^ilarch  3,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
185 
Dendkobium  speciosum  Hilli. 
The  “  heroic  treatment  ”  of  Dendrobium  speciosum  Hilli,  recom- 
mended-by  your  correspondent,  “  Herefordshire  Incumbent,”  is  quite 
unnecessary.  I  have  four  or  five  large  plants  of  Dendrobium 
speciosum  and  Dendrobium  speciosum  Hilli,  which  flower  abundantly 
every  year,  and  have  done  so  for  many  years,  except  that  if  one 
of  tlrem  has  an  unusual  quantity  of  flowers  one  year,  it  will  some¬ 
times  not  flower  the  next  year.  They  are  now  in  flower,  and  I 
counted  just  eighty  flowers  on  one  spike  on  one  of  them.  They  grow 
summer  and  winter  on  the  front  shelf  of  a  cold  greenhouse  (just  kept 
above  freezing  in  very  cold  weather)  and  receive  no  attention  of  any 
kind  except  an  occasional  watering.  The  pots  are  filled  chiefly  with 
stones  and  broken  crocks. — C.  W.  Strickland. 
Onctdidm  splendidhm. 
The  beautiful  golden  yellow  blossoms  of  this  Orchid,  produced  on 
long  branching  racemes,  are  almost  exact  counterparts  of  O.  tigrinum, 
of  which  sjiecies  many  botanists  agree  in  calling  it  a  variety.  But  so 
distinct  in  every  way  is  the  growth  and  treatment  required  that  it 
would  lead  to  much  confusion  in  gardens  were  this  strict  botanical 
system  adhered  to.  The  pseudo-bulbs  are  roundish,  deep  shining 
green,  the  foliage  very  thick  and  leathery,  of  a  bronzy  green  hue,  quite 
different  from  the  bright  green  of  0.  tigrinum.  The  flower  spikes 
appear  at  the  side  of  the  last  formed  pseudo-bulb,  and  on  strong  plants 
are  from  2  feet  to  3  feet  high,  much-branched  and  many-flowered. 
\  The  sepals  and  petals  are  yellowish,  blotched  with  chestnut  brown, 
but  they  form  rather  an  insignificant  part  of  the  whole.  The  lip  is  of 
the  brightest  chrome  yellow,  perfectly  clear  in  colour,  and  of  distinct 
outline.  0.  splendidum  (fig.  29)  is  a  strong  healthy  grower  when  in 
suitable  quarters,  and  can  be  allowed  pots  of  medium  size,  well 
drained,  and  a  free  open  compost.  This  may  consist  of  equal  parts  of 
peat,  rid  of  all  earth  and  sand,  and  sphagnum  moss,  in  about  equal 
proportions,  plenty  of  large  rough  lumps  of  charcoal  and  crocks  being 
mixed  with  this  to  insure  the  ingress  of  air  to  the  roots.  The  best 
plan  is  to  fill  up  to  within  an  inch  of  the  rim  with  drainage,  and 
leave  the  upper  inch  for  compost,  this  doing  away  with  any  suspicion 
of  closeness,  yet  providing  a  good  rooting  medium. 
The  temperature  of  the  Cattleya  house  suits  it  well  v/hile  making 
its  growth— in  fact,  it  is  suitable  all  the  year  round  ;  though  where  a 
house  is  set  apart  for  the  Mexican  Laelias,  the  plants  may  be  placed 
here’ for  a  month  or  two,  if  they  seem  inclined  to  rest  that  long.  The 
growth,  as  a  rule,  pushes  from  the  base  about  March  or  April,  and 
continues  growiog  until  late  in  autumn ;  then  if  the  spikes  do  not 
appear  at  once  a  short  rest  may  be  given,  but  as  a  rule  if  there  is  any 
rest  it  is  after  the  flower  spikes  are  over.  All  the  year  round  a  nice 
light  position  should  be  allowed,  the  sun  shining  full  on  the  plants 
after  closing  time,  this  causing  a  brisk  buoyant  atmosphere,  in  which 
growth  is  very  rapid. 
Fire  heat  in  dull  weather  is  necessary  to  keep  the  temperature  up 
to  the  mean,  but  it  is  better  not  to  drive  this  much.  Growth  under 
these  conditions  is  soft  and  tender,  easily  damaged  by  the  slightest 
check,  and  apt  to  be  attacked  by  spot.  Light  syringings  in  bright 
weather  are  refreshing  to  the  plants,  but  must  not  be  overdone, 
and  should  be  entirely  discontinued  in  dull  weather.  Water  at  the 
roots  should  be  freely  applied  as  long  as  growth  is  active,  but  when 
the  plants  are  entirely  at  rest  only  enough  to  prevent  shrivelling  is 
required.  0.  splendidum  was  known  and  cultivated  on  the  continent 
years  before  it  was  in  Britain.  It  flowered  first  in  this  country  in 
1870,  but  wag  rare  and  valuable  for  many  years  afterwards;  but 
IMessrs.  Sander  having  imported  it  in  quantity,  it  soon  after  became 
well  known. 
Cattleya  TRiANiE. 
The  many  varieties  this  useful  and  beautiful  Cattleya  are  just 
now  in  their  fullest  beauty,  all  tints  from  the  purest  white  to  the 
deeper  tints  of  rose  and  purple  being  found  among  them.  It  is  a 
widely  distributed  species,  naturally  being  found  over  large  tracts  of 
country  in  South  America,  and  doubtless  this  in  a  manner  accounts 
for  the  great  variation  found  in  the  plant.  The  habit  is  similar  to 
that  of  most  of  the  labiate  Cattleyas,  and  with  them  it  may  be  easily 
grown  with  proper  care.  Small  plants  may  be  grown  in  pans 
suspended  from  the  roof,  this  allowing  a  good  light  to  play  all 
around  them,  and  making  them  dry  readily  at  the  root  after  watering. 
