June  30,  1898 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
533 
Odontoglossdm  CRisruM  Prince  of  Wales. 
At  the  Drill  Hall,  on  June  14tb,  Messrs.  H.  Low  &  Co.  of  Bush 
Hill  Park  Nurseries,  Enfield,  showed  a  superb  form  of  0.  crispum  under 
the  above  name,  and  which  is  depicted  in  the  woodcut,  fig,  100.  It 
is  one  of  the  finest  varieties  that  has  been  shown,  and  the  Orchid 
Committee  showed  its  appreciation  by  according  to  it  a  first-class 
certificate  and  a  silver  Banksian  medal.  As  may  be  seen,  the  shape 
of  the  flower  is  perfect,  and  all  the  segments  are  of  exceptional  sub¬ 
stance,  The  sepals,  petals,  and  lip  are  all  pure  white  save  for  an 
occasional  flush  of  rose  that  serves  but  to  enhance  the  beauty  of  the 
flower.  In  the  centre  of  the  lip  are  brown  blotches,  the  front  lobe 
being  white.  The  spike  carried  several  flowers,  and 
It  cannot  be  doubted  that  this  Orchid  attracted  as 
much  or  more  attention  than  any  other  exhibit  in 
the  show. 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY’S 
EXAMINATION  IN  HOKTICULTURE,  1898. 
In  your  comments  on  the  above  examination  (page  497,  June  16th), 
you  state  that  one  reason  why  there  is  not  a  greater  increase  in  the 
number  of  candidates  is  because  a  “  very  considerable  number  of  gardeners 
conceive  that  students  in  colleges  and  technical  schools  should,  as  such, 
have  a  separate  examination.”  I  fail  to  comprehend  why  it  should  be  so. 
I  take  it  that  those  gardeners  who  advocate  a  separate  examination  for 
trained  students  would  also  advocate  an  advanced  series  of  questions  for 
such  candidates.  If  that  were  so  the  greater  honour  would  still  be  due 
to  the  successful  candidates. 
The  examination  is  not  what  may  be  termed  competitive,  therefore  I 
cannot  see  any  injustice  to  gardeners,  nor  any  advantage  in  having  two 
sets  of  examinations.  There  is  no  reason  why  gardeners  who  may  be 
desirous  to  pass  the  examination  should  not  qualify  themselves  by  careful 
reading  and  study.  Such  men  possess  a  great  advantage,  in  so  far  as  the 
details  of  practical  work  is  concerned,  over  the  young  student,  who  may 
be  struggling  to  understand  the  principles  of  theoretical  and  practical 
horticulture. 
Possibly  if  the  questions  were  confined  to  the  practical  division  more 
Cycnoches  maculatum. 
This  singular  species,  though  introduced  in  1839, 
is  probably  very  rare  in  cultivation,  and  only  seen 
occasionally.  It  has  the  characteristic  growth  of 
C.  chlorochilon,  but  the  flowe  s  occur  on  semi-pendant 
racemes,  and  are  pale  yellow,  with  a  plentiful  spotting 
of  rich  crimson  purple.  It  is  not  difficult  to  cultivate, 
thriving  well  in  a  substantial  compost  of  peat  fibre, 
loam,  and  sphagnum  moss  in  equal  proportions.  It 
may  be  grown  in  either  baskets  or  pots,  these  being 
well  drained,  and  the  crocks  covered  with  a  layer 
of  rough  moss.  Water  must  be  freely  applied  to  the 
roots  while  growing,  but  syringing  the  plants  is  not 
to  be  recommended,  especially  at  that  stage  when  the 
young  growth  is  apt  to  catch  the  water.  After  the 
leaves  have  fallen  keep  the  roots  quite  dry  until  signs 
of  movement  appear  in  spring.  During  the  earlier 
stages  of  the  growth  of  the  plant  the  leaves  are 
very  sensitive,  and  unless  carefully  shaded  they  are 
easily  damaged.  As  they  get  older  the  foliage 
becomes  harder,  and  more  light  may  be  allowed. 
