January  27,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTaGE  GARDENER. 
77 
Light  in  winter,  shade  in  summer,  and  always  a  moist  atmosphere, 
these  are  the  cardinal  points  in  its  culture.  0.  pulchellum  w’as 
introduced  to  this  country  by  the  late  Mr.  Bateman,  who  received  it 
from  its  discoverer,  iVIr.  G.  Tre  Skinner,  in  1840.  It  is  a  native  of 
Guatemala. 
Angr^cum  sesquipedale. 
This  remarkable  species  of  Angraecum  is  now  dowering,  the  pure 
white  blossoms,  with  the  marvellously  elongated  spur,  having  a 
distinct  appearance  from  those  of  any  other  plant,  and  once  seen  can 
never  be  forgotten.  The  plant  itself  is  of  stiff,  erect  habit,  handsome 
when  well  furnished  v/ith  leaves,  but  too  often  having  a  lanky, 
ungainly  look  owing  to  the  loss  of  the  lower  tiers.  This  is  not,  how¬ 
ever,  confined  to  cultivated  plants,  but  is  even  more  frequent  among 
imported  specimens,  owing  to  the  fact  that  in  their  native  habitat  they 
grow  nearly  or  quite  exposed  to  the  full  glare  of  a  tropical  sun. 
Collectors  of  the  plant  say  that  these  ragged,  untidj'  looking  plants 
are  those  that  flower  most  freely,  this  doubtless  being  the  result  of  the 
thorough  baking  they  get. 
But  under  cultivation  it  is  a  blemish,  for  it  is  quite  possible  to 
grow  the  plants  and  make  them  flower  freely  without  the  loss  of  a 
single  leaf.  Light  they  undoubtedly  require,  but  we  must  temper 
the  sunlight  for  them  a  little  by  shading  lightly  during  the  heat  of  the 
day.  It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  A.  sesquipedale  will  thrive  in  a 
Cypripedium  F.  S.  Roberts. 
At  the  last  meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  held  in 
the  Drill  Hall,  on  January  11th,  Messrs.  H.  Low  &  Co.,  Clapton, 
sh(jwed,  amongst  other  Orchids,  a  Cypripedium,  named  F.  S.  Roberts! 
Of  this  we  give  an  illustration  (fig.  12).  It  is  a  hybrid,  but  the 
exhibitors  omitted  to  give  the  parentage.  The  flower  is  very  hand¬ 
some,  and  quite  distinct  from  all  others.  The  ground  colour  through¬ 
out  the  dorsal  sepals,  petals,  and  the  pouch  is  a  dull  white,  over  which 
are  strewn  numberless  spots  of  claret  crimson.  The  pouch  has  a  patch 
of  this  colour  on  the  front.  The  Orchid  Committee  of  the  Society 
recommended  an  award  of  merit. 
Masdevallia  Armini. 
It  cannot  be  said  that  this  plant  is  common,  despite  the  fact  that  it 
was  introduced  so  far  back  as  1882.  Such  being  the  case,  we  are  not 
surprised  that  “  Young  Orchid  Grower  ”  has  not  seen  it. 
Xo  doubt  the  accomimnying  note  and  woodcut  (fig.  13, 
page  83)  will  give  him  all  the  information  he  requires. 
Messrs.  J.  Veitch  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  in  their  monograph  of 
the  Masdevallias,  give  the  following  description  and 
note  : — “  Leaves  oblong-lanceolate,  1^  inch  long,  narrowed 
below  into  a  somewhat  slender  petiole  as  long  as  the 
blade.  Scapes  slender,  longer  thun  the  leaves,  one- 
flowered.  Perianth  tube  short,  whitish ;  free  portion  of 
sepals  crimson -purple,  the  dorsal  one  sub-orbicular, 
concave  ;  the  lateral  two  broadly  oval  oblong,  nearly 
flat,  and  contracted  to  filiform,  yellowish  tails  1-2  inches 
long.  Petals  linear-oblong,  toothed  at  the  apex,  white; 
lip  oblong,  reflexed  at  the  tip,  where  there  is  a  blackish 
purple  warty  blotch.  First  discovered  on  the  Eastern 
Cordilleia  of  New  Granada,  in  the  Pamplona  district, 
more  than  thirty  years  a.o,  by  Schlim,  but  dedicated 
by  the  late  Professor  Reichenbach  to  his  Riend  Hermann 
Wagener,  by  latinising  the  Christian  name.  It  appears, 
to  have  been  first  introduced  into  European  gardens  by 
Messrs.  iSander  &  Co.  of  St.  Allans  in  1882.” 
Odontoglossum  pulchellum. 
