February  17,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
143 
L/elia  anceps  Oweniana. 
This  handsome  form  of  L^lia  anceps  received  an  award  of  merit 
from  the  Orchid  Committee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
on  December  13th,  1892.  At  that  time  we  gave  an  illustration  of 
the  flower,  and  this  we  reproduce  at  the  retiuest  of  “D.  B.  C.,”  the 
issue  of  that  date  being  out  of  print.  It  was  exhibited  by  Mr.  Owen, 
Selwood,  Rotherham,  and  was  described  as  follows : — It  is  a  very 
distinct  variety,  and  attracted  much  attention.  The  sepals  and  petals 
are  of  a  brilliant  rose  colour,  paler  at  the  base,  and  with  white  patches. 
The  lip  is  a  rich  magenta,  the  yellowish  throat  being  streaked  with  the 
same  colour. 
Dendrobium  speciosum  IIilli. 
May  I  be  allowed  to  say  a  few  words  in  praise  of  the  much- 
maligned  Dendrobium  .spiciosum  IIilli?  I  remember,  some  four 
years  ago,  buying  a  line  specimen  plant  of  this  Orchid  at  Protheroe’s 
Auction  Room,  when  a  friend,  a  well-known  Orchid  chief, 
who  happened  to  be  standing  by,  laughingly  exclaimed,  “  Oh, 
you  have  bought  that  brute,  have  you  ?  I  wish  you  joy.  I 
have  grown  it  for  years,  but  never  a  prospect  of  its  flowering.” 
My  plant  has  been  now  a  fortnight  in  bloom,  with  some 
sixty  yellowish-white  flowers,  on  three  gracefully  drooping 
sprays,  each  over  a  foot  in  length,  its  lovely,  delicate 
appearance,  grouped  among  Orchids  of  varied  colours,  amply 
repaying  me  for  having  to  wait  so  long. 
-My  treatment  has  been  that  always  recommended,  but 
last  autumn  I  adopted  quite  a  kill  or  cure  system,  leaving 
the  pot  out  under  a  north  wall  until  the  end  of  November, 
and  giving  no  water;  then  I  introduced  it  into  the  warmest 
corner  of  the  Cattleya  house,  and  liberally  treated  it  with 
Beeson’s  plant  food,  the  pot  then  being  full  to  bursting  with 
roots.  Under  this  heroic  treatment  the  long  dormant  terminal 
buds  began  to  show  flower  almost  directly,  with  the  successful 
result  above  mentioned.  I  thought  some  of  your  readers 
might  like  to  know  the  success  of  my  treatment  of  this 
really  beautiful,  and  especially  in  the  structure  of  the  blossoms, 
interesting  Orchid.— Herefordshire  Incumbent. 
instead  of  flower,  especially  on  unripened  plants.  Just  at  this  period 
they  require  careful  watching,  as  slugs,  wood  lice,  and  other  small 
insects  are  fond  of  eating  the  young  soft  buds,  and  thus  a  season’s 
work  is  ruined.  The  roots  should  be  kept  slightly  moist,  but  not 
overwatered;  and  care  is  necessary  that  the  young  shoots,  which  often 
start  at  this  t  me  of  year,  are  not  'yetted,  as  these  are  likely  to  damp 
off,  and  thus  weaken  the  plants  by  making  them  dependent  on  back 
breaks. 
The  best  time  to  repot  is  as  soon  as  possible  after  flowering,  and 
not  long  after  this,  as  a  rule,  the  young  shoots  commence  rooting  on 
their  own  account,  this  giving  them  a  good  hold  on  the  new  compost. 
The  best  material  to  use'  is  equal  parts  of  peat  fibre  and  sphagnum 
moss,  and  though  many  cultivators  are  apt  to  recommend  bones  and 
manures  of  various  kinds,  these  are  far  better  left  alone  by  the  beginner 
in  their  culture.  Plenty  of  rough  crocks  and  charcoal  may  be  added 
to  the  material  named  above ;  the  drainage  must  be  carefully  laid  and 
protected,  but  beyond  this  nothing  else  is  necessary  to  produce  capital 
results.  I  have  had  as  many  as  forty  blooms  from  a  single  pseudo¬ 
bulb  from  young  plants  grown  on  from  eyes,  and  this  without  manure 
of  any  kind,  either  in  the  compost,  or  used  as  a  liquid. 
The  plants  may  be  grown  in  pots,  baskets,  pans,  or  whatever  is 
convenient,  the  one  thing  necessary  being  a  well-divided  medium  that 
air  and  water  pass  rapidly  through.  After  repotting,  a  little  care  in 
watering  is  well  repaid,  as  the  roots  are  apt  to  die  back  in  a  wet  com- 
DeNDROBIUM  NOBILE. 
