May  15,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  O-ARDEUEH. 
423 
Cypripedium  x  Emperor  of  India. 
It  is  more  than  likely  that  people  ^vould  object  to  such  an 
•exjceedingly  large  flower  as  that  of  Cypripedium  x  Emperor  of 
India.  We  said,  on  describing  it  at  page  370  on  April  24,  that  | 
this  is  “the  largest  Cypripedium,  perhaps,  in  cultivation,”  and  i 
we  let  the  statement  stand.  The  enormous  dorsal  sepal  is  2iin  ! 
as  possible,  amateur  growers  are  apt  to  overtax  their  plants  by 
leaving  the  flowers  too  long  on  them,  thus  weakening  them  for 
another  season.  This  is  a  great  mistake,  for  a  weak  plant  may  be 
killed  outright,  and  a  strong  one  badly  weakened,  by  leaving 
them  to  bear  the  strain  of  flowering  too  long. 
As  long  as  they  are  left  upon  the  plants  the  flowers  must  be 
preserved  in  as  good  a  condition  as  pos.sible  by  keeping  the  atmo¬ 
sphere  slightly  drier  than  usual,  and  allowing  a  little  top  air  day 
and  night  to  prevent  moisture  condensing  on  the  glass  and 
causing  a  drip.  Watering  at  the  roots  must  go  on  as  usual, 
studying  the  state  of  each  plant  individually,  as  well  as  the  wants 
of  the  species.  The  autumn  flowering  section,  of  which  O.  grande 
is  a  well-known  member,  should  bj'  now  be  showing  signs  of 
movement,  but  there  need  not  be  any  hurry  to  push  the  water 
supply  yet;  they  must  not  be  dry,  of  course,  but  an  overdose  of 
moisture  has  been  the  I’uin  of  scores  of  young  growths  and  leads. 
broad  or  more,  and  the  depth  is  certainly  much  greater  than  the 
breadth.  The  long  petals  are  green  and  pui-ple-brown  at  the  base, 
having  also  black  spots  upon  them.  The  lip  is  also  brown  and 
very  large.  Our  illustration  is  from  a  sketch  made  in  the  Drill 
Hall,  when  an  Award  of  Merit  was  given  to  Messrs.  Sander  and 
Sons’for  it,  on  April  22.  The  parentage  was  unrecorded. 
The  Week’s  Cultural  Notes. 
Just  now  the  cool  or  Odontoglossum  house  is  very  attractive 
owing  to  the  large  number  of  species  in  flower.  Many  of  the 
varieties  of  0.  cnspuni,  O.  luteo-purpureum,  O.  tnumphans,  O. 
Pescatorei,  and  a  host  of  others  are  daily  opening,  and  these  make 
a  brave  show.  In  their  anxiety  to  prolong  this  display  as  much 
Wherever  it  can  be  arranged,  Alasdevallias  should  have  a 
house  or  a  separate  corner  to  themselves.  They  require  a  largo 
amount  of  atmospheric  moisture  to  combat  the  attentions  of  their 
inveterate  enemies,  the  thrips.  These  pests  are  seldom  altogether 
absent  from  a  collection  of  Masdevallias,  but  they  may  be  kept 
under  by  care.  If  allowed  to  get  the  upper  hand  the  flowers  will 
be  ruined  as  fast  as  they  open.  Where  the  fliiniBera  and  Back- 
housiana  .sections  have  been  removed  to  warmer  winter  ([uarters 
they  may  be  now  returned  to  their  proper  house,  suspending  the 
baskets  as  clo.se  to  the  light  as  possible,  but  shading  from 
bright  sun. 
The  Dove  Orchid  (  Periistei'ia  elata)  is  vei*y  active  now,  and 
plants  repotted  lately  will  be  rooting  very  freely  in  the  new 
compost.  Some  growers  give  a  summer  top-dre.ssing  of  sphagnum 
% 
Cypripedium  X  Emperor  of  India. 
