Februarj'  6,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDEN EJl. 
123 
Cyprlpedlum  x  Venus,  Oakwood  variety. 
Hybridisation  is  working  wonders  with  Cypripediuins,  for 
witli  tliem  tlie  change  from  more  or  less  dull  combinations  of 
colours  to  the  lighter  shades  and  the  variety  of  well-defined  tones 
is  perhaps  more  remarkable  than  with  any  other  Orchidaceous 
genus.  The  Oakwood  variety  of  Cypripedium  Venus  was  shown 
in  public  for  the  first  time  on  January  28,  1902,  in  the  Drill 
Hall,  Westminster,  when  the  Orchid  Committee  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  awarded  the  novelty  a  First  Class  Certi¬ 
ficate.  The  successful  hybridiser  and  possessor  in  this  instance 
is  Norman  C.  Cookson.  Ksq.  (gardener,  Mr.  Win.  Mui-ray), 
Oakwood,  Wylam,  Northumberland.  Though  not  a  large  flower 
(see  illustration  on  page  123),  it  is  yet  most  chaste,  exceedingly 
sweet  and  soft  in  colour,  as  is  natural  from  the  parentage 
C.  insigne  Sanderse  x  C.  niveum. 
No  hybrid  Orchid  (or  hybrid 
Cypripedium,  shall  we  say  ?)  has 
received  such  marked  attention 
*'and  admiration  as  this  did  for  a 
long  while,  according  to  our  ex¬ 
perience.  The  lip  is  creamy  with 
a  suspicion  of  greenish  shade ; 
the  forward  curving  petals  are 
paler  still,  and  dotted  all  over 
with  reddish  spots ;  the  dorsal 
sepal  is  wavy  edged  like  the 
petals,  v'ith  white  margin  and 
tinged  green  towards  the  centre, 
being  also  spotted.  The  foliage 
is  greyish,  with  dark  green  reticu¬ 
lation.  The  plant,  which  bore 
one  flower,  was  removed  at  an 
early  hour,  the  flower  having 
been  cut  off.  We  trust  that 
some  other  hybrids  of  a  like 
nature  to  Cypripedium  Venus, 
Oakwood  variety,  will  continue  to 
appear  from  Mr.  Cookson’s  hands. 
Oncidiums. 
(Concluded  from  page  76.) 
O.  Forbesi  is  a  splendid  species 
belonging  to  the  O.  crispum  set, 
its  large  and  richly  coloured 
flowers  making  it  a  favourite 
everywhere.  Unfortunately  it 
shows  a  disposition  to  give  way 
after  it  has  been  in  cultivation  a 
few  years,  often  flowering  itself 
to  death.  The  colour  is  a  rich 
glossy  chestnut  brown,  with  a 
bright  yellow  wavy  margin,  and 
the  blossoms  occur  on  large, 
many-flowered  spikes.  O.  Gard¬ 
ner!  is  a  somewhat  similar,  but 
stronger  growing  species. 
In  O.  hsematochilum  we  have  a 
totally  different  plant,  bulbless, 
with  large  and  handsomely  spotted 
leaves  and  showy  flowers.  With  this  may  be  grouped 
O.  Lanceanum,  a  similar  and  equally  beautiful  species.  To  do 
these  well  a  fairly  hot  and  moist  house  is  essential,  and  only  a 
moderate  thickness  of  compost,  this  consisting  principally  of 
sphagnum  and  crocks.  Every  endeavour  should  be  made  to  ripen 
the  growth  of  these  plants  in  autumn,  as  the  leaves  act  in  much 
the  -same  way  as  the  pseudo-bulb  of  other  species,  and  unless 
they  are  well  consolidated  they  drop  off  wholesale  in  winter. 
O.  macranthum  and  its  allies,  O.  serratum,  O.  loxense, 
0.  hastiferum,  and  others  are  too  numerous  to  describe  sepa¬ 
rately,  but  all  are  worthy  of  inclusion,  their  culture  being  briefly 
noted  above.  Wherever  possible,  the  long  spikes  should  be 
allowed  to  hang  loosely  and  gracefully  among  other  plants,  half 
their  beauty  being  spoilt  if  tied  up  to  stakes,  as  is  frequently 
done.  The  small  side  shoots  of  flowers  may  be  cut  separately 
and  la.st  well  in  water,  but  if  the  entire  spike  is  cut  it  soon  fades. 
0.  ornithorhynchum  is  a  compact  growing  little  plant,  bearing 
spikes  of  small  rosy-purple  flowers  in  great  profusion.  There  is 
also  an  albino  form  of  this,  with  only  a  yellow  spot  in  the  centre 
of  the  flower.  It  is  rather  rare. 
Cypripedium  x  Venus,  Oakwood  variety. 
