98 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  30,  1896. 
Piiaio-Calanthe  Sedeni  ALBIFLORA. 
The  results  of  crossing  Phaius  and  Calanthe  are  now  becoming 
fairly  numerous,  and  the  majority  of  them  are  of  much  beauty. 
Labouring  on  behalf  of  Messrs.  J.  Yeitch  &  Sons,  Royal  Exotic 
Nursery,  Chelsea,  Mr.  Seden  has  been  extremely  successful  in  .the 
delicate  operation  of  cross  fertilisation,  as  the  many  results  of  his 
work  amongst  Orchids  amply  testify.  One  of  the  latest  additions  to 
the  many  bi-generic  hybrids  is  Phaio-Calanthe  Sedeni  albiflora,  which 
was  staged  by  Messrs.  Yeitch  &  Sons  at  the  last  meeting  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  at  the  Drill  Hall,  and  of  which  the 
woodcut  (fig.  15)  is  a  pourtrayal.  Calanthe  Yeitchi  and  Phaius 
grandifolius  were  the  parents  used  to  secure  this  result,  and 
evidences  of  each  were  clearly  perceptible  in  the  specimens 
exhibited.  The  prevailing  colour  is  white,  the  sepals  and  petals, 
however,  having  a  tinge  of  pink  at  the  base.  The  form  of  the 
flower  is  exceedingly  beautiful.  The  Orchid  Committee  of  the 
Society  deservedly  accorded  it  a  first-class  certificate. 
Les  Orchidees. 
Such  is  the  title  of  a  small  work  on  Orchids  by  Mons.  L.  Duval, 
who  is  recognised  in  France  and  other  countries  as  an  authoritative 
orchidist.  Cultural  details  are  given  respecting  the  Orchids  in 
general  cultivation,  and  as  the  language  is  simple  it  can  readily  be 
understood,  and  the  suggestions  carried  out  by  growers  of  even 
limited  experience.  The  work  comprises  eighty-two  pages,  and  is 
profusely  illustrated.  Not  the  least  useful  portion  is  that  devoted 
to  some  tabulated  pages  of  Orchids  that  are  reputedly  of  easy 
culture.  It  is  a  little  book  that  will  doubtless  be  largely  read,  as 
also  will  the  admirable  preface  by  Mons.  Godefroy-Lebeuf.  The 
book  may  be  procured  from  the  offices  of  “  Le  Jardin,”  167, 
Boulevard  Saint  Germain,  Paris,  or  from  the  author,  8,  Rue  de 
l’Ermitage,  Versailles,  France. 
ANGR2ECUMS. 
This  genus  consists  of  about  thirty  species,  all  of  them  of  a 
distichous  habit ;  some  are  large  growing  plants  with  massive  flowers, 
others  are  very  small,  and  there  are  many  intermediate  forms.  The 
majority  are  natives  of  Africa  and  Madagascar,  and  are  amenable 
to  culture  if  sufficient  heat  is  at  command.  The  larger  habited, 
strong  growing  kinds,  as  A.  eburneum  and  its  varieties,  require 
either  large  pots  or  baskets,  the  rooting  medium  consisting  of  clean, 
fresh  sphagnum  moss,  with  abundance  of  large  rough  pieces  of 
charcoal  or  pottery  ballast.  The  sphagnum  should  be  kept  growing 
all  the  year  round,  and  although  less  water  is  required  during  the 
winter  months,  the  plants  never  need  drying  off  at  the  roots. 
The  same  material  answers  well  for  the  lesser  growing  kinds  ; 
but  these  must  be  placed  in  very  small  baskets  suspended  close  to 
the  glass  in  the  East  Indian  house.  A  very  light  surfacing  of  the 
moss  is  all  that  is  necessary  here,  the  remainder  of  the  depth  of  the 
basket  being  filled  with  crocks.  This  latter  class  of  plant  is  rather 
more  difficult  to  grow  than  the  larger  growing  species  referred  to 
above,  but  there  is  nothing  to  deter  anyone  taking  up  their  culture 
if  they  are  prepared  to  give  them  attention.  One  of  the  most 
frequent  causes  of  non-success  with  them  is  placing  them  carelessly 
in  their  baskets,  in  consequence  of  which  they  rock  about  and  the 
roots  cannot  get  hold  of  the  compost. 