The  worst  insect  enemies  to  these  Cycnoches  is  red 
spider  and  scale,  both  of  which  must  be  kept  under, 
or  good  results  will  not  follow.  It  is  a  native  of 
Mexico, 
Aerides  Fieldingi, 
The  Fox-brush  Aerides,  as  this  species  is  popularly 
called,  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  genus,  the  long, 
gracefully  arching  spikes  of  rosy  blossoms  being  very 
fine,  eiiher  alone  or  arranged  with  other  Orchids  in 
the  flowering  house,  fl'he  plant  itself  is  of  fine 
habit,  and  the  spikes  appear  from  the  upper  joints 
of  the  stem.  In  a  large  tropical  house  this  species 
may  be  easily  grown  on  the  central  stage,  the 
roots  being  potted  in  sphagnum  moss  and  charcoal 
alone.  Smaller  plants  do  well  in  baskets  suspended 
from  the  roof  in  the  same  house.  It  is  a  native  of  Northern  India,  ^ 
introduced  in  1850. 
Camarotis  purpurea.  I 
This  pretty  species  is  now  very  seldom  met  with  in  our  Orchid  ! 
houses,  and  many  cultivators  would  not  know  it.  The  plant  belongs  j 
to  the  same  tribe  as  the  Vandas,  having  scandent  slender  stems  a  yard  j 
or  more  in  length,  which  bear  toward  the  upper  part  racemes  of  pretty  i 
rosy  purple  flowers.  I  have  often  received  it  from  seafaring  friends 
who  have  purchased  it  in  Calcutta;  but,  as  may  be  imagined,  these  j 
plants  are  not  collected  with  much  care,  and  are  in  conse(iuence  , 
difiBcult  to  establish.  When  healthy,  and  at  home  in  the  Orchid  j 
house,  the  plant  is,  on  the  other  hand,  easily  grown  and  very  free-  i 
flowering,  and  is  certainly  worthy  a  place  where  a  representative 
collection  is  aimed  at. 
The  plants  do  best  in  the  East  Indian  house,  and  may  1  e 
grown  in  pots  or  baskets  of  sphagnum  moss  and  charcoal  in  equal 
proportions.  Plenty  of  root  and  atmospheric  moisture  is  necessary 
while  the  plants  are  growing,  while  during  winter  only  enough  to 
keep  the  growth  in  good  condition  is  necessary.  Although  sent 
home  to  this  country  by  Gibson  when  collecting  for  the  Duke 
of  Devonshire’s  collection  in  1837,  it  had  long  been  cultivated  in 
India.— H.  R.  R. 
Fig.  100. — Odontoglossum  crispum  Fringe  of  Wales. 
gardeners  would  enter  for  the  examination,  but  I  consider  it  would  be  a 
great  misfortune  to  dispense  with  the  elementary  questions,  as  it  is  in 
these  subjects  that  the  majority  of  young  gardeners  are  deficient  in 
knowledge.  Many  instances  could  be  quoted  in  which  gardeners  have 
strong  objections  to  elementary  principles,  and  absolutely  decline  to 
entertain  their  consideration.  I  have  recently  had  experience  of  young 
gardeners  dec  lining  to  attend  lectures  dealing  with  the  physiology  of  plant 
life,  and  the  only  excuse  they  had  to  otter  was  the  difficulty  to  understand 
the  “hard”  names. 
Again,  I  fail  to  understand  why  any  person  should  object  to  these 
examinations  on  the  ground  that  they  have  a  tendency  to  “  manufacture 
gardeners  by  artificial  processes.”  In  the  first  place  it  may  be  admitted 
that  the  fact  that  a  person  being  able  to  give  correct  answers  to  a  series 
of  questions  does  not  constitute  a  gardener,  but  it  will  generally  be 
admitted — all  other  matters  being  equal —  that  anyone  who  possesses  a 
knowledge  of  the  functions  of  the  various  organs  of  the  plants,  their 
food,  and  ot  what  is  beneficial  or  detrimental  to  their  healthy  develop¬ 
ment,  is  surely  better  qualified  to  hold  a  responsible  position  than  one 
who  has  no  such  knowledge. 
The  thanks  of  the  gardening  community  are  due  to  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  for  the  efforts  put  forth  to  improve  the  education 
of  gardeners,  and  to  raise  their  status.  There  is  a  considerable  amount 
of  ambition  amongst  students  to  obtain  a  first-class  certificate  from  the 
recognised  highest  authority  on  horticultural  matters,  and  I  trust  the 
