May  28,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
485 
year’s  standard  was  arrived  at.  Perhap*  other  visitors  will  favour 
with  their  convictions  on  this  point  ?  Individually,  however,  there 
were  some  of  the  most  charming  Orchids  that  one  could  wish  to 
see,  but  these  were  vastly  in  the  minority,  the  remainder  being 
of  good  average  quality  or  under  it.  Many  were  the  expressions 
of  genuine  regret  when  it  was  found  that  Baron  Schroder  was 
not  amongst  the  contributors,  as  it  is  from  The  Dell  that  every¬ 
one  expects  to  see  something  of  the  best,  something  unrivalled 
in  its  superb  beauty.  No  doubt  the  ordeal  of  three  days’  sojourn 
in  the  stuffy  though  draughty  marquees  was  considered  too 
severe  for  the  plants,  but  if  only  a  few  were  staged  they  would 
be  wt-lcomed  and  appreciated.  Let  us  unite  in  the  hope  that  at 
the  next  Temple  show  the  B iron  will  sanction  a  small  exhibit,  if 
not  a  large  one.  _ __ _ 
Could  not  some  arrangement  be  made  whereby  the  necessity  of 
staging  in  the  old  stereotyped  manner  could  be  at  least  minimised, 
if  not  entirely  obviated  ?  As  it  is  now,  the  plants  are  packed  on 
long  stages,  which,  despite  the  beauty  of  the  flowers,  become 
slightly  monotonous  ere  the  end  is  reached.  That  variety  and  taste 
can  be  introduced  was  proved,  though  on  a  very  small  scale,  by 
Messrs.  Backhouse  &  Sons,  who  built  a  miniature  rookery,  from 
which  sprang  Ferns  and  Orchids,  principally  Odontoglossums.  The 
effect  produced  was  graceful  and  pleasing,  and  the  merits  of  the 
flowers  could  be  seen  with  the  same  ease  as  when  the  plants  were 
in  formal  rows.  Besides  this,  it  does  away  to  a  considerable 
extent  with  crowding — a  decided  advantage  where  one  desires  to 
see  the  leaves  as  well  as  the  flowers. 
Evidence  of  sp’endid  culture  was  seen  on  every  side,  and  in 
none,  perhaps,  more  than  in  the  exhibits  from  Mr.  F.  J.  Thorne, 
gardener  to  Major  Joicey,  and  Mr.  W.  H.  Young,  gardener  to  Sir 
Frederic  Wigan,  though  the  plants  from  Mr.  A.  Hislop,  gardener 
to  H.  S.  Leon,  Esq  ,  were  very  little  behind  in  this  respect.  This  is 
speaking  only  of  amateurs,  but  of  course  the  nurserymen  were 
strongly  and  well  represented.  Then  there  were  the  botanical 
Orchids  of  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Bart ,  that  are  always  well  staged 
by  the  grower,  Mr.  W.  H.  White.  For  interest  alone  these  stood 
supreme,  though  from  the  point  of  view  of  beauty  they  were  far 
outshone  by  the  eeveral  others.  Probably  the  credit  of  having 
brought  the  smallest  exhibit  belongs  to  Mr.  T.  W.  Bond,  gardener 
to  C.  L.  N.  Ingram,  Esq  ,  who  staged  one  Cattleya.  It  was  a  superb 
form  of  Mossise  named  C.  L.  N.  Ingram,  and  was  certainly  one  of 
the  finest  and  probably  the  largest  Cattleya  in  the  exhibition.  It 
deserved  the  recognition  that  was  accorded  to  it  in  the  form  of  an 
award  of  merit. 
For  richness  of  colour  the  place  of  honour  amongst  the  Cattleyas 
must  be  given  to  Mr.  A.  Hi»Iop’s  C.  speciosissima  Ernest.  Rarely 
do  we  see  such  Orchids  as  this.  Tbe  type  is  very  well  known  to  all 
orchidists,  but  those  who  missed  a  sight  of  this  variety  lost  one  of 
the  finest  features  in  the  whole  exhibition.  The  sepals  and  petals 
were  splendidly  formed,  but  tbe  colour  was  the  chief  merit.  This, 
throughout  these  organs,  was  of  the  most  intense  rose,  approaching 
crimson,  while  from  one  aspect  a  suffusion  of  purple  was  faintly 
perceptible,  The  lip  was  of  the  same  hue,  but  having  in  the 
centre  curious  dark  crimson  markings.  The  throat  and  side  Jobes 
were  rich  canary  yellow,  delicately  veined  wiih  rose.  This  was 
one  of  the  only  two  Cattleyas  that  were  honoured  by  first-class 
certificates,  the  other  being  Messrs.  H.  Low  &  C  .’s  superb  variety 
of  Cattleya  Mossise  Arnoldiana — of  a  different  stjle  of  beauty  ; 
this  also  was  little  short  of  perfect.  The  only  other  Cattleya 
specially  honoured  was  C.  Mossiae  Beatrice,  sent  by  Mr.  W.  H. 
Young.  _ 
Laelias  in  the  various  exhibits  were  of  average  quality,  only  two 
purpuratas  being  considered  by  the  adjudicators  worthy  of  marked 
notice.  Of  these  one  came  from  Messrs.  W.  L.  Lewis  &  Co.,  and  the 
other  from  Mr.  W.  H.  Young.  The  former,  called  L.  p.  Lewisi, 
was  distinct  improvement  on  the  majority  of  varieties,  the  colour 
being  almost  wholly  white.  On  the  lip  was  seen  the  only  variation 
afforded  by  some  very  faint  rose  lines.  This  received  a  first  class 
certificate,  while  L.  p.  Frederic  Wigan  secured  an  award  of  merit. 
