1^0 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August.  20,  ]896. 
Orchid  Flowers. 
On  page  123  in  the  issue  of  August  8th  there  is  an  appreciative 
note  by  “C.”  respecting  the  blossonas  of  Bulbophyllum  barbigerum, 
which  he  truly  describes  as  a  “  wonderful  plant,”  and  “  more  than 
a  botanical  curiosity.”  In  this  latter  few  words  “  C.’’  has  hit  the 
mark  exactly,  for  not  only  the  Orchid  he  refers  to  but  scores  of 
others,  wonderfully  constructed  as  they  are,  even  from  the  rather 
dry  point  of  view  of  a  botanist,  have  a  charm  for  the  lover  of 
Nature  and  her  work  that  is  quite  distinct  from  all  classification  or 
systems.  Interesting  it  undoubtedly  is  to  trace  the  origin  of  these 
lovely  blossoms  from  the  simple  forms  that,  according  to  our 
learned  savants,  they  have  sprung,  and  to  speculate  on  the  missing 
links  that  connect  them  with  the  humbler  members  of  the  mono¬ 
cotyledons  ;  but  infinitely  more  interesting  and  attractive  it  is  to 
read  the  open  book  of  Nature,  to  note  the  gorgeous  beauty  of 
Cattleyas,  the  quiet  grace  of  Odontoglossums,  and  the  marvellous 
structure  of  the  class  of  plant  represented  by  the  Bulbophyllum 
named. 
What  is  this  inherent  attraction — this  peculiar  charm  that  every 
Orchid  has  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  ?  It  would,  I  think,  be  very 
difficult  to  say  ;  but  there  it  is,  and  every  lover  of  Orchids  knows 
it.  Other  flowers  have  just  as  bright  colours,  as  delicate  perfume 
and  texture  ;  many  of  the  Iris  family,  indeed,  are  at  the  first 
glance  extremely  like  an  Orchid,  but  they  have  none  of  them  the 
occult  power  of  attracting  us  and  retaining  our  interest  possessed 
by  the  humblest  and  most  common  of  Orchids.  I  well  remember 
when  a  boy  walking  miles  from  the  confines  of  a  large  manufac¬ 
turing  town  to  pick  flowers  of  the  common  Twayblade,  Listera 
ovata,  or  the  early  purple  Orchis  mascula  ;  and  although  living  now 
where  these  and  many  other  native  kinds  are  as  plentiful  almost  as 
Buttercupi,  I  can  no  more  resist  the  temptation  of  plucking  and 
examining  them  now  than  then.  And  what  a  field  for  observation 
lies  in  these  trivial-looking  little  blossoms  !  The  lines  of  colour 
on  the  labellumi,  marking  out  a  path  for  the  insect,  attracted 
thereby  to  the  sensitive  and  beautifully  constructed  genital  organs, 
the  various  contrivances  whereby  these  insects  are  made  to  fertilise 
the  blossoms  while  seeking  only  the  secretion  in  the  nectary,  or  the 
devices  to  prevent  self-fertilisation. 
Let  anyone  who  has  never  before  done  so  take  a  copy  of 
Darwin’s  little  book  on  this  subject,  and  follow  the  author’s 
argument  in  respect  of  only  one  of  these  so-called  common  species, 
and  if  he  is  not  afterwards  desirous  of  knowing  yet  more  of  the 
inner  life  of  the  flower  I  should  have  a  poor  opinion  of  hU 
faculties  of  observation  or  his  love  of  the  beautiful  in  Nature. 
Then  look  at  the  admirable  mimicry  of  insects  and  various  members 
of  the  animal  kingdom,  of  which  so  many  instances  may  be  found. 
To  cite  a  well-known  example  of  a  cultivated  species  take  the 
Cycnoches  or  Swan  Orchids.  In  C.  ventricosum  the  column  support, 
ing  the  pollen  masses  is  an  almost  exact  likeness  in  miniature  of  the 
gracefully  curved  neck  of  a  swan,  the  pollen  masses  themselves 
representing  the  head,  and  only  a  very  slight  stretch  of  the 
imagination  is  required  to  see  in  the  sepals  a  not  inapt  representa¬ 
tion  of  the  wings  and  body.  In  C.  chlorochilon  the  same  thing  is 
observed,  though  not  in  quite  so  striking  a  degree. 
