August  13,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
149 
Trichopilias. 
Growers  who,  in  the  race  for  new  CypripediRras,  Odontoglots 
or  Cattleyas,  give  a  little  attention  to  some  of  the  less  showy  and 
popular  kinds  often  find  in  them  considerable  interest,  and  usually 
in  collections  where  such  as  these  are  grown  there  is  something  out 
of  the  ordinary  to  be  seen  in  flower. 
Before  visiting  many  places  nowadays 
one  may  form  a  fairly  correct  idea  of 
what  will  be  seen  in  flower,  and  it  is 
remarkable  how  often  the  same  species, 
varieties  or  hybrids,  will  be  seen  and 
noted  in  one  place  after  another. 
Trichopilias  can  as  yet  perhaps  be 
hardly  relegated  to  the  ranks  of 
neglected  Orchids,  but  already  there 
are  signs  of  this,  and  it  would  be  a 
great  pity  if  they  are — in  company 
with  so  many  beautiful  kinds  that 
one  could  name — to  be  pushed  to  the 
wall  to  make  room  for  the  present 
day  favourites. 
Instead  of  the  old  interest  in  look¬ 
ing  through  a  collection  not  visited 
before,  and  the  certainty  of  finding 
something  that  one  has  not  previously 
seen,  or  at  all  events  for  a  long  time, 
we  shall  see  the  same  familiar  kinds 
at  place  after  place,  and  beautiful  as 
they  undoubtedly  are  I  for  one,  and 
many  more  I  am  sure,  will  be  sorry 
to  see  our  older  Orchids — of  which 
Trichopilia  is  one  of  many  genera 
that  could  be  named — ousted  to  make 
room. 
Most  of  the  Trichopilias  inhabit 
the  country  from  Southern  Mexico  in 
the  Northern  Continent  to  Ecuador 
in  the  South,  several  species  being  found  about  the  neighbourhood  of 
Costa  Rica.  They  are  dwarf-growing  epiphytes  related  to  Oncidium, 
but  easily  distinguished  from  these,  and  a  well  marked  genus. 
T .  fragrans  is  perhaps  best  known  as  a  Pilumna,  and  ditfers  in  its  likes 
and  dislikes  culturally,  liking  less  heat,  though  it  is  quite  possible  to 
grow  them  side  by  side  in  the  cool  end  of  the  Cattleya  house  or  with 
FIG.  32.— E.  J.  BAILLIE,  ESQ. 
the  Mexican  section  of  Lilias.  None  of  the  species  is  difiicult  to 
grow,  much  more  depending  on  careful  attention  to  small  details 
of  cleaning,  good  open  compost,  and  nicely  tempered  atmosphere 
than  to  any  stated  temperature  or  strict  system  of  growth.  Possibly 
they  are  moat  satisfactory  suspended  from  the  roof  in  wood  baskets, 
and  the  ahading  arranged  so  that  on  the  one  hand  the  foliage  will 
not  suffer,  on  the  other  the  light  ia  not  much  subdued.  Here  they 
get  the  beat  of  the  air  currents,  a  very  important  matter  with  all 
Orchids  coming  from  near  the  sea  coast,  where  naturally  they  are 
much  exposed  to  its  influence. 
When  giving  new  compost  it  is  important  that  all  the  old  and 
soured  material  should  be  removed  from  about  the  roots,  and  if 
this  were  in  a  very  bad  ^condition  the  latter  must  be  well  washed  in 
tepid  water  before  placing  in  the  new 
material.  Keep  the  base  of  the  lead, 
ing  bulbs  above  the  line  of  the  basket, 
and  fix  them  firmly  in  position.  Half 
the  depth  of  shallow  baskets,  and  two- 
thirds  that  of  deeper  ones,  may  be 
filled  with  drainage,  and  the  compost 
may  consist  of  equal  parts  of  peat 
fibre  and  sphagnum.  Add  to  this 
plenty  of  finely  broken  crocks  and 
charcoal,  and  use  all  in  a  rough  open 
condition. 
The  same  compost  and  same  manner 
of  treatment  will  be  suitable  for  plants 
growing  in  pots,  but  owing  to  their 
position  on  the  stages  these  do  not  as 
a  rule  require  so  much  water  as  those 
in  baskets.  In  this  matter  they  must 
not  be  stinted,  for  it  will  be  found 
when  growing  freely  that  the  roots 
dry  up  rapidly.  Their  growing  season 
varies,  some  plants  being  in  growth 
nearly  all  the  year  round  ;  but  if  they 
can  be  got  into  the  habit  of  making 
the  young  pseudo-bulbs  during  early 
spring  and  summer  and  ripening  these 
with  the  autumn  sun  they  will  be 
much  more  satisfactory  than  if  grow¬ 
ing  during  the  winter  months,  when 
the  conditions  are  not  conducive  to  a 
solid  or  healthy  growth,  but  the  reverse. 
T.  fragrans  is  perhaps  the  only  one 
that  |does  (better  in  pots  than  baskets,  but  even  here  more  depends 
i  on  cultural  method  than  on  the  receptacle,  for  in  looking  through  a 
collection  of  Orchids  about  a  month  ago  I  came  across  several 
large  baskets  of  this  species  nearly  2  feet  in  diameter  in  splendid 
j  health,  and  I  am  looking  forward  to  seeing  these  plants  when  in 
,  flower  ;  the  large  mass  of  pure  white  blossoms,  each  with  its  dense 
FIG.  33.— GEORGE  A.  EICKSON,  ESQ. 
eye-like  blotch  of  yellow,  must  make  a  pretty  floral  picture  if  they 
are  produced  with  the  freedom  that  their  present  condition  warrants. 
The  variety  nobilis  is  a  large  growing  and  flowering  form  of  the 
typical  plant,  but  does  not  otherwise  differ  from  it,  both  being 
deliciously  scented,  and  flowering  at  various  times  of  the  year. 
I  If  grown  quite  cool  considerable  care  is  needed  in  watering  this 
'  species,  the  roots  being  easily  injured  by  overdoses,  more  especially 
'  should  the  compost  be  at  all  close  or  heavy. 
FIG.  31.— H.  ENFIELD  TAYLOR,  ESQ. 
