November  2,  1899. 
377 
JOURNAL  OF 
HORTICULT 
URE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Ljelia  Mrs.  M.  Gratrix. 
At  thia| period  of  the  year  the  fortnightly  meetings  of  the  Roval 
Horticultural  Society  at  the  Drill  Hall  do  not  usually  comprise  very 
many  Orchids.  The  display  on  the  24th  inst.  was,  however,  somewhat 
of  an  exception,  tor  not  only  were  the  plants  comparatively  numerous, 
but  they  wore  also  of  great  interest.  In  addition  to  an 
effective  little  group,  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  Chelsea, 
•contributed  three  hybrids,  each  of  which  was  given  an 
award  of  merit.  Of  these  we  give  an  illustration  (fig.  71) 
of  Lael'a  Mrs.  M.  Gratrix,  which  was  raised  by  Mr.  Seden 
from  a  cross  between  L.  Digbyana  and  L.  cinnabarina. 
■Considering  the  plant  has  grown  from  seed  sown  four  and 
a  half  years  ago,  it  had  made  excellent  growth  and  was 
<€  trrying  a  flower  of  great  substance  that  had  a  width  of 
quite  4  inches.  The  prevailing  colour  is  buff  in  sepals  and 
petals,  each  of  which  follow  the  last-named  parent,  and  in 
the  lip,  which,  however,  is  tinged  with  rose.  This  organ 
partakes  of  Digbvana  in  -the  fringing  of  the  front  lobe.  °It 
is  an  attractive  flower,  and 
came  in  for  a  considerable 
shire  of  admiration. 
Stenoglottis  fimbriata. 
Showy  and  attractive 
■Orchids  from  South  Africa 
are  not  numerous,  but  this 
is  exceedingly  pretty  when 
in  flower,  and  even  the  little 
green  rosettes  of  foliage  are 
not  without  a  fresh  and 
lively  beauty.  The  flower 
spikes  grow  about  a  foot 
high,  and  are  closely  covered 
\  with  small  rosy  purple 
flowers.  This  is  an  average 
form,  as  much  larger  ones 
•are  often  flowered.  Its  cul¬ 
ture  resembles  that  of  the 
Habenarias,  and  growers  are 
too  apt  to  make  the  same 
mistake  with  it  as  they  do 
with  the  latter — i.e.,  keep¬ 
ing  it  too  dry  after  the 
leaves  are  dead.  The  plants 
are  put  on  one  side  and 
forgotten,  becoming  quite 
shrivelled,  a  state  that 
annually  sees  them  weaker 
and  weaker,  until  they  cease  to  be  of  any  real  value.  The  best 
way  to  grow  it  is  to  place  a  strong  root  in  a  5-inch  pot  in  a  compost 
■consisting  of  two  parts  of  loam  to  one  of  peat  and  leaf  soil,  top¬ 
dressing  with  live  sphagnum  to  prevent  very  rapid  evaporation 
which  renders  frequent  waterings  necessary.  Give  ample  root  moisture 
-as  soon  as  the  top  growth  is  getting  well  away,  and  keep  this  up 
until  after  flowering,  when  return  it  by  degrees.  S.  fimbriata  thrives 
best  in  a  structure  kept  slightly  warmer  than  the  Odontoglossum 
house. 
Odontoglossum  grande  superbum. 
In  this  fine  variety  the  flowers  are  much  brighter  in  colour  and 
leaves  than  in  the  typical  form,  and  it  is  an  excellent  early  winter 
flowering  kind.  Large  plants  with  half  a  dozen  or  more  spikes  make 
a  remarkably  fine  show,  aud  it  is  as  easily  cultivated  and  as  free 
flowering  as  the  type.  Here  it  does  remarkably  well  and  flowers 
annually  in  a  cool  fernery,  and  in  many  places  it  is  grown  in  green¬ 
houses  not  specially  devoted  to  Orchids.  The  plant  in  fact  is  not 
nearly  so  fastidious  as  0.  crispum  and  its  allies,  for  these  will  not  put 
up  with  rough  treatment. 
Odontoglossum  tripudians. 
This  is  one  of  the  brightest  of  Odontoglossums  now  flowering,  and 
a  useful  and  beautiful  plant.  In  habit  it  is  a  good  deal  like  0.  Pesca- 
“torei,  and  it  is  occasionally  imported  with  this  species.  The  flowers 
occur  on  arching  spikes,  are  bright  yellow  with  brown  markings, 
-something  in  the  way  of  0.  triumphans,  but  rather  smaller.  The  plants 
do  best  in  quite  a  cool  moist  house,  this  being  kept  very  closely  shaded 
during  summer.  Small  pots  are  best,  and  the  usual  peat  anil  moss 
mixture  over  good  drainage  is  the  best  compost.  0.  tripudians  was 
di-cove-ed  many  years  ago  in  New  Grenada  by  the  ill-fabd  Polish 
collector  M.  Warscewicz,  and  has  been  frequently  imported  since.  The 
specific  name  is  given  on  account  of  the  dancing  attitude  of  the 
flower. 
