July  27,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
73 
think  that  I  denounce  the  use  of  manures  when  properly  applied,  as  I 
know  well,  to  grow  ordinary  plants  to  perfection,  it  is  a  necessity. 
In  the  culture  of  Orchids,  however,  far  more  is  to  be  done  by  careful 
observation  of  the  different  plants  under  our  charge.  No  doubt  the 
time  will  come  when  it  will  be  known  how  to  use  and  apply  manures 
to  orchidaceous  plants,  but  to  those  in  charge  of  valuable  plants  I 
would  urge  great  caution,  as  I  know  that  quite  as  good  plants  can  be 
grown  without  as  with  it. 
Vanda  teees. 
Many  people  objected  to  this  plant  in  the  old  days  on  account  of 
the  straggling  habit,  but  this  is  entirely  done  away  with  in  the 
present-day  method  of  cutting  down  and  rooting  once  in  two  years, 
or  even  annually  in  some  cases.  By  this  means  very  good  plants, 
having  finely  colourel  blossoms,  are  produced,  and  their  appearance 
is  greatly  enhanced.  To  grow  them  properly  the  sunny  end  of  a 
tropical  moist  house  is  essential,  as  it  is  most  important  that  the 
growth  is  not  only  quickly  produced,  but  ripened,  so  to  speak,  as  it 
proceeds. 
Oncidium  Croesus. 
CYPRIPEDIUM  ASHBURTONIiE  GIGANTEUM. 
This  is  a  highly  coloured  and  gigantic  variety  of  the  old  C.  Ash- 
burtoniae,  which  was  raised  by  Mr.  A.  J.  Keeling  in  the  collection  of 
D.  Drewett,  Esq.,  of  Biding  Mill,  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  between 
C.  barbatum  and  C.  insigne  Chantini.  A  plant  of  it  was  shown  at  the 
York  Gala  with  a  twin-flowered  spike,  and  it  was  very  much  admired. 
The  plant  is  a  vigorous  grower,  and  is,  in  fact,  a  most  delightful  and 
showy  flower  for  a  Cypripedium,  and  one  to  be  recommended  to  any 
lover  of  this  beautiful  family.  It  thrives  admirably  in  the  ccol 
intermediate  Cypripedium  house  in  the  usual  compost. 
Cattleya  gigas. 
The  pretty  flowers  of  this  little  Brazilian  species  are  again  opeD, 
and  it  is  always  admired  when  well  grown.  The  flowers  occur 
on  the  horizontal  scape,  and  these  have  reddish  brown  sepals  and 
petals  margined  with  yellow,  the  lip  rich  golden  yellow  with 
a  large  purple  blotch  in  the  centre.  In  many  cases  0.  longipes 
is  grown  in  place  of  0.  Croesus,  but  they  are  quite  distinct, 
and  most  authorities  quote  the  latter  as  a  variety  of  the 
former.  Both  are  natives  of  Brazil,  and  thrive  in  a  lightly 
shaded  part  of  the  Cattleya  house. 
Undoubtedly  this  is  the  finest  species  known  in  the  large  Cattleya 
family,  and  one  which  gives  the  cultivator  in  many  cases  a  large 
amount  of  trouble  to  flower  it  successfully.  The  whole  secret  of 
Oncidium  olivaceum  Lawrenceanum. 
This  is  a  very  beautiful  Oncidium,  and  though  like  most 
others  in  the  section  to  which  it  belongs  it  is  not  of  the 
easiest  culture,  yet  with  care  it  may  be  induced  to  flower 
regularly  for  a  few  years  at  least  under  cultivation,  and 
many  instances  of  success  over  a  long  season  are  on  record. 
Very  like  0.  cucullatum  in  habit  and  shape  of  flowers,  the 
sepals  and  petals  are  a  deep  olive  brown,  and  the  rosy  tinted 
lip  has  a  number  of  purple  spots  upon  it.  It  is  a  native  of 
New  Grenada,  inhabiting  the  highest  mountain  rangts,  and 
found  at  an  elevation  of  13, COO  leet.  This  makes  a  cool  and 
moist  regime  necessary  all  the  )ear  round. 
PHALA3N0PSIS  LUDDEMANNIANA. 
There  is  no  questioning  the  fact  that  this  is  not  nearly 
so  easily  grown  as  are  P.  amabilis  or  P.  Schilleriana,  and 
as  large  plants  are  seldom  imported  it  may  be  that  it  is  not 
very  long-livecl  in  its  native  place.  Fortunately, it  is  abundant 
and  frequently  collected,  while  in  many  places  in  this  country 
it  is  well  grown  and  freely  propagated.  The  plants  aie 
rather  dwarf,  the  leaves  seldom  reaching  more  than  8  inches 
in  length,  and  the  flower  spikes  that  appear  towards  the 
upper  part  of  the  plant  bear  few  blo-sums. 