Stronger  plants  may  be  grown  in  pots  in  the  Cattleya  house  on  a 
stage  as  near  the  glass  as  convenient. 
Let  the  pots  be  clean  and  thoroughly  drained,  allowing  of  a  couple 
of  inches  of  good  rough  material,  consisting  of  peat  and  sphagnum  moss, 
with  a  liberal  addition  of  crocks  and  charcoal.  The  drainage  crocks 
should  be  protected  with  a  layer  of  the  rougher  portion  of  the  moss, 
and  the  plant  must  be  placed  in  position  with  the  base  of  the  leading 
pseudo-bulbs  a  little  above  the  rim,  the  compost  being  brought  up  to 
them  in  a  convex  mound.  The  best  time  to  repot  is  soon  after  the 
flowers  are  past,  for  if  left  long  after  this  the  young  shoots  at  the  base 
will  be  getting  ahead,  and  are  apt  to  be  snapped  off  with  the  dibber, 
this  causing  the  plants  to  be  dependent  upon  back  breaks,  which  are 
never  so  strong  as  the  first  lead. 
After  potting  careful  watering  is  necessary  until  roots  are  again 
somewhat  freely  emitted,  when  the  supply  must  be  gradually  increased. 
The  plants  require  as  much  moisture  when  growing  and  rooting  freely 
as  do  most  Orchids.  The  growth  finishes  in  the  autumn,  each 
pseudo-bulb  that  is  strong  enough  having  its  flower  sheath.  The 
plant  must  now  be  kept  in  a  good  light  and  exposed  to  as  much  sun 
as  possible  without  damaging  the  foliage.  Keduce  the  supply  of  water 
by  degrees,  but  never 
entirely  withhold  it, 
especially  toward  the 
end  of  winter,  when 
the  flowers  are  form¬ 
ing  inside  the  sheaths. 
Many  fine  plants  have 
been  ruined  by  in¬ 
attention  at  this  stage, 
and  their  shrivelled 
appearance  afterwards 
is  attributed  to  their 
not  being  strong 
enough  to  flower,  while 
really  they  are  starved 
for  want  of  water. 
Among  varieties 
the  best  of  all  is  the 
albino  form,  C.  Trianae 
alba,  this  having 
flowers  of  the  purest 
white  without  a  tinge 
of  any  colour  except 
a  yellow  blotch  on  the 
lip.  C.  T.  Schrdderiana 
is  a  delicate  and 
beautiful  'form  with  piG.  29. — Oncidium  splendidum. 
sepals  and  petals  of 
the  palest  blush  and  a 
golden  yellow  centre  to  the  lip.  C.  T.  delicata  has  pure  white  outer 
segments  and  a  bright  blotch  in  front  of  the  lip.  The  variety  rubella 
is  a  very  richly  coloured  form,  the  large  crimson-purple  blotch  on  the 
lip  being  exceptionally  showy.  Many  others  may  be  mentioned ;  in 
fact  their  number  is  as  large  as  those  of  any  species,  but  a  repetition  of 
their  features  does  not  make  very  interesting  reading. — H.  B.  B, 
HARMFUL  AND  HARMLESS  GARDEN  MOTHS— 16. 
“  What  a  beautiful  moth  !  ”  said  a  person,  who  made  no  pretension 
of  special  admiration  for  insects,  when  he  observed  a  specimen  of  the 
bordered  Gothic  resting  upon  a  tree  on  a  July  day.  Sometimes  we 
wonder  why  the  old  naturalists  chose  the  names  they  did  for  many 
species ;  there  is  nothing  one  sees  particularly  Gothic  about  Neuria 
Saponariae,  nor  its  two  kindred  species,  unless,  indeed,  it  was  fancied 
that  the  transverse  lines  on  the  wings  resembled,  in  their  tracery,  the 
form  of  Gothic  columns.  The  beauty  of  the  moth  arises  from  tho 
contrast  between  the  rich  brown  wings  and  the  dark  and  lighter 
markings  upon  them  :  the  dark  take  the  form  of  black  spots  or  lunules, 
the  others  are  pale  lines  or  rays.  The  fringe  of  the  wings  is  of  two 
colours,  and  the  eyes  are  very  hairy.  It  occurs,  not  abundantly,  in  the 
South  of  England. 
From  its  feeding  on  low  plants  near  the  earth,  or  now  and  then 
beneath  its  surface,  the  caterpillar  is  seldom  noticed  ;  it  has  a  horny 
plate  behind  the  head,  and  is  smooth,  in  colour  reddish  brown  with 
faint  stripes.  It  has  been  taken  on  several  species  of  Silene  and 
Lychnis.  Guence  says  it  is  fond  of  the  White  Campion.  Smaller  in 
size  is  a  Gothic  moth  found  in  Devonshire  and  the  Isle  of  Wight, 
called  Heliophobus  hispidus ;  rather  rare,  it  has  no  black  tints,  but 
many  light  spots  and  lines  upon  the  ground  colour.  The  caterpillar 
feeds  upon  the  roots  of  various  grasses.  Allied  to  this  is  a  moth  too 
well  known  in  some  localities,  but  it  is  seldom  seen  about  gardens ; 
it  is  somewhat  like  the  Gothics,  but  is  an  August  species,  the 
caterpillar  feeding  in  early  summer.  This  is  the  antler  (Charseas 
graminis),  which  sometimes  swarms  upon  commons  and  meadows, 
causing  much  damage  to  the  crops  of  hay  in  Sweden.  With  us,  it  is 