Another  well-known  instance  is  the  Dove  Orchid,  this  being 
possibly  the  most  striking  of  all,  the  column  and  lip  being  the 
exact  counterpart  of  a  pure  white  dove.  Oncidium  papilio  again 
has  the  likeness  to  a  butterfly  greatly  heightened  by  the  slender 
stalks,  almost  invisible  at  a  little  distance,  while  among  the  native 
kinds  Ophrys  apifera,  the  Bee  Orchid,  and  O.  muscifera,  the  Fly 
Orchid,  need  only  be  named. 
No  other  family  can  show  such  a  wonderful  and  seemingly 
endless  variety  of  form,  size,  and  features  as  Orchids,  the  habit 
varying  as  much  as  the  flowers.  Some  are  of  the  most  delicate  and 
exquisite  tints  of  colour,  while  others  are  sombre  looking  and  dull ; 
yet  the  latter  have  the  same  attraction  to  an  Orchid  lover  as  the 
former.  Look  at  Cattleya  Dowiana  aurea,  with  its  magnificent 
lip  ;  there  is  hardly  a  more  gorgeous  bit  of  colouring  to  be 
found  in  any  flower  in  cultivation.  Turn  to  the  grotesque  looking 
Masdevallia  chimaera  ;  note  the  beautiful  individual  features  of 
this  weird  looking  blossom,  and  who  can  say  it  is  not  attractive  ? 
Quite  different  are  the  pigmy  varieties  of  Pleurothallis,  the  tiny 
Masdevaliias  of  the  tridactylite  and  similar  forms,  the  substance  of 
the  segments  being  similar  to  the  finest  gossamer,  the  stems  that 
carry  them  being  so  minute  that  the  slightest  movement  of  the  air 
sets  them  all  in  motion.  It  is  a  far  cry  from  these  to  the  long- 
spurred  Angrsecum,  A.  sesquipedale,  with  its  large,  heavily  textured, 
pure  white  blossoms  ;  yet  among  the  thousands  of  intermediate 
forms  that  exist  between  the  two  there  is'not  a  single  species  that 
has  not  some  distinguishing  mark  whereby  it  is  known  from  its 
compeers,  each  and  every  one  of  them  having  the  same  fascination 
when  closely  viewed  or  examined  carefully. 
Into  the  various  parts  of  the  blossoms  there  is  not  space  to  go, 
but  to  take  perhaps  the  most  attractive  of  all — viz.,  the  lip.  What 
an  extraordinary  feature  is  this,  and  who  could  imagine  that  the 
lip,  say,  of  Sobralia  macrantha — large,  simply  formed,  and  spread¬ 
ing — was  the  same  organ  as  that  of  a  Cypripedium  for  instance, 
where  we  find  it  is  folded  into  quite  a  different  form?  Then  take 
the  wonderfully  sensitive  lip  of  the  Bulbophyllum,  so  aptly 
described  by  “  C.,”  and  contrast  it  with  the  heavy  massive  organ 
on  Angrsecum  eburneum.  No  other  family  of  plants  can  show 
such  marvellous  form  or  such  beautiful  features,  and,  enormous  as 
the  interest  in  Orchids  has  become,  there  is  not  the  least  doubt 
that  it  will  still  further  increase,  for  even  supposing  we  had  taken 
the  last  Orchid  from  its  native  habitat — a  very  unlikely  supposi¬ 
tion,  by  the  way — who  can  say  what  new  and  striking  forms  will  not 
be  produced  artificially  ? 
The  number  of  hybrids  already  raised,  large  as  it  is,  will 
P'obably  be  more  than  doubled  during  the  next  few  years,  the  work 
now  being  not  in  the  hands  of  a  few  as  formerly,  every  Orchid 
grower  of  any  note  trying  his  hand  at  this  interesting  and 
delightful  occupation. — H.  R.  R 
GARDENS  ABOUT  LONDON. 
The  Warren,  Hayes. 