Few  Orchids  are  more  refined  and  beautiful  than 
this  aptly  named  species,  the  erect  spikes  of  pure  white 
blossoms  always  eliciting  the  warmest  praise  from  tho-e 
seeing  it  for  the  first  time.  It  has  bright  green  oblong 
pseudo-bulbs  and  narrow  leaves,  those  at  the  base 
enclosing  the  flower  spikes.  It  is  not  a  difficult  plant 
to  grow,  and  if  imported  in  good  condition  may  be 
established  with  very  little  trouble.  Masses  of  the  plant, 
perhaps  a  foot  or  so  across,  are  occasionally  to  be  had 
from  the  sale  rooms,  and  these  have  a  fine  effect  when 
in  floAver  OAving  to  the  number  of  spikes  they  carry. 
If  much  shrivelled  they  should  be  laid  out  in  a  warm 
moist  house  for  a  time,  but  I  have  frequently  potted 
them  as  received  Avith  the  best  results.  In  no  case  must 
much  compost  be  alloAved  ;  even  when  the  plants  are  Avell  established 
they  dislike  a  lot  of  material  about  them.  For  small  plants  fill  the 
pots  to  within  an  inidr  of  the  rim  with  crocks,  and  over  this  lay  a  little 
rough  sphagnum  moss,  then  place  the  plant  in  positioq  and  fill  up 
AAuth  equal  parts  of  peat  and  rr’oss,  with  plenty  of  rough  crocks  and 
charcoal  intermixed.  Take  care  that  the  plants  are  well  firmed,  and 
that  the  material  is  good,  for  0.  pulchellum  has  a  great  dislike  for 
disturbance. 
Trim  the  compost  off  neatly,  and  place  the  plants  Avithout  avoidable 
delay  in  their  growing  quarters.  This  specks  likes  a  long  season  of 
growth  ;  indeed  it  may  be  said  to  be  always  more  or  less  active,  and 
as  soon  as  the  flower  spike  appears  the  young  shoots  also  begin  tomoA^e. 
As  this  is  in  the  dead  of  winter,  it  is  important  that  all  available  light 
reaches  the  plants,  and  no  filth  of  any  kind  must  be  allowed  on  the 
glass  to  obstruct  this.  Plenty  of  moisture  will  be  needed  as  the  days 
lengthen,  and  must  be  continued  right  up  to  the  time  the  pseudo¬ 
bulbs  are  finished. 
Then  if  ever  there  should  be  a  slight  diminution  before  the  strain 
of  floAvering  comes  upon  the  plant,  but  nothing  like  a  drying  system 
must  be  practised.  Many  of  the  cool  section  of  Odontoglossums  are 
best  repotted  in  autumn,  but  I  have  had  the  best  results  with  this 
plant  by  doing  it  immediately  after  flowering  before  the  young 
shoots  commence  rooting.  All  the  year  round  a  cool  moist  atmosphere 
is  required,  and  this  necessitates  heavy  shading  from  May  onwards. 
Fig.  12. — Cypripedium  F.  S.  Roberts. 
very  much  drier  atmosphere  than  most  of  the  distichous  leaved  kinds, 
and  if  there  are  dryish  places  in  a  house  Avhere  these  are  not  doing 
well  their  places  may  be  taken  by  the  Angrsecums,  with  advantage  to 
one,  if  not  to  both. 
It  delights  in  a  high  temperature,  and  often  steadily  refuses  to 
start  a  root  or  leaf  in  a  house  kept  cooler  than  it  needs.  Where 
Dendrobiums  of  the  deciduous  class,  and  the  usual  run  of  Aerides 
and  Phalsenopsis  thrive,  there  will  usually  be  heat  enough  ior  the 
Angraecum  while  growing.  During  the  winter  the  temperature  must 
not  go  below  60°,  except  on  the  very  coldest  nights.  With  regard  to 
its  resting  and  growing  seasons,  these  are  not  very  sharply  defined, 
and  in  this  it  is  best  to  let  the  plants  take  their  own  course.  Moisture 
at  the  root  is  essential ;  less,  of  course,  during  winter,  but  at  no  time 
should  the  roots  be  absolutely  dry. 
Sphagnum  moss,  clean  and  freshly  picked,  is  by  far  the  best 
rooting  medium  when  the  plants  are  to  be  grown  in  pots  or  baskets. 
Plenty  of  charcoal  and  ballast  may  be  mixed  with  it,  and  abundant 
drainage  provided,  as  it  is  important  that  air  reaches  the  roots  and  the 
water  passes  quickly  away.  When  the  plants  are  left  standing  long 
in  one  position  the  roots  generally  leave  their  pot  or  basket  and  cling 
to  whatever  is  near,  such  as  neighbouring  plants,  the  staging,  or  even 
in  the  case  of  strong  ones,  the  soil  underneath  the  latter.  This  shoAvs 
the  need  of  as  large  receptacles  as  may  be  convenient.  A.  sesqui¬ 
pedale  has  long  been  knoAvn  to  science,  but  did  not  flower  in  this 