When  first  placed  in  position  the  base  of  the  plant  ought  to 
rest  firmly  on  the  bed  of  crocks,  and  if  the  roots  are  not  plentiful 
enough  to  hold  them  in  place,  a  few  strands  of  raffia  or  bast 
matting  must  be  run  through  the  rods  of  the  basket  and  over  the 
surface  of  the  moss.  Wire  is  more  lasting,  but  if  the  plants  do  well 
the  roots  will  by  the  time  the  matting  has  decayed  be  running  well 
in  the  moss,  and  will  steady  the  plants  sufficiently.  When  plants 
of  this  description  are  once  established  they  ought  not  to  be 
disturbed  until  they  outgrow  their  baskets  or  the  latter  decay,  it 
being  quite  a  simple  matter  to  swill  out  all  the  old  decayed  moss 
by  forcing  a  jet  of  water  through  the  syringe.  Probably  a  few  of 
the  roots  will  have  iecaved,  and  must  be  removed.  With  a  little 
care  this  is  easily  accomplished  with  a  pair  of  Grape-thinning 
scissors  or  a  long-bladed  keen  knife. 
The  plants  keep  naturally  to  their  annual  routine  of  growth,  so 
there  will  be  no  need  to  remove  them  at  any  time  from  the  house 
wherein  they  are  grown,  but  a  little  careful  arrangement  in 
autumn  is  necessary  to  consolidate  the  leafy  system  of  the  plants, 
so  as  to  enable  them  to  pass  the  winter  safely.  This  may  easily 
be  done  by  suspending  them  near  an  unshaded  end,  or  if  more  con¬ 
venient  by  manipulation  of  the  shading  only,  being  careful  to 
bring  about  the  change  by  hardly  perceptible  degrees,  this  being 
Nature’s  plan. 
Another  cause  of  failure  is  too  low  a  temperature  during 
winter,  plants  from  so  near  the  Equator  not  liking  less  heat  than 
about  60°  in  any  but  the  coldest  weather.  The  treatment  while 
growing  is  extremely  simple,  a  regularly  moist  and  high  tempera¬ 
ture  being  always  maintained,  such  a  one  as  suits  Aerides,  to  which 
genus  they  are  nearly  related.  Red  spider  and  scale  are  the  chief 
insect  enemies,  but  these  usually  accompany  indifferent  treatment, 
and  may  easily  be  kept  under  by  ordinary  vigilance,  frequent 
sponging  until  they  are  quite  eradicated  being  the  remedy  in  each 
case. 
One  of  the  prettiest  of  the  smaller  habited  kinds  is 
A.  articulatum,  a  species  with  bright  green  leaves,  about  6  inches 
in  length,  and  flowers,  varying  in  form,  borne  on  graceful  racemes. 
They  are  creamy  white,  and  last  well  in  good  condition  ;  a  native 
of  Madagascar  as  is  A.  citratum,  an  extremely  pretty  kind,  with 
pure  white  flowers  arranged  in  two  rows  on  the  raceme. 
A.  eburneum  is  a  large  grower,  often  attaining  a  height  of  3  feet, 
with  thick  leathery  leaves.  The  spikes  issue  from  the  axils  of  the 
leaves,  and  bear  a  great  many  large  flowers.  These  have  light 
green  sepals  and  petals,  and  a  large  pure  white  heart-shaped  lip. 
They  are  deliciously  scented,  and  their  long-lasting  properties,  and 
the  fact  that  the  plant  is  easily  grown  and  very  free  flowering, 
make  it  a  very  desirable  Orchid  where  there  is  room  for  its  full 
development. 
Certainly  the  best  in  the  genus  and  the  species  that  has  brought 
it  into  repute  is  A.  seequipedale,  the  wonderful  long- spurred 
Madagascar  Orchid,  introduced  by  the  late  Rev.  W.  Ellis.  This  is 
a  magnificent  winter-flowering  kind,  that  ought  to  be  largely 
represented  in  all  collections.  It  requires  plenty  of  heat  and 
moisture  the  whole  year  round,  and  a  light  sunny  position.  These 
are  now  in  flower,  and  are  among  the  most  useful  species  in  the 
genus;  but  several  other  choice  and  beautiful  kinds  are  included, 
which  I  hope  to  refer  to  in  a  future  issue. — H.  R.  R. 