A  FEW  weeks  ago  a  brief  note  relative  to  the  magnificent  Carna¬ 
tions  at  The  Warren  were  given  in  these  columns,  and  thoagh  again 
reverting  to  the  estate,  it  is  not  to  touch  these  flowers,  bat  to  deal  with 
the  gardens  generally.  As  was  hinted  in  the  contribution  referred  to 
above,  the  gardens  are  admirably  cultivated,  and  show  that  Mr.  Charles 
Blick  is  a  gardener  in  all  senses  of  the  word,  and  not,  as  has  been  sug¬ 
gested,  a  grower  of  Carnations  alone.  In  one  respect  the  fame  which 
has  been  attracted  to  the  place  by  the  Carnations  and  Picotees  is  a 
disadvantage,  as  it  inevitably  leads  to  the  erroneous  supposition  that 
nothing  else  is  grown.  Such  a  one-sided  state  of  affairs  would  suit  neither 
the  gardener  nor  Martin  R.  Smith,  Esq.,  the  proprietor,  who  has  a 
horticulturist’s  eye  for  the  beauties  of  plants  and  of  flowers,  and  an 
epicurean’s  palate  for  luscious  fruit  and  first-class  vegetables.  Such 
being  the  case,  let  us  hear  no  more  of  The  Warren  as  a  Carnation  place 
only,  but  rather  that  it  is  an  estate  where  horticulture  in  its  best  style 
is  the  order  of  the  day.  _____ 
The  differences  of  appearance  to  be  found  here  are  distinctly  carious 
and  most  diverting.  For  example,  one  moment  beds  of  flowers  may  be 
under  examination,  while  the  next  will  find  the  visitor  amongst  a 
perfect  sea  of  Bracken,  and  again  on  a  broad  grass  walk  flanked  on  the 
one  side  by  the  tall  waving  fronds  ot  the  Fern,  and  on  the  other  by  a 
border  of  hardy  flowers.  Thus  is  found  natural  growth,  and  the  result 
of  artificial  manipulation.  Planted  in  suitable  positions  are  handsome 
trees,  and  these  add  very  greatly  to  the  general  good  effect.  It  was  from 
a  position  amongst  the  Bracken,  looking  between  the  trees  over  the  broad 
lawns  to  the  ornate  mansion,  that  the  photograph,  of  which  we  give  a 
reproduction  (fig.  38),  was  taken,  and  it  conveys  better  than  words  an 
idea  of  this  portion  of  the  pleasure  grounds.  The  operator  to  whom  we 
are  indebted  for  the  picture  is  Mr.  Nigel  Martin  Smith,  and  he  is  to  be 
congratulated  on  the  clearness  of  the  original.  Tne  lawns  are  brown  to 
a  truly  pitiable  extent  from  the  serious  lack  of  moisture,  it  being  a 
matter  of  impossibility  to  go  thoroughly  over  the  whole  extent  with 
the  hose. 
A  border  of  hardy  flowers  was  incidentally  referred  to  in  the  previous 
paragraph.  This  is  a  charming  feature,  containing  a  very  varied 
collection  of  floriferous  plants,  from  which  thousands  of  floweia  can  be 
taken  without  the  necessity  of  very  much  labour.  Not  that  it  is  the 
only  one  of  its  kind  in  the  gardeos  ;  indeed,  there  are  two,  one  on  each 
side  of  a  broad  walk  leading  from  the  gardens  to  the  residence,  that  are 
of  even  greater  beauty.  The  plaits  are  not  allowed  to  fall  about  in  an 
untidy  manner,  but  nevertheless  no  stiffness  in  staking  or  tying  is 
endurable.  As  all  readers  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  know  perfectly 
well  what  plants  are  suitable  for  such  positions,  a  long  list  of  names 
will  not  be  inflicted  on  them,  as  their  imaginations  will  easily  enough 
picture  the  scenes  and  the  plants  so  advantageously  employed. 
From  this  walk  we  turn  to  the  vegetable  garden,  or  rather  one  of 
them,  for  in  all  there  are  three  in  various  positions.  Close  cropping  is 
here  the  order  of  the  day,  for  space  is  valuable,  and  the  supply  required 
of  considerable  extent.  First  attention  was  claimed  by  the  Onion  bed, 
which  contained  many  splendid  bulbs  grown  from  seeds  sown  early  this 
year.  These  are  highly  creditable,  and  in  their  attainment  much  time 
and  labour  must  necessarily  have  been  expended.  Carrots  and  Turnips, 
which  have  come  patchy  with  unpleasant  frequency  this  season,  are 
above  the  average  ;  while  the  Parsnips  and  Beets  are  splendid.  Turning 
from  the  vegetables  that  are  valuable  for  their  roots  to  the  green  crops, 
we  find  the  same  standard  of  excellence,  and  the  same  may  safely  be 
