516 
■JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDEN  DR. 
June  4,  1898. 
s 
Odontoglossum  lysoglossum. 
The  section  of  this  genus  to  which  0.  luteo-purpureum  and 
similar  kinds  belong  is  rich  in  natural  hybrids,  and  although  classed 
as  a  species  there  is  little  doubt  that  this  fine  Orchid  is  one  of 
those.  It  is  a  splendid  plant  whether  species  or  hybrid,  and  one 
that  no  collection  should  lack.  The  flowers  are  individually  large, 
and  produced  on  fine  racemes  from  the  side  of  the  pseudo¬ 
bulbs.  The  sepals  and  petals  are  bright  yellow,  undulated  and 
deeply  toothed,  having  several  large  blotches  of  dark  brown  ; 
the  lip  is  folded  at  the  point,  and  similar  in  colour  to  the  other 
segments.  The  plant  is  vigorous  and  free  blooming,  quite  as  easily 
grown  as  the  well-known  O.  luteo-purpureum,  and  thriving  under 
similar  conditions. 
A  small  pot  half  filled  with  drainage,  and  a  compost  consisting 
of  equal  parts  of  peat  fibre  and  sphagnum,  will  grow  it  well,  and 
the  coolest  house  at  command  should  be  chosen  for  it.  No  drying 
off  is  necessary,  but  plenty  of  water  must  be  given  all  the  year 
round,  more,  of  course,  when  growing  and  rooting  freely  than 
when  comparatively  speaking  at  rest.  The  house  wherein  this 
class  of  plant  is  grown  must  be  freely  ventilated,  heavily  shaded, 
and  kept  moist  during  the  summer  ;  and  if  this  is  not  convenient 
they  will  be  much  more  satisfactory  in  a  cool  shady  frame  from 
now  until  September,  than  in  a  hot  or  dry  structure. 
• 
Newly  Imported  Orchids. 
The  comparatively  high  prices  that  still  have  to  be  paid  for 
established  Orchids  from  nurserymen  of  repute,  and  the  many  dis¬ 
appointments  consequent  on  buying  from  others  who  make  a 
speciality  of  Orchids  cheap  and  rubbishy — not  to  use  the  stronger 
expression — have  led  many  amateurs  to  fall  back  upon  imported 
plants  wherewith  to  replenish  or  form  their  collections.  These  are 
easy  to  obtain,  and  procurable  oftentimes  at  a  fraction  of  the  cost 
of  the  former  class  of  plant,  and  so  well  is  the  work  of  transport 
now  understood  and  the  transit  so  rapid  that  really  in  some 
instances  there  is  little  to  choose  between  them.  Some  weeks  ago 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  a  look  through  a  collection,  formed  in  less 
than  two  years  in  the  manner  indicated,  and  although  I  knew  the 
owner  was  keen  in  the  matter  of  Orchid  buying,  I  was  surprised  to 
see  so  many  plants  in  flower  and  spike. 
From  the  condition  of  these  plants  it  was  evident  that  some 
species  get  over  their  journey  much  quicker  and  with  less  injury 
than  others,  and  in  forming  a  collection  this  fact  ought  not  to  be 
lost  sight  of.  There  are  many  species  that,  in  fact  are,  if  imported 
in  good  order,  worth  more  than  plants  of  the  same  size  would  be 
after  having  been  several  years  in  this  country.  Take  the  majority 
of  the  nigro-hirsute  Dendrobiums  as  an  instance.  There  is  no 
trouble  in  establishing  such  as  D.  formosum,  D.  infundibulum,  or 
any  of  this  race,  though  they  may  look  much  shrivelled  and  out  of 
condition.  They  have  all  the  innate  vigour  in  them,  and  only 
need  the  stimulating  heat  and  moisture  to  bring  this  forth  from 
the  dry  parched  looking  bulbs.  Note  the  sound  plump  eyes  at 
the  base  of  these  ;  see  how  quickly  they  reply  to  the  more 
congenial  conditions  of  the  Orchid  house  after  their  loDg  drying. 