MODERN  GRAPE  GROWING— ESTIMATE  of  VARIETIES. 
( Continued  from  page  35.) 
If  I  am  asked  which  I  consider  the  best  of  all  varieties  of  Grapes  in 
cultivation  I  unhesitatingly  say  Madresfield  Court.  That  this  high 
position  would  not  be  universally  accorded  to  it  I  am  aware.  As  regards 
flavour  many  people  would  prefer  a  Grape  with  the  Muscat  flavour  more 
pronounced,  as  in  Muscat  of  Alexandria  or  even  Chasselas  Musqub,  while 
a  few  there  are  who  do  not  like  Muscat  flavour  at  all,  but  prefer  the 
refreshing  vinous  taste  of  the  best  Black  Hamburghs. 
We  know  some  people  prefer  a  Seckle  Pear  to  a  Louise  Bonne  or  a 
Bon  Chretien  ;  but  I  question  if  such  persons  are  possessed  of  the  peculiar 
refinement  of  taste  necessary  to  judge  fruits.  It  is  the  same  in  regard 
to  perfumes,  and  the  sense  of  smell  and  taste  are  so  much  related  and 
mixed  up  that  it  is  difficult  to  tell  where  one  ends  and  the  other  begins. 
A  person  who  has  not  a  keen  discriminating  power  of  smelling  is  not  fit, 
and  never  ought  to  be  accepted  as  an  authority  on  flavour.  A  Violet, 
for  instance,  is  a  Violet  to  many  people  and  nothing  more  ;  but  there 
are  those  to  whom  the  scent  of  the  old  small  Russian  and  the  old- 
fashioned  variety  of  Neapolitan  are  delicious,  while  the  scent  of  some  of 
the  larger  growing  varieties,  including  The  Czar  is  not  even  pleasant. 
But  I  am  wandering.  I  consider  there  is  such  a  perfect  mixture  of  the 
vinous  and  the  Muscat  flavours  in  Madresfield  Court  as  we  do  not  meet 
with  in  any  other  Grape  with  which  I  am  acquainted. 
Muscat  of  Alexandria,  when  well  finished,  is  very  good  if  one  has 
just  half  a  dozen  berries  to  eat  ;  but  it  soon  cloys  the  palate.  Madresfield 
Court  would  never  do  so.  In  appearance,  too,  Madresfield  Court  can 
hold  its  own.  I  have  never  Been  its  berries  quite  black  when  grown  to 
their  largest  size,  but  even  if  they  are  only  brown  it  must  take  a  high 
position.  A  few  years  ago  three  bunches,  grown  by  myself  and  weighing 
between  4  and  5  lbs.  each,  were  exhibited  at  Bath,  the  Crystal  Palace, 
and  afterwards  at  South  Kensington.  They  were  not  black,  but  they 
obtained  the  first  place  at  all  three  shows,  and  I  consider  that  notwith¬ 
standing  their  lack  of  perfect  colour  they  were  the  best  I  have  seen.  1 
have  since  tried  to  grow  some  more  like  them,  but  have  never  quite 
succeeded.  Judges  are  often  placed  in  a  difficult  position  at  country 
shows  where  there  is  a  class  for  “  any  other  black,”  and  Madresfield  is 
shown  in  good  condition  but  not  quite  black.  While  Alicante,  Alnwick 
Seedling,  Gros  Maroc,  or  other  second-class  varieties  are  shown  in  perfect 
form.  The  Judges  are  fully  alive  to  the  fact  that  more  cultural  skill  is 
required  to  produce  the  Madresfield  Court,  though  it  is  a  little  brown  ; 
but  in  most  cases  they  decide  as  the  crowd  would  do,  and  award  the 
premier  place  to  the  black  ones.  It  is  unfortunate  that  these  varieties 
should  ever  be  in  the  same  classes  to  compete  with  each  other. 
There  is  no  Grape  that  wasps  will  attack  so  soon  as  Madresfield 
Court.  This  is  noton  account  of  the  thinness  of  the  Bkin,  for  Black 
Hamburgh  is  generally  quite  as  thin  ;  but  the  Black  Hamburghs  will  be 
quite  safe  so  long  as  there  is  the  shadow  of  a  bunch  of  Madresfield  Court 