O.  phymatochilum  bears  comparatively  small  flowers,  but 
very  freely,  upon  large  feathery  spikes.  Its  blossoms  are 
creamy  white  or  pale  yellow  barred  with  brown,  and  it  thrives 
in  an  intermediate  house.  O.  praetextum  is  a  fine  species  belong¬ 
ing  to  the  crispum  group,  and  bearing  many-flowered  spikes  of 
golden  yellow  and  brown  flowers.  O.  sarcodes  is  a  very  distinct 
and  beautiful  -species,  its  showy  spikes  of  bright  yellow  blossoms 
brightening  up  the  intermediate  house  in  early  spring.  Like 
all  Brazilian  Orchids,  it  must  have  plenty  of  light  on  all  sides 
and  all  the  year  round:  consequently  it  thrives  best  in  small 
receptacles  that  can  be  suspended  close  to  the  roof  glass.  It 
should  never  be  dried  at  the  root  and  never  over-watered,  even 
in  summer,  though  owing  to  the  small  pans  or  baskets  in  which 
it  is  grown,  moisture  will  be  rather  frequently  needed. 
O.  tigrinum  is  a  grand  cool-house  species,  with  large  sweetly 
scented  blossoms  produced  on  stiff  erect  spikes.  Usually  it  i.s 
very  free  flowering,  but  I  have  known  specimens  remain  flower¬ 
less  for  years,  for  no  apparent  reason,  as  other  plants  in  the 
same  house  and  treated  exactly  alike  flowered  with  freedom.  It 
does  well  treated  similarlv  to  Odontoglossums.  Usually  regarded 
by  botanists  as  a  variety  of  this  species  is  Odontoglossuin 
splendidum.  The  blossoms  of  this  are  almost  identical  with 
those  of  O.  tigrinum,  but  here  the  resemblance  ends,  as  both 
the  habit  and  cultural  requirements  are  different. 
Last  on  the  list,  but  one 
of  the  fine.st  of  all,  is  the 
superb  O.  varicosum.  This, 
and  its  variety  Rogersi,  pro¬ 
duce  -splendid  racemes  of  bright 
yellow  flowers  all  through  the 
winter  and  spring  months  if  suffi¬ 
cient  plants  are  grown,  and  it  has 
also  the  merit  of  easy  culture. 
The  best  po.sition  for  it  is  close 
to  the  glass  in  a  moderatelj' 
heated  house,  the  roots  being 
confined  to  rough  blocks  or 
baskets,  with  only  a  thin  sur¬ 
facing  of  compost.  In  this  brief 
list  many  grand  species  have 
necessarily  been  omitted,  my  idea 
being  rather  to  mention  the  most 
useful  from  a  garden  point  of 
view.  Those  who  wish  for  special 
inforniation  on  any  of  those  left 
out,  or  fuller  details  of  those  in¬ 
cluded,  are  invited  to  send  to  our 
Editor,  who  will  no  doubt  be 
pleased  to  see  that  they  are 
forthcoming.  As  it  is,  my  note 
is  already  over-long,  but  my 
excuse  must  be  the  great  scope 
offered  by  this  grand  genus,  com¬ 
prising,  as  it  does,  many  of  the 
most  graceful  Orchids  in  ex¬ 
istence. — H.  R.  R. 
The  Week's  Cultural  Notes. 
Although  the  season  is  not  yet 
far  advanced,  yet  a  number  of 
Orchids  will  be  showing  young 
growths.  It  is  a  sign,  of  course, 
that  the  plants  are  waxing  up,  as 
it  were,  after  their  winter’s  rest, 
but  to  meet  this  with  an  increased 
supply  of  water  to  the  roots  will 
not  be  good  policy.  So  far  the 
latter  are  in  most  cases  still  at 
rest,  and  the  nutriment  for  the 
young  shoots  is  obtained  from  the  old  pseudo-bulbs.  When  these 
are  in  need  of  increased  supplies  of  moisture  they  will  show 
it  by  pushing  out  a  new  set  of  roots  at  their  base,  and  until 
these  are  increased  water  supply  is  more  likely  to  do  harm  than 
good. 
Plants  badly  treated  in  autumn  by  sudden  and  overdiying 
at  the  roots,  often  show  their  dislike  to  the  treatment  by  push¬ 
ing  young  roots  in  winter,  and  these  are  they  that  are  most 
trouble  when  starting.  I  have  mentioned  no  kind  in  par¬ 
ticular,  but  Dendrobiums  in  many  cases  are  ill-treated  this  way, 
and  with  a  view  to  setting  things  right  the  grower  is  apt  to 
water  rather  freely,  consequently  the  young  leads  damp  off 
wholesale.  Nothing  will  save  them  then ;  when  once  they  start 
to  damp  the  growths  are  lost,  and  back  breaks  have  to  be 
depended  upon.  A  day  or  two  without  water  never  yet  hurt 
any  healthy  Orchid,  but  a  single  overdose  of  moisture  at  this 
time  of  year  may  do  incalculable  harm. 
All  this  is  equally  true  of  newly  imported  as  well  as  estab¬ 
lished  specimens,  though  in  the  case  of  the  former  there  will 
not,  as  a  rule,  be  much  compost  to  hold  the  moisture,  so  the 
