Mav  2Q,,  1898. 
445 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTTGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Spathoglottis  aureo-Veillardi. 
This  charming  hybrid,  of  which  the  varietal  name  tells  the 
parentage,  was  exhibited  at  the  Drill  Hall  by  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  and 
Sons,  Ltd.,  Chelsea,  on  the  10th  inst.,  and  elicited  a  considerable 
amount  of  admiration.  The  flower  is  of  the  most  refined  type  of 
beauty,  and  well  merited  the  first-class  certificate  which  the  Orchid 
Committee  awarded  to  it.  The  ground  colour  of  the  sepals  and  petals 
is  deep  creamy  yellow,  while  over  the  whole  of  the  latter  organs, 
which  are  considerably  broader  than  the  sepals,  there  are  immense 
numbers  of  rose-coloured  pin-head  spots  that  add  materially  to  the 
flowers*  charm.  At  the  apex  of  the  sepals  the  spots  again  occur,  but 
are  here  so  minute  as  to  almost  appear  like  a  flush  of  colour.  On 
page  439  we  give  a  woodcut  (fig.  82)  of  this  Spathoglottis,  which  is 
one  of  the  latest  examples  of  Mr.  Seden’s  skill  as  a  hybridist  of 
Orchids. 
La?lia  latona. 
Though  one  of  the  older  raised  hybrids  this  is  certainly  one  of  the 
most  beautiful,  and  as  it  is  easily  grown,  and  has  been  freely  propa¬ 
gated,  there  is  every  prospect  of  it  becoming  in  future  a  popular 
garden  Orchid.  The  celebrated  Chelsea  firm  has  given  us  many  fine 
things  in  the  way  of  hybrid  Orchids,  but  few  finer  than  this.  It  is 
the  progeny  of  L.  cinnabarina  and  L.  purpurata,  the  former  being  the 
seed-bearing  parent,  and  the  one  that  shows  most  strongly  in  the 
hybrid.  Its  influence  is  plainly  seen  in  the  flowers,  and  especially, 
also,  in  the  base  of  the  pseudo-bulb,  these  being  rounded  and  swollen 
like  those  of  L.  cinnabarina.  Several  flowers  are  produced  upon  a 
spike,  and  they  are  individually  about  5  inches  across;  the  sepals  and 
petals  are  a  light  tawny  orange,  the  lip  narrow,  of  a  distinct  and 
pretty  shade  of  reddish  purple  margined  with  orange,  and  finely 
undulating.  It  was  first  exhibited  in  1892  before  the  Orchid  Com¬ 
mittee  of  the  Loyal  Horticultural  Society,  and  at  the  last  meeting  at 
the  Drill  Hall  Messrs.  Veitch  had  several  fine  welbflowered  plants  in 
their  •group. — H.  R.  R. 
Orchids  Round  London. 
For  the  past  few  years  I  have  made  it  a  practice  to  visit  the 
several  collections  of  Orchids  in  and  around  London.  True,  it  has 
not  been  found  possible  to  make  an  inspection  of  the  w'hole  of  them, 
but  the  best  use  was  made  of  the  time  at  disposal.  This  season  it  is 
proposed  to  go  over  some  of  the  ground  again,  and  to  record  the 
features  of  the  several  establishments,  both  private  and  professional, 
that  will  be  visited.  The  Orchids  will  not  be  examined  from  the 
point  of  view  of  a  botanist,  and  no  technical  descriptions  will  be  .given 
— indeed,  the  endeavour  will  be  made  to  regard  them  from  a  popular 
aspect,  so  far  as  can  be  done,  while  preserving  correctness  of  nomen¬ 
clature  and  doing  justice  to  the  plants  seen.  Probably  no  better 
period  of  the  year  than  this  could  be  chosen,  for  on  every  hand  plants 
are  flowering,  and  the  species,  hybrids  and  varieties  of  all  kinds  are 
well  n’gh  endless.  _ 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  within  a  radius  of  about  thirty  miles  of 
London  are  grown  some  of  the  finest  Orchids  in  the  country,  and  it  is 
equally  beyond  question  that  the  most  valuable  individual  collection  is 
within  that  area.  Look  to  the  north,  south,  east  and  west  of  the 
metropolis,  and  actually  within  the  four-mile  radius  of  Charing  Cross, 
and  Orchid  growers  of  world-wide  repute  will  be  found.  Some  are 
growers  for  trade  purposes,  others  collect  the  plants  purely  as  a  hobby, 
and  a  most  fascinating  hobby  it  is,  while  a  few  combine  these  two 
objects.  Happily,  too,  the  number  of  growers  is  increasing,  and  some 
who  only  a  few  years  ago  commenced  their  culture,  are  now,  by  liberal 
yet  judicious  purchasing,  standing  in  the  front  rank.  No  one,  I  think, 
would  care  to  give  even  an  approximate  opinion  as  to  the  value  of  the 
Orchids  grown  by  these  several  enthusiasts,  but  it  must  amount  to 
many  scores  of  thousands  of  pounds. 