Of  the  latter  the  most  beautiful  feature  was  the  colour— white, 
delicately  suffused  with  rose— of  the  sepals  and  petals.  The  lip 
had  something  more  than  a  rose  margin  and  a  rich  crimson  blotch 
of  considerable  size  extending  well  into  the  creamy  throat.  As 
jepresenting  bi-generic  Orchid*,  Lgglio-Cattleya  D.  8.  Btowd,  in 
Messrs.  F.  Kander  &  Co.’s  group,  was  not  quite  up  to  the  highest 
standard,  though  undoubtedly  good. 
Curiously  enough  Cvpnpediuins  were  neither  seen  in  extensive 
quantity  nor  particularly  high  quality.  True,  there  were  several 
plants  in  various  forms  that  were  very  good,  but  new  ones  were 
few  ;  in  fact,  as  with  the  Laelias,  only  two  were  adjudged  awards  of 
merit.  C.  Coradinei,  from  Messrs.  W.  L.  Lewis  &  Co.,  is  a  grand 
Orchid.  Tbe  flower  very  mas«ive  and  imposing,  the  dorsal 
sepal  being  particularly  well  developed.  In  colour  this  organ 
is  peculiar.  The  margins  white  with  a  dark  brownish  green 
centre  striped  and  veined  green  and  chocolate.  The  well  shaped 
petals  are  brown  tinged  with  greeD,  as  also  is  the  large  hand¬ 
some  pouch.  C.  Cowleyana  Annie  Louise  was  supposed  to  be  a 
hybrid  from  C.  Ourtisi  and  C.  niveum,  but  the  exact  parentage  is 
apparently  not  known.  The  pouch  is  creamy  white  at  the  base  and 
claret  at  the  upper  part,  while  the  petals  are  white  with  crimson 
spots.  The  ground  colour  of  the  beautiful  dorsal  sepal  is  also 
white  veined  with  pale  rose.  G.  W.  Law-Scbofield,  Esq  ,  was  the 
exhibitor. 
Odontoglossums  were  of  quite  exceptional  merit,  and  many 
were  the  beautiful  forms  staged.  Several  species  were  staged,  but 
the  majority  were  crispums,  not  as  a  rule  so  choice  as  those  from 
FIG.  80.— ODONTbGLOSSUM  CRISPUM  AUGUSTUM. 
Baron  Schi  Oder’s  unrivalled  collection  ;  but  Mons.  L.  Linden  sent 
one,  O.  c.  augmtum,  that  would  grace  any  Orchid  lover’s  house. 
The  handsomely  formed,  substantial  flowers  was  white,  with  heavy 
chocolate  blotches  in  colour.  It  received  a  first-class  certificate. 
Mr.  D.  Masterton,  gardener  to  Welbore  S.  Ellis,  Esq.,  had  some 
superb  crispums,  not  one,  but  several,  though  O.  c.  guttatum  Miss 
Victoria  Ellis  stood  at  the  head  of  all  for  beauty.  The  form  of  the 
flower  was  well  nigh  perfect,  and  the  colour  white,  with  reddish 
chocolate  spots  on  the  petals,  sepals,  and  lip.  O.  c.  Low®  from 
the  Clapton  growers,  was  of  exquisite  form.  The  white  ground 
colour  was  relieved  with  large  claret  crimson  brown  blotches  on 
both  sepals,  petals,  and  lip,  but  on  the  latter  organ  the  colour  wa* 
approaching  scarlet.  The  two  received  awards  of  merit. 
From  the  crispum  section  of  the  Odontoglossums  we  turned  to 
the  otberp,  and  found  two  that  bad  had  meted  out  to  them 
the  coveted  award  of  merit.  Mons.  Jules  Hye-Leysen  sent 
O.  vexillarium  coereana,  of  which  the  body  hue  was  a  very  rich 
rose,  the  beauty  being  decidedly  heightened  by  the  Picotee-like 
edge  of  white.  The  same  exhibitor  was  also  responsible  for 
O.  expansum,  an  exceedingly  beautiful  Orchid.  The  spike  on  the 
plant  shewn  carried  about  sixteen  flowers,  of  which  the  ground 
colour  was  white,  each  organ  being  spotted  dull  chocolate  ciimson. 
The  segments  have  crimped  edges,  The  only  other  Orchid  noted 
ns  having  been  particularly  honoured  was  Oncidium  varicosum 
giganteum  from  Mr,  W.  H.  YouDg.  The  immense  lip,  measuring 
upwards  of  2  inches  across,  was  of  the  brightest,  with  the 
exception  of  a  little  rich  red.  This  was  in  all  likelihood  the  most 
magnificent  variety  of  varicosum  that  has  yet  been  exhibited. 
These  notes  will  give  some  brief  idea  of  the  newer  Orchids  that 
wore  staged,  but  there  were  also  a  few  others  worthy  of  a  passing 
glance,  though  they  did  not  receive  offioia!  labels. 
Brief  reference  has  been  made  to  tbe  collection  of  Orchids 
staged  by  Mr.  W,  H.  White, and  though  they  cannot  be  particularised 