Could  anyone  hope  so  to  bring  round  a  plant  that  had  got  into 
this  condition  under  our  artificial  treatment  ?  I  think  not. 
Epidendrum  bicornutum,  the  most  beautiful  kind  in  this  extensive 
genus,  is  another  case  in  point.  Cattleya  superba  is  another,  and 
many  more  might  easily  be  instanced. 
To  leave  these  rather  difficult  subjects  to  keep  in  health,  and 
turn  to  those  more  easily  suited  in  our  artificial  climates,  there  are 
again  many  that  in  a  very  short  space  of  time  look  as  well,  and 
flower  as  freely,  as  plants  grown  regularly  and  systematically  for 
years.  I  have  not  infrequently  received  plants  of  Odontoglossum 
citrosmum  one  day  and  potted  them  the  next  in  the  usual  way, 
and  quite  a  number  of  these  have  produced  flower  spikes  on  the 
first  new  growth.  0.  pulchellum  again  grows  away  at  once  with 
the  greatest  freedom,  sending  out  new  roots,  and  forming  capital 
pseudo-bulbs  the  first  year.  0.  Halli  and  O.  Reichenheimi  will 
swell  up  immense  bulbs  if  allowed  rather  more  heat  than  usually 
accorded  them,  and  kept  in  a  moist  atmosphere.  Dendrobium 
Bensonire  and  D.  Parrishi  are  two  kinds  that  cannot  be  called 
difficult  of  cultivation,  yet  how  often  one  comes  across  them  in 
anything  but  the  best  form.  These  if  newly  imported  grow  at  a 
great  rate,  and  often  improve  on  the  native  pseudo-bulbs. 
All  the  deciduous  section  of  this  last  genus  may  be  easily 
induced  to  flower  in  the  first  formed  growths  if  started  at  the 
proper  time  and  judiciously  treated,  D.  Wardianum,  D.  Pissardi, 
D.  Devonianum,  and  their  varieties  and  allies  included.  The  ever¬ 
green  kinds,  on  the  other  hand,  although  easily  established  and  soon 
making  good  plants,  do  not  as  a  rule  flower  quite  so  quickly.  But 
with  these  the  time  of  waiting  is  well  repaid,  for  the  racemes  on 
such  as  D.  densiflorum,  D.  suavissimum,  and  others,  are  truly  grand 
when  once  the  plants  are  established,  and  possess  a  richness  of 
colour  not  usually  seen  in  older  specimens.  There  is  yet  another 
class  of  Orchid  that  may  be  said  to  be  too  free  blooming  at  first ; 
and  how  many  fine  promising  plants  of  the  crispum  and  Marshalli- 
anum  type  of  Oncidium  have  been  killed  by  this  premature 
flowering  it  would  indeed  be  difficult  to  say.  This,  of  course,  is 
easily  prevented,  and  a  cultivator  who  allows  his  plants  to  flower 
themselves  to  death  has  only  himself  to  thank.  Curiosity  as  to  the 
variety  is  only  a  lame  excuse,  for  a  blossom  or  two  left  on  a  spike 
would  be  ample  to  determine  this,  and  no  injury  to  the  plant  would 
result. 
Taken  as  a  whole,  then,  there  is  much  to  say  in  favour  of 
imported  plants,  but,  as  will  be  noted,  all  those  named  above  are  of 
the  pseudo-bulbous  division.  These,  from  their  nature,  lend  them¬ 
selves  more  readily  to  the  drying  processes  consequent  on  importa¬ 
tion,  while  those  that  like  it  least  will  be  found  among  the  evergreen 
distichous-leaved  and  other  Orchids  not  bearing  pseudo-bulbs.  This 
section  comprises  many  fine  Orchids,  of  which  Aerides  and  Vandas, 
Angroecums,  Phalsenopsis,  Masdevallias,  and  Cypripediums  need 
only  be  named.  Space  does  not  permit  my  going  fully  into  these  in 
this  note,  though  an  opportunity  may  arise  for  a  little  further 
discussion  on  the  subject.  All,  of  course,  can  be  established  with 
more  or  less  loss  during  the  process,  but  I  would  strongly  recom¬ 
mend  inexperienced  readers  to  let  them  alone  until  they  have  tried 
their  hand  at  the  pseudo-bulbous  division. 
