  in  every  other  description  of 
flowers,  white  is  principally  in  demand.  Fortunately  there  is  no 
lack  of  cheap  and  easily  grown  kinds  that  bear  white  flowers,  and 
these  are  now  being  largely  grown  by  nurserymen  for  the  purposes 
indicated. 
One  of  the  best  known  and  most  suitable  is  the  useful  Coelogyne 
cristata,  an  easily  grown  winter  and  spring  flowering  Orchid  that 
it  would  be  very  difficult  to  beat,  the  graceful  racemes  having  a 
country  from  Madagascar  many  years  ago,  it  does  not  appear  to  be 
very  largely  cultivated  at  the  present  time,  but  perhaps  it  will  be 
accorded  more  prominence  in  the  future.  Mr.  W.  Watson  of  Kew 
in  his  Orchid  book  says,  “A  beautiful  little  plant,  with  shining 
green,  tongue-shaped  leaves,  the  margins  tinged  with  red  ;  length 
about  6  inches.  Flower  spikes  1  foot  long,  drooping,  and  bearing 
two  rows  of  snow-white  flowers  inch  across,  the  sepals  and 
petals  spreading,  the  lip  triangular,  and  the  spur  3  inches  to 
4  inches  long.  This  is  a  delightful  plant,  very  free-flowering,  the 
spikes  graceful,  and  the  flowers  lasting.  It  grows  perfectly  if 
placed  along  with  Phalaenopsis.” 
White  Flowered  Orchids. 
The  demand  for  Orchids  as  cut  flowers  has  very  greatly 
increased  during  the  last  few  years,  with  the  inevitable  result  of 
their  having  become  much  cheaper  and  easier  to  obtain.  Floral 
decorators  have  long  ago  found  out  their  value,  their  elegance  and 
charm  quite  their  own.  This  may  be  used  for  all  and  every  purpose 
that  cut  flowers  are  required,  and  is  unequalled  for  dress  or  coat 
sprays.  Large  plants  are  the  best  to  give  abundance  of  cut 
flowers  and  as  an  instance  of  what  may  be  grown  on  them  a  plant 
here  has  annually  produced  upwards  of  100  spikes.  Last  year  the 
number  produced  was  126,  but  these  were  reduced  to  ninety  in 
order  to  ease  the  plant  a  little. 
A  frequent  mistake  made  with  this  Orchid  is  to  disturb  it  at 
the  root  oftener  than  necessary.  At  the  same  time  the  rhizomes 
must  not  be  allowed  to  ramble  on  and  get  away  from  the  compost, 
as  this  is  equally  as  bad,  but  an  annual  top  dressing  should  be  given, 
cutting  away  all  spent  pseudo-bulbs  in  order  to  make  room  for  the 
new  growth  and  bring  the  latter  in  juxtaposition  to  the  new 
compost.  This  latter  if  often  made  too  heavy,  and  consequently 
settles  into  a  close  inert  mass  through  which  air  cannot  possibly 
circulate.  A  little  partly  decayed  leaf  mould  is  a  capital  addition  to 
the  usual  mixture  for  several  kinds,  and  C.  cristata  among  the  number. 