The  sepals  and  petals  are  rather  bluntly  lance  shaped, 
white  transversely  lined  with  violet  at  the  base,  the  bars 
being  thicker  and  deep  brown  towards  the  tips.  The  lip  is 
violet  and  purple,  and  the  flowers  last  long  in  good  con¬ 
dition.  The  warmest  position  in  the  East  Indian  house  (Bi; 
suits  the  plant  best,  and  it  will  always  thrive  much  better 
suspended  than  stood  on  the  stage,  no  matter  how  near  the 
glass  the  latter  may  be.  The  best  and  cleanest  sphagnum  must  be  used 
in  growing  it,  this  and  charcoal  or  burnt  cliy  sufficing  for  com¬ 
post.  When  the  spikes  are  strong  and  keep  green  after  the  flowers 
are  past  they  may  be  left  on,  as  occasionally  young  plants  are  pro¬ 
duced  at  the  joints,  and  these  form  a  ready  means  of  propagation. 
Kenanthera  Lowi. 
The  fact  of  the  immense  spikes  of  this  species  bearing  two  different 
kinds  of  flowers  is  an  interesting  point.  The  upper  part  of  the  spike 
is  wreathed  with  yellowish  green  flowers,  spotted  with  bright  red, 
those  at  the  base  being  brown  with  red  dots,  and  very  much  smaller 
than  the  others.  No  one  should  attempt  to  grow  it  without  ample 
room,  as  it  will  soon  fill  an  ordinary  small  Orchid  house.  Where 
there  is  plenty  of  heat  and  elbow  room,  as  well  as  ample  moisture,  it 
grows  like  a  weed.  It  is  a  native  of  Sarawak,  where  it  was  discovered 
by  Sir  Hugh  Low  about  1845. — H.  R.  R. 
Feeding  Orchids. 
Much  has  been  written  respecting  the  feeding  of  Orchids,  and 
whilst  I  will  readily  admit  that  in  the  case  of  terrestrial  Orchids  it  is 
beneficial,  with  epiphytal  ones  I  am  not  yet  converted  to  the  use  of 
manures.  I  am  strongly  of  the  opinion  that  more  Orchids  die  from 
the  ravages  of  insect  pe6ts  than  from  lack  of  energy.  In  the  case  of 
so-called  bad  doers,  I  am  afraid  it  ik  a  want  of  knowledge  on  our  parts 
that  we  cannot  successfully  cultivate  them  for  any  length  ol  time, 
and  I  do  not  think  the  manure  will  solve  the  problem.  Let  no  one 
Fig.  18.— Sophro-Cattleya  Queen  Empress. 
generic  hybrid  from  S'ophronitis  grandiflora  and  Cattleya  Mossiiv.  First-class 
certificate  R.H.S. ,  July  25th.  tee  page  S3.) 
j  success  is  to  be  summed  up  in  the  word  attention.  One  is  often 
\  recommended  to  rest  them  so  harsblv  as  to  came  them  to  shrivel, 
|  others  say  they  must  have  no  water  till  their  flower  sheaths  appear. 
The  plants  under  my  control  are  now  bristling  with  sheaths,  but  they 
are  never  rested  so  severely  as  to  cause  them  to  shrivel,  although  as 
little  water  as  possible  is  given  during  the  dull  cold  days  of  winter,  as 
I  befieve  that  the  plants,  when  they  are  tbied  to  such  an  extent,  have 
not  the  strength  to  produce  flowers.  The  plants  are  grown  in  pans 
1  in  a  warm  Cattleya  house,  and  brought  down  when  in  flower. 
The  best  time  to  repot,  or  more  properly  speaking  repan  those 
I  that  require  it,  is  immediately  after  flowering,  when  it  will  be  found 
i  that  new  roots  are  being  made  abucdantly,  keeping  them  on  the  dry 
!  side  afterwards  till  they  are  thoroughly  established.  As  regards 
compost,  I  prefer  the  peat  broken  up,  say,  for  the  larger  specimens 
about  as  large  as  a  duck’s  egg,  with  all  the  fine  shaken  out,  mixed 
with  one-third  of  live  sphagnum  moss ;  for  the  smaller  plants  the  peat 
may  be  in  smaller  lumps,  and  a  little  more  moss  used.  It  is  difficult 
'  to  find  a  place  to  suit  every  plant  where  different  families  are  grown 
in  the  same  house,  but  a  fairly  light  position  should  be  secured  for 
C.  gigas.  They  must,  however,  be  shaded  from  the  direct  rays  of  the 
sun,  and  air  should  be  given  them  liberally  when  the  outside  condi¬ 
tion  and  the  temperature  of  the  house  will  allow.  The  atmospheric 
moisture  must  be  abundant  whilst  they  are  in  active  growth,  as  I 
believe  they  have  the  power  to  imbibe  a  large  amount  of  moisture 
through  the  leaves  and  roots. — J.  Barker,  Ilessle. 