Cycnoches  chlorochilon. 
This  pretty  plant  I  have  noted  in  flower  several  times  lately,  and 
as  I  have  before  remarked,  the  best  forms  are,  in  nearly  every  case, 
those  with  the  fewest  flowers  to  the  spike.  The  sepals  and  petals  vary 
a  little  in  colour,  but  are  usually  yellowish  green,  the  lip  white  with 
green  markings.  The  column  is  long  and  curved,  with  a  roundish 
knob  where  the  pdlen  masses  are  inserted,  re'embling  the  head 
and  neck  of  a  swan,  from  which  circumstance  the  species 
has  obtained  its  popular  name.  It  thrives  best  in  a  hot 
moist  house,  in  a  substantial  compost,  liking  ample  moisture 
while  growing,  and  quite  dry  treatment  in  winter. 
Vanda  multxflora. 
I  recently  received  a  spike  of  this  Orchid  from  a  correspon¬ 
dent  in  the  Midlands  who  was  very  much  disappointed 
in  it  when  it  flowered.  I  am  not  much  surprised  at  this, 
for  however  interesting  it  may  be  botanically,  it  certainly 
is  not  worth  growing  when  such  lovely  plants  as  V.  suavis 
or  \  .  tricolor  can  be  grown  with  just  a  little  trouble. 
The  spikes  are  tall  and  erect,  and  the  colour  of  the  flowers 
'  varies  considerably. 
It  thrives  in  a  warm 
house  i  with  ample 
root  and  atmospheric 
moisture. 
Catasetum 
tridentatum. 
Most  growers  like 
the  quaintly  formed 
and  distinctly  coloured 
Orchids  contained  in 
this  genus,  and'  the 
species  named  is  one 
of  the  best  of  them. 
The  plant  is  a  stout 
grower,  easy  of  culti¬ 
vation,  and  it  flowers 
very  profusely  pro¬ 
vided  the  growths  are 
well  hardened  and 
ripened  after  flower¬ 
ing.  The  treatment 
required  is  not  unlike 
that  of  some  of  the 
deciduous  Dendro- 
biums,  as  the  pots 
should  not  be  too 
large ;  they  require  a 
strong  moist  heat, 
with  ample  light  while  growing,  and  in  winter  a  distinct  dry 
resting  season.  The  best  compost  is  peat  and  moss,  with  a  little 
loam  for  the  strongest  plants. 
DENDROBIUM  PHALASfrOPSIS. 
This  grand  species  is  already  in  flower  in  variety,  the  colours 
ranging  from  the  deepest  crimson  and  purple  to  pure  white  in  the 
sepals  and  petals.  Its  culture  is  now  better  understood  by  cultivators 
than  formerly,  and  given  a  hot  moist  house,  with  a  sufficient  number 
of  plants,  there  is  no  reason  why  this  should  be  dull  for  the  next  three 
months.  It  is  a  beautiful  plant,  and  deserves  its  great  popularity, 
its  introduction  a  few  years  ago  marking  quite  an  era  in ‘Orchid 
culture. — H.  R.  R. 
Pear  Beurre  Capxaumont. — Not  considered  by  any  means  a 
first-rato  variety,  Beurre  Capiaumont  is  with  us,  on  stiff  land  and  a 
clayey  subsoil,  one  of  the  useful  sorts  that  we  cannot  afford  to  dis¬ 
pense  with.  I  have  been  trying  to  call  to  memory  a  time  when  it  has 
failed  to  give  us  a  crop  but  cannot,  and  this  year,  when  the  Pear  crop  is  so 
small,  we  have  Capiaumont  giving  us  the  best  of  results,  the  fruit  being 
of  really  good  flavour,  and,  as  a  gentleman  remarked,  a  break  from  some 
of  the  more  sugary  ones.  Its  one  fault  seems  to  be  in  the  short  time  it 
keeps  in  condition,  and  those  not  well  up  to  its  vagaries  will  do  well  not 
to  trust  to  its  clear  yellow  skin  and  crimson  cheek,  but  sample  before 
sending  to  table.  Any  with  the  black  spot  round  the  eye  of  the  fruit 
when  ripe  will  be  found  useless  and  quite  gone  at  the  core.  It  makes  a 
handsome  bush,  pyramid  and  espalier. — LIVERPOOL. 
Pig.  71. — LjELia  Mrs.  M.  Gratrix. 