The  chief  point  to  study  with  them  all  is  to  gradually  inure 
them  to  their  altered  conditions  by  not  giving  too  much  water  or 
allowing  much  heat  at  first,  keep  everything  about  them  sweet  and 
clean,  and  when  the  compost  is  applied  mix  this  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  allow  a  full  and  free  passage  for  both  air  and  water.  They 
can  then  hardly  fail  to  be  satisfactory,  and  in  due  course  the 
opening  flower  will  be  a  source  of  much  interest  and  pleasurable 
speculation. — H.  R.  R. 
An  Exhibition  of  Orchids. 
Exhibitions  of  Orchids  alone  are  not  met  with  every  day,  but 
there  is  one  now  in  progress  at  the  nurseries  of  Mr.  W.  Bull, 
King’s  Road,  Chelsea,  which  has  been  open  for  some  time,  and  will 
remain  on  view  for  several  weeks  yet.  The  house  in  which  the 
hundreds  of  Orchids  are  exhibited  is  a  span-roofed  one,  having  one 
wide  central  bed  with  comparatively  narrow  stages  round  each  side 
and  along  the  end3  to  the  doors.  The  utility  of  Orchids  as  town 
plants  is  well  exemplified  by  the  excellence  of  the  flowers  in  this 
collection,  notwithstanding  the  soot  and  smoke  with  which  they  are 
almost  continually  covered  and  surrounded. 
Rich  alike  in  variety  and  quality,  the  present  show  is 
undoubtedly  one  of  the  finest  that  has  ever  been  held  under  the 
auspices  of  Mr.  Bull,  and  it  contains  many  a  single  plant  that  is 
alone  worth  a  long  journey  to  see.  Another  lesson  that  is  taught 
here  is  in  the  arrangement  of  the  plants.  While  as  one  walks  round 
the  house,  though  one  rarely  finds  a  blank  space,  there  is  never  the 
slightest  suspicion  of  crowding  ;  on  the  contrary,  each  plant  seems 
when  it  is  reached  to  stand  alone,  entirely  on  its  own  resources, 
and  admirably  is  each  one  fitted  to  its  task.  Looking  along 
the  structure  from  any  position,  the  charming  flowers  produce  such 
an  effect  as  is  too  rarely  seen,  and  thanks  must  be  accorded  for  this 
to  the  graceful  sprays  of  the  Odontoglossums,  the  elegant  Oncidiums, 
the  stately  Cattleyas  and  Laslias,  the  arching  spikes  of  the  Cymbi- 
diums,  the  bold  upstanding  flowers  of  the  Cypripediums,  and  the 
many  others  that  are.  grown.  Each  plant,  each  flower  even,  has  a 
merit  of  its  own,  to  appreciate  which  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that 
the  flowers  be  visited  and  inspected  at  home. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  determine  in  which  section  of  Orchids 
the  exhibition  ia  richest,  but  Leelias  can  be  placed  second  to  none  ; 
so  we  will  give  them  first  attention.  Of  course,  the  L.  purpuratas 
are  now  to  the  fore,  and  these  in  their  diversity  would  make  a 
show  of  themselves.  The  colours  range  from  the  pure  white  of 
the  sepals  and  petals  in  L.  p.  alba  to  those  with  crimson  markings 
on  the  same  organs  of  a  new  variety  named  L.  p.  versicolor,  which 
is  the  gem  of  the  whole  collection.  With  the  richness  of  the  colour 
are  combined  size,  substance,  and  form.  Besides  these  two  there 