It  must  not  be  thought  that  because  the  provincial  collections  are 
not  included  in  these  notes  they  are  not  considered  worthy  of  attention. 
Such  is  not  the  case,  for  many  of  them  are  extensive  and  rich  in 
quality,  but  the  facilities  for  their  examination  are  greater  for  those 
residing  in  the  various  neighbourhoods  than  they  are  to  a  Londoner. 
The  task,  therefore,  is  deputed  to  the  many  others  who  are  doubtless 
perfectly  familiar  with  the  best  collections  in  the  country. 
Returning  to  our  own  immediate  province,  the  difficulty  of 
knowing  where  to  start  presents  itself.  They  cannot  be  taken 
alphabetically,  while  it  is  equally  impracticable  to  centralise  them  into 
districts,  as  it  were.  Let  us  start  this  week  in  London,  and  end — 
well,  \vhere  r.nd  when  we  can.  Having  decided  upon  a  metropolitan 
collection  for  the  opening  notes,  the  journey  will  be  a  short  one,  for  it 
will  lead  us  to  Chelsea. 
The  Royal  Exotic  Nursery. 
Just  when  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  &  Sons  commenced  the  culture  of 
Orchids,  and  with  how  many  plants  they  started,  I  am  not  prepared 
to  say,  but  that  they  have  now,  at  Chelsea  and  at  Langley,  a  splendidly 
representative  collection,  no  one  will  deny.  One  may  go  at  any  time 
to  the  great  nursery  in  King’s  Road  and  some  Orchids  will  be  found 
in  flower,  though  at  one  period  there  may  be  only  a  few,  while  at 
another  time  there  will  be  many.  Two  weeks  before  the  great  show 
that  is  now  being  held  in  the  Temple  Gardens  was  opened,  this  visit 
was  paid,  and  in  every  house  were  numerous  flowers,  many 
of  extraordinary  merit.  Hundreds  of  plants  were  at  the  zenith  of 
their  beauty,  while  hundreds  of  others  had  yet  to  produce  their  spikes  and 
expand  their  blooms.  There  were  cool,  intermediate,  and  warm  house 
kinds,  and  a  few  of  them  will  be  noted  in  the  succeeding  paragraphs. 
In  many  establishments  it  is  the  practice  to  concentrate  as  much 
as  is  possible  all  the  Orchids  in  flower  in  one  or  two  structures,  but 
such  is  not  the  case  at  Chelsea.  If  the  visitor  be  desirous  of  seeing 
all  the  flowers  he  must  pass  from  one  structure  to  another,  until  every 
house  that  is  devoted  to  Orchids  has  been  seen.  In  some  houses 
flowers  will  be  comparatively  scarce,  perhaps,  hut  in  the  majority  a 
diversified  display  will  be  found.  Of  the  general  good  health  of  the 
plants  it  is  unnecessary  to  enlarge  at  length,  as  all  are  in  such 
good  condition — indeed,  considering  the  surrounding  atmosphere,  they 
are  remarkably  creditable  both  to  the  firm  and  to  Mr.  Harris,  the 
grower.  Of  course  numbers  are  brought  from  Langley  when  they 
are  in  flower,  but  by  far  the  larger  proportion  find  a  home  at  Chelsea 
from  the  time  of  importation  until  they  pass  into  other  collections. 
