December  28,  1899, 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
t 03 
and  well  drained.  A  suitable  compost  for  this  Lily  is  two  parts  eaeh 
of  fibrous  sandy  loam,  peat,  and  leaf  mould,  and  one  part  each  of 
decayed  manure  and  sand,  with  a  little  crushed  charcoal. 
Half  fill  the  pots  with  the  compost,  and  then  place  the  bulbs  in 
position,  introducing  compost  carefully  round  and  over  them  to  the 
depth  of  half  an  inch.  No  water  should  be  given,  as  the  bulbs  having 
no  roots  do  not  require  it,  and  the  moisture  present  in  the  soil  will  be 
sufficient  to  maintain  the  bulbs  plump  until  growth  begins.  The 
best  position  for  the  pots  is  in  a  frame  safe  from  frost,  covering  the 
pots  with  cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse  to  the  depth  of  2  inches.  No  further 
trouble  is  necessary  until  growth  begins.  Then  at  once  remove  the 
pots  to  a  cool  position  near  the  glass  in  the  greenhouse,  giving  a  little 
shade  to  the  blanched  growth  until  a  green  tint  is  assumed.  After 
this  the  growth  must  be  made  in  a  light  and  airy  position  in  a  green¬ 
house,  affording  water  to  the  soil  whenever  the  surface  dries.  The 
cooler  they  can  be  grown  the  better. 
As  the  stems  advance  in  height  roots  are  emitted  from  the  base  in 
addition  to  the  roots  thrown  out  by  the  bulb.  The  production  of  the 
stem  roots  helps  the  growth  of  the  plants  wonderfully  if  a  top-dressing 
is  afforded  as  soon  as  they  appear  in  quantity.  The  compost  for  this 
purpose  may  consist  of  the  same  material  as  advised  for  potting, 
though  a  little  more  decayed  manure  can  be  added  with  advantage. 
When  the  pots  become  well  filled  with  roots  weak  supplies  of  liquid 
manure  will  be  beneficial  if  given  once  or  twice  weekly.  Soot  water 
is  excellent,  and  should  be  made  by  mixing  soot  into  a  paste,  then 
adding  additional  water,  stirring  well  and  mixing  in  a  spadeful  of 
quicklime.  This  clarifies  the  soot  water,  causing  it  to  be  of  a  rich, 
clear  wine  colour.  Healthy  plants  appreciate  this  stimulant,  and 
respond  by  assuming  dark  green  foliage,  and  eventually  better  coloured 
flowers.  Cow  and  horse  manure  also  make  good  stimulants.  A  peck 
of  either  is  sufficient  for  25  gallons  of  water.  Give  it  to  the  plants 
in  a  clear,  weak  state. 
After  the  early  part  of  June  the  plants  may  stand  outdoors’until 
commencing  to  flower.  F urnish  each  stem  with  a  neat  stake  to  keep 
it^upright  and  prevent  breakage.  As  the  flower  buds  appear  introduce 
LILIUM  AURATUM. 
Oncidium  Brunleesianum. 
The  genus  Oncidium  contains  a  remarkable  number  of  beautiful 
plants,  yet  it  is  a  pity  that  this  species  is  not  more  plentiful,  as  it  is 
such  a  distinct  and  striking  kind.  Few  even  among  the  small 
number  of  orchidists  who  have  seen  it  at  all  could  realise  what  a 
beautiful  thing  it  is  when  the  panicles  of  flower  are  produced  of 
their  true  size.  The  individual  flowers  are  small,  yellow  with  red 
markings  on  the  outer  segments,  and  a  maroon  blotch  on  the  lips. 
O.  Brunleesianum  was  first  sent  to  this  country  alive  in  1883,  and  has 
only  been  very  sparingly  imported  since.  ^ 
Phaius  tuberculosis. 
Good  and  well  grown  plants  of  this  delightful  species  are  none  too 
frequently  met  with,  and  I  was  pleased  to  get  a  spike,  evidently  from 
a  well  grown  plant,  from  one  of  my  correspondents  recently.  It  is  so 
thoroughly  distinct  from  the  majority  of  the  genus,  that  anyone  seeing 
it  for  the  first  time  would  have  a  difficulty  in  giving  it  its  place.  It 
has  usually  been  found  difficult  to  manage  under  cultivation,  and 
very  liable  to  get  less  instead  of  larger,  but  it  is  certainly  worth  all 
the  trouble  of  growing.  It  is  a  native  of  Madagascar,  and  was  intro¬ 
duced  by  Messrs.  Sander  and  Co.  in  1880.  y 
Brightly  Coloured  Orchids. 
The  majority  of  Orchids  have  flowers  that  are  rather  on  the  quiet 
side  than  the  very  showy,  but  there  is  a  large  number  of  plants  with 
brightly  tinted  blossoms.  Nearly  all  of  these  are  extremely  useful 
and  free  flowering.  For  instance,  the  bright  orange  Epidendrum 
vitellinum  is  certainly  one  of  the  finest  cool  house  kinds  in  cultivation 
— easily  grown,  very  free,  and  the  flowers  lasting  an  immense  time  in 
good  condition  ;  one  of  the  best.  The  well  known  Sophromtis  grandi- 
flora,  again,  and  its  varieties,  are  very  fine,  lighting  up  many  a  cool 
Orchid  house  in  the  dark  days  before  Christmas. 