There  is  not  a  more  useful  Orchid  in  cultivation  than  this 
grand  old  species,  the  very  worst  of  forms  flowering  freely  and 
making  a  fine  show,  while  some  of  the  better  forms  are  among 
the  most  rare  and  beautiful  in  collections  at  the  present  day. 
The  plant  is  far  too  well  known  to  need  anything  in  the  way 
of  description.  Its  culture  is  easy,  and  although  it  is 
neglected  and  ill- created  in  many  places  to  such  an  extent  that 
the  specimens  are  ruined  in  appearance,  the  fact  remains  that 
with  ordinary  care  and  a  suitable  house  they  may  be  success¬ 
fully  grown  over  a  large  number  of  years,  and  rapidly  increased 
in  size  and  numbers. 
It  will  grow  well  in  any  moist  and  warm  house,  such  as  a 
vinery  or  Peach  house  in  work,  a  plant  stove,  or  even  in  Melon 
and  Cucumber  houses  ;  while  where  Orchid  houses  are  at  com¬ 
mand  it  thrives  well  in  the  compartment  devoted  to  East 
Indian  plants  generally.  A  long  season  of  growth  is  needed, 
plants  just  now  starting  from  the  base  requiring  until  July 
or  August  before  the  terminal  leaves  appear  and  the  pseudo- 
bulks — or  stems — swell  up.  As  soon  as  the  top  leaf  is  fully 
developed  the  plant  should  be  taken  from  the  heat  and  moisture 
and  placed  in  a  cooler,  rather  drier,  and  very  light  house,  there  to  be 
exposed  to  every  ray  of  sunshine  possible,  with  a  view  of  hardening 
and  consolidating  the  growth  and  preparing  it  for  the  winter  rest. 
D.  nobile  differs  from  many  other  of  the  popular  Dendrobiums,  in 
that  it  is  not  strictly  deciduous  under  cultivation,  whatever  it  is  in  its 
natural  habitat.  But  it  is  certainly  different  from  the  evergreen 
kinds  as  generally  understood,  and  including  such  as  the  densifloi'um, 
thyrsifloruin,  Farmer!,  and  similar  types  in  its  habit;  and  whereas 
some  of  these  retain  their  foliage  over  a  very  long  series  of  years,  that 
of  D.  nobile  always  falls  in  the  second  year.  It  likes  as  long  and 
complete  a  rest  as  possible,  and  fir  about  three  months  may  almost  be 
left  alone  as  i'ar  as  watering  is  concerned ;  but  this  only  applies  to 
well-ripened  and  hard  plants,  as  green  unlinislied  stems  would  shrivel 
badly  it  much  dried. 
in  late  winter  the  buds  appear  at  the  nodes  all  along  the  stems, 
and  though  they  may  be  placed  in  warmth  Avith  due  care,  it  is  not 
Avise  to  hurry  them  much,  this  leading  to  growth  being  produced 
FiCt.  21. — TjJelia  anceps  Oavenian.4. 
post ;  but  Avhen  these  have  again  obtained  a  good  hold  of  the  material, 
few  plants  require  more  AA’ater,  this  being  kept  up  until  the  bulbs  are 
fully  deA’eloped.  The  undermentioned  are  a  feAv  of  the  best  varieties 
of  this  favourite  plant,  and  all  are  first-rate  kinds  that  make  a  Avelcome 
cHknge  from  the  type,  and  thrive  under  very  similar  conditions. 
Albinos  of  Avell  known  species  are  usually  rare  and  expensive,  and 
the  Avhite  D.  nobile  is  no  exception  to  the  rule.  It  is  quite  a  novelty, 
having  appeared  in  an  importation  of  plants  by  Messrs.  Sander  last 
season.  Before  floAvering  it  passed  into  the.  hands  of  a  well  known 
grower  for  market,  but  I  believe  it  was  repurchased  afterwards  by 
Sander  &  Co.  The  flower  is  of  the  purest  white,  Avith  only  a  faint 
yelloAv  tinge  on  the  lip,  and  as  only  one  small  plant  appeared  it  is 
likely  to  be  rare  fur  some  time  unless  it  again  turns  up.  It  is  named 
D.  n.  virginale,  and  is  quite  distinct  from  such  kinds  as  D.  n.  albescens, 
D.  n.  album,  D.  n.  Araesianum  or  even  the  beautiful  D.  n.  Ballianum, 
all  of  which  show  in  greater  or  less  degree  the  purple  tint  on  the  lip  as 
in  the  type  form. 