As  was  anticipated,  the  first  house  that  is  entered  from  the  long 
walk,  and  which  is  devoted  mainly  to  Odontoglossums,  was  very 
charming,  for  there  weie  many  varieties  of  crispum  to  see.  There 
was  a  marked  absence  of  really  inferior  forms,  though  it  is  superfluous 
to  say  that  some  were  far  better  than  others.  Many  other  species 
were  observed,  but  to  name  them  would  occupy  more  space  than  is 
available  in  the  Temple  Show  issue.  Leaving  this  structure  we  enter 
one  slightly  warmer,  where  Cypripediums  in  variety  are  always  in 
bloom  and  ever  interesting.  Hanging  from  the  roof  was  the  fragrant 
and  chaste  Burlingtonia  pubescens,  while  contiguous  to  it  Coelogyne 
tomentosa,  with  its  rosy  buff  flowers,  and  on  a  plant  of  C.  Dayana 
fifteen  long  pendulous  spikes  were  observed.  They  were  a  pleasing 
change  from  the  brighter  flowers  of  Oncidiums  ampliatum  majus, 
sarcodes,  and  others  that  were  flowering  so  profusely. 
The  Orchid  fernery  in  this  nursery  is  always  cool,  pleasant,  and 
refreshing,  for  from  the  soft  green  of  Ferns  and  the  brown  of  the  stones 
the  Orchids  rise  in  graceful  beauty.  Plants  of  Oncidium  Mar- 
shallianum,  with  splendid  spikes  of  bright  flowers,  and  several 
varieties  of  Cymbidiums  produced  a  charming  display  that  was  much 
enhanced  by  superb  specimens  of  Thunia  alba  Dodsoni,  with  its  refined 
flowers,  and  Epidendrum  Wallisi  in  unique  condition.  Dendrobiums, 
Bifrenarias,  Odontoglossums,  Lycastes,  and  others  all  lent  charm  and 
diversit}"  to  this  section  of  the  Orchid  department  ;  but  we  must  not 
linger,  for  the  entrance  to  the  great  Cattleya  house  is  reached,  and  we 
must  glance  within. 
Cattleyas,  Lselias,  Vandas,  and  a  few  others  occupy  the  whole  of 
the  space  available  in  the  immense  structure  known  to  all orchidists  as 
the  Cattleya  house.  It  is  a  grand  house,  and  none  but  plants  of  the 
best  merit  should  find  a  home  therein.  They  need  not  all  be  in  flower, 
but  they  ought  to  exhibit  the  best  characteristics  of  health  in  plump 
pseudo-bulbs  and  deep  green,  tough  foliage.  Such  as  a  matter  of 
fact  are  the  prevailing  features  of  the  plants  now  to  be  seen,  but 
added  to  these  points  there  are  scores  in  full  flower.  Hundreds  of 
flower  sheaths  of  various  Cattleyas  are  showing,  the  forms  of  Mossim 
especially  being,  owing  to  the  absence  of  sun,  rather  later  than  is 
customary.  A  day  or  two  of  bright  sunshine,  however,  will  alter  their 
appearance,  and  flowers  will  be  opening  on  every  side  as  well  with 
these  as  with  Lselias  in  variety. 
Of  those  now  expanded  several  forms  of  Schroder®  are  very 
beautiful,  as  are  the  many  plants  of  the  handsome  C.  Lawrenceana. 
Of  C.  Wellsiana  there  are  three  forms— namely,  the  type,  C.  W.  albida, 
apd  C.  W.  langleyensis,  of  which  the  latter  is  superb,  and  received  an 
award  of  merit  at  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Royal  TIorticultural  Society. 
Specimens  of  C.  Mendeli  are  numerous  and  of  merit,  as  are  those  of 
L®lia  purpurata.  Lmlia  elegans  is  a  lovely  flower,  and  is  here  seen  to 
perfection,  and  the  same  may  well  be  said  of  L.  Latona  and  L.  Hippolyta. 
These  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  that  are  to  be  seen  in  bloom,  but 
they  must  suffice  for  the  time  being.  Ere  turning,  however,  to  other 