Coming  a  little  higher  up  the  scale  as  regards  temperature,  those 
two  Laelias,  L.  harp^phylla  and  L.  cinnabarina  are  exquisite  plants, 
both  of  which  as  parents  in  the  hands  of  hybridists  have  given 
us  some  of  the  most  lovely  shades  of  colour  imaginable 
in  their  progeny ;  and  speaking  of  hybrids,  the  beautiful 
Epiphronitis  Veitchi  must  not  be  left  out.  Epidendrum 
radicans  and  the  Sophronitis  named  above  are  its  parents, 
and  what  but  a  brightly  tinted  plant  could  be  expected 
from  these  two  ?  Disi  grandiflora  is  bright  enough  to  please 
the  most  exacting  in  this  respect,  while  the  rare  and 
beautiful  Habenaria  rhodochila  is  perhaps  the  showiest 
Orchid  in  existence  for  its  size. 
So  far  I  have  not  even  mentioned  the  showy  section  of 
Masdevallias,  a  host  in  themselves,  and  a  great  many  others 
are  left  out,  but  my  intention  in  writing  was  not  altogether 
to  string  a  list  of  names,  but  more  to  call  attention  to  the 
usefulness  of  these  bright  plants  for  associating  with  the 
more  neutral  tints  common  in  the  order,  or  with  the  white¬ 
flowering  kinds,  such  as  0.  crispum.  This  Orchid,  and  the 
Masdevallias  aforesaid,  always  appeared  to  me  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  combinations  possible  in  a  group  of  flowering 
Orchids,  while  the  feathery  little  spikes  of  Cochliodas  show 
up  brightly  against  Coelogyne  cristata  and  others  of  that  ilk. 
.  For  cutting  as  buttonhole  flowers,  again,  the  bright  ones 
have  it  all  their  own  way,  and  many  times  I  have  won  in 
very  strong  competitions  at  shows  for  these  little  bouquets 
by  using  a  single  flower  of  one  of  these  species.  Epidendrum 
vitellinum  and  Laelia  cinnabarina  when  they  can  be  had 
are  buttonhole  flowers  par  excellence.  There  is  not  spare 
time  to  go  into  the  culture  of  the  various  kinds,  but  that 
of  most  of  them  has  been  ere  now  referred  to  in  these  pages.  It 
may  be  noted,  in  passing,  that  none  of  those  mentioned  above 
present  any  special  difficulty  in  this  direction. — H.  R.  R. 
This  is  undoubtedly  the  finest  and  most  popular  of  all 
Lilies,  and  a  number  of  good  bulbs  should  be  procured  at 
this  season  for  the  purpose  of  cultivation  in  pots  to  produce 
a  summer  display.  Firm  sound  bulbs  must  be  employed, 
as  these  only  can  be  depended  upon  to  give  satisfactory 
results.  Those  with  injured  or  partially  decayed  scales  must  be 
avoided,  though  if  only  a  few  of  the  outer  scales  are  affected  these 
may  be  removed,  and  the  bulbs  be  no  worse.  If  the  scales  are  soft, 
partially  surround  the  bulbs  with  moist  cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse  in  a 
box  in  a  cool  position.  Tney  may  remain  until  the  bulbs  become 
plump,  then  pot.  It  is  the  practice  of  some  growers  to  allow  them 
to  emit  roots  into  the  fibre  before  potting. 
A  6-inch  pot  is  the  best  size  for  single  bulbs,  though  some  of  the 
largest  may  require  a  rather  larger  receptacle.  A  9  or  10-inch  pot 
will  accommodate  three  bulbs.  They  require  to  be  placed  rather  low 
down  to  admit  of  top-dressing,  and  the  pots  ought  to  be  clean,  dry, 
Fig.  98.— Cypripediuh  Hera  var  Euryades. 
the  plants  again  to  the  greenhouse  or  conservatory,  where  their 
imposing  blooms  will  give  beauty  and  fragrance  for  a  considerable 
period. 
In  addition  to  L.  auratum,  the  original  type,  there  are  some 
interesting  varieties  worthy  of  cultivation.  L.  a.  platyphyllum 
has  larger  leaves,  and  is  altogether  more  robust  in  character. 
L.  a.  rubro-vittatum  is  similar  in  habit  and  growth  to  the  type,  but 
the  flowers  are  more  distinct  in  character.  Each  petal  is  recurved, 
and  down  the  centre  runs  a  crimson  band ;  there  are  also  crimson  spots 
on  a  white  ground.  In  contrast  with  these  robust  varieties  there  is 
L.  a.  Wittei,  having  slender  growth  and  creamy  white  flowers. — L. 
