February  10,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
127 
CaTILEYA  TrIAN/E  SaNDER/E. 
The  many  varieties  of  Cattleya  Trian®  niake^this  section  one  of 
the  handsomest  and  most  interesting  of  the  Cattleya  familv.  Every 
year  sees  new  forms  of  excellent  quality  introduced,  the  majority  of 
them  first  gaining  publicity  at  the  Drill  Hall  shows  of  the  Royal 
Hot  ticultural 
Society.  If  one  be 
ent  there  it  is 
practically  certain 
to  he  appraised  at 
its  proper  value  by 
the  members  of 
the  Orchid  Com¬ 
mittee,  and  will, 
if  worthy,  receive 
recognition,  either 
in  the  form  of  a 
first-class  certifi¬ 
cate  or  an  award 
of  merit.  At  the 
meeting  held  on 
January  11th 
Cattleya  Trianae 
Sanderae  (fig.  19), 
from  the  cele¬ 
brated  St.  Albans 
firm,  was  ad¬ 
judged  the  last 
named  award. 
The  flower  is  of 
splendid  form, 
great  substance, 
and  of  rich  colour. 
The  sepals  and 
petals  are  very 
delicate  blush,  the 
latter  being  broad 
and  slightly  fim¬ 
briated.  The 
shapely  lip  is  rich 
crimson,  with  a 
suffusion  of  purple, 
and  a  yellow 
throat. 
Propagating 
Orchids.  ’ 
The  propaga¬ 
tion  of  Orchids  is 
an  interesting  and 
in  some  cases 
profitable  branch 
of  their  culture  too 
little  practised  by 
cultivators.  Many, 
when  large  speci¬ 
men  plants  come 
into  their  posses¬ 
sion,  think  only  of  increasing  their  bulk,  when  a  few  young  pieces  taken 
ofif  and  started  on  their  own  account  would  come  away  with  a  vigour  and 
freedom  quite  beyond  what  they  do  on  the  old  plants.  Recognising 
this  fact,  nurserymen  as  a  rule  make  a  practice  of  breaking  up  any  old 
plants  that  come  into  their  hands  with  distinct  advantage  to  them¬ 
selves  and  the  plants  operated  upon.  Not  only  in  this  direction  is 
propagation  desirable,  but  amateur  growers  have  often  plants  that 
they  would  like  to  increase,  rare  forms  and  varieties  of  exceptional 
value  when  compared  with  the  typical  species. 
I  am  not  decrying  large  specimens,  far  from  it,  for  no  one 
admires  them  more,  or  has  oftener  deplored  in  the  gardening  press 
the  loss  of  the  fine  old  plants  of  various  kinds  that  at  one  time 
graced  our  exhibitions.  I  know  of  a  grower  in  the  AVest  of  England 
at  the  present  time  Jwho  has,  perhaps,  some  of  the  finest  specimens 
extant  of  Saccolabiums,  Aerides,  and  Vandas,  and  is  wont  to  point 
to  them  with  pride  whenever  I  have  an  opportunity  of  visiting  him. 
ytill  the  fact  remains  that  propagation  from  offsets  or  division  of  the 
plant  is  often  desirable,  and  a  few  lines  on  the  best  mode  of  procedure 
may  not  be  out  of  place. 
First,  as  regards  raising  seedlings.  Such  a  fascinating  and 
interesting  pursuit  is  this,  that  many  more  growers  than  formerly 
have  taken  it  up.  Now,  it  is  not  every  amateur  grower  who  has  the 
choice  of  good  parents  for  their  seedlings,  consequently  they  use 
what  are  to  hand,  and  duplicate  crosses  that  have  been  raised  years 
ago  by  interested  cultivators.  If  I  may  offer  a  word  of  advice 
to  these,  let  me  say.  By  all  means  keep  your  seedling  plants,  and 
grow  them  as  well  as  possible,  but  do  not  give  them  fresh  names. 
If  you  raise  a  really  good  and  distinct  form,  send  it  to  the  committee 
of  experts  at  Westminster,  and  if  they  consider  it  worthy  they  will 
give  it  their  hall  mark ;  ”  if  they  do  not,  be  careful  to  grow  it 
for  your  OAvn  pleasure,  but  do  not  add  to  the  confusion  already  existing 
by  giving  it  a 
title  it  does  not 
deserve. 
And  while  on 
the  subject  of 
seedling  raising  it 
is  well  to  point 
out  that  there  are 
many  fine  species 
now  under  culti¬ 
vation  that  would 
pay  far  better  for 
raising  than  hy¬ 
brids.  Nut  long 
ago  I  saw  a 
beautiful  batch  of 
Fig.  19. — Cattleya  TRiANiE  SANDERiE. 
an 
others  that  might  be  named.  It  will 
charming  varieties  are  obtainable  at 
will  pay  for  propagating  from 
say  nothing  of  the  wisdom 
In  this  case,  of  course,  the 
gating  is  by  laying  in  the 
a  very  rare  species 
making'  good  pro¬ 
gress  with  one  of 
our  most  success¬ 
ful  hybridists,  and 
I  have  no  doubt 
that  these  will 
pay  a  good  profit 
upon  all  the 
trouble  and  ex- 
jiense  taken  with 
them,  for  it  is  a 
kind  worth  a 
guinea  a  leaf  even 
now,  though  it 
has  long  been 
under  cultivation. 
As  an  instance  of 
what  is  still 
worth  raising  take 
the  beautiful  Cy- 
pripedium  Fair- 
rieanum,  even  now 
compa  ratively 
rare,  though  in¬ 
troduced  in  1857. 
Many  of  the 
De  n  d  r  o  b  i  u  m  s 
again,  including 
some  of  the  more 
rare  forms  of  D. 
nobile,  are  far 
from  common. 
Take  D.  n.  Ballia- 
num,  D.  n.  no- 
bilius,  D.  n.  San- 
deri  a  n  u  m ,  and 
be  long  before  these 
a  low  price,  and  they 
economic  point  of  view,  to 
of,  perpetuating  such  sterling  kinds, 
quickest  and'  best  method  of  propa- 
stems  on  moss,  cocoa-nut  fibre,  or 
similar  material,  and  taking  a  strong,  vigorous  young  plant  from  every 
eye.  I  have  described  this  way  of  propagating  before  in  the  Journal 
of  Horticulture,  so  I  will  only  say.  Choose  plump  stems  that  have 
flowered  or  else  were  not  sufficiently  ripened  to  flower.  Keep  them 
always  moist,  and  separate  them  as  soon  as  the  young  shoots  begin  to 
root  on  their  own  account,  eventually  potting  them  singly,  and 
growing  them  as  rapidly  as  possible. 
Calanthes,  again,  are  among  the  most  easily  propagated  of  Orchids, 
flowering  bulbs  often  producing  three  or  four  young  ones ;  or  it  a 
(Quicker  mode  is  desired  the  pseudo-bulbs  may  be  split  into  four 
vertically,  and  each  one  of  the  divided  portions  will  produce  a  young 
