July  4,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
3 
Odontoglossum  crlspum  Sanderae. 
Amongst  the  many  beautiful  forms  of  Odontoglossum  crispum,  the 
variety  named  Sanderae,  sent  out  by  the  St.  Albans  firm,  maintains 
a  prominent  position.  A  first-class  certificate  was  awarded  to  it  seven  j 
years  ago,  since  when  it  has  probably  spread  to  many  collections. 
It  is  one  of  the  handsomest  of  the  heavy  spotted  section,  the  blotches 
and  spots  being  brown.  Our  figure  of  it  shows  the  character. 
Aerides,  Vandas,  and  Saccolabiums,  for  instance,  often  throw  out 
side  bracts,  and  these  are  taken  off  and  potted.  Being  smaller  they 
are  often  placed  away  from  the  light,  and  suffer  accordingly. 
Replanted  in  baskets  they  soon  regain  strength  and  vigour.  Of  the 
different  kinds  of  baskets  little  need  be  said.  For  all  ordinary 
purposes  that  made  of  teak  rods  is  most  satisfactory.  For  Stanhopeas 
and  Acinetas  baskets  made  of  copper  wire  are  excellent,  as  the  larger 
spaces  or  me  hes  allow  a  free  passage  for  the  flower  spikes. 
One  of  the  chief  difficulties  in  growing  basket  Orchids  is  that  of 
placing  them  into  a  new  receptacle  when  the  old  one  decays.  From 
the  smooth  sides  of  a  pot  the  roots  slip  fairly  easy,  but  if  they  are 
much  entwined  about  the  rods  of  a  basket  it  is  different,  and  any 
attempt  made  to  forcibly  remove  them  will  end  in  their  being  torn 
and  broken.  The  best  plan  is  to  take  a  fine-toothed  saw,  such  as  is 
used  by  cabinet  makers,  and  cut  through  the  rods  at  each  corner, 
removing  them  piecemeal.  The  very  best  quality  of  compost  should 
be  used  in  baskets,  and  it  should  be  as  firmly  placed  as  possible.  The 
best  method  of  watering  baskets  is  by  dipping,  as  this  insures  a 
thorough  soaking  of  the  compost,  changes  the  air,  and  is  very 
disturbing  to  insects. 
Oncldlum  coneolor. 
I  know  of  few  more  beautiful  Orchids  than  this  delightful  dwarf 
species  when  it  is  really  well  grown.  The  bright  chrome  yellow  of 
the  flowers  and  the  elegant 
pose  of  the  drooping  racemes 
make  a  very  pretty  picture, 
and  never  fail  to  elicit  praise, 
especially  from  ladies,  who 
usually  have  good  taste  in 
such  matters.  The  culture 
of  the  plant  cannot  be  called 
difficult,  yet  it  is  surprising 
in  how  few  places  the  most 
it  is  capable  of  is  obtained. 
In  some  cases  it  is  grown  too 
poorly  with  insufficient  com¬ 
post,  in  others  insects  are 
allowed  to  infest  it  to  its 
detriment,  while  some  few 
cultivators  still  cling  to  the 
idea  that  any  and  every 
Orchid  requires  heat,  and 
consequently  grow  it  in  an 
unsuitable  atmosphere. 
The  truth  is,  all  these 
dwarf  growing  subjects  are 
easily  incommoded  by  checks 
that  are  too  slight  to  injure 
more  gross  growing,  stouter 
plants,  and  a  constant  suc¬ 
cession  of  such  checks  will 
make  it  very  difficult  to 
keep  them  in  health.  O. 
coneolor  during  the  growing 
season  requires  a  large 
amount  of  atmospheric 
moisture,  and  from  now  onward  until  September  it  is  practically 
impossible  to  keep  the  plants  too  cool.  If  the  requisite  cool 
moist  conditions  are  maintained  the  plants  will  be  found  on 
entering  the  house  in  the  morning  covered  with  a  fine  dew. 
Etrly  morning  ventilation  will  soon  dry  this  off,  and  these 
conditions  are  very  refreshing  to  them  after  the  heat  of  a  summer’s 
day. 
The  best  receptacles  for  Oncidium  coneolor  are  small  pins  for 
suspending,  or  baskets.  Personally  I  prefer  the  pans,  as  it  is  easier 
to  maintain  a  constant  moisture  about  the  roots  than  with 
baskets,  but  with  reasonable  cire  either  may  be  used.  Three  parts 
of  sphagnum  moss  to  one  of  peat  fibre  will  suit  it  well  for  compost, 
the  largest  plants  only  needing  an  inch  and  a  half  or  so  of  this 
mixture  over  abundant  drainage.  Finely  broken  crocks  should  be 
added  to  the  peat  and  moss,  and  in  finishing  the  compost  let  it 
I  e  just  level  with  the  base  of  the  bulbs  and  rise  a  little  from  the 
rim  of  the  pan. 
When  repotting  is  in  progress  all  the  old  and  decayed  bulbs 
should  be  removed,  while  with  ordinary  care  all  decomposed 
matter  and  sour  peat  may  also  be  got  away  without  much 
disturbance  of  the  sound  and  healthy  roots.  Like  many  others 
of  our  popular  plants,  Oncidium  coneolor  was  very  rare  for  a  long 
time  after  its  introduction.  It  first  flowered  in  the  Duke  of 
Bedford’s  collection  in  1840,  but  not  until  some  tnirty-five  years 
later  did  Messrs.  Veitch  receive  large  supplies  of  it,  which,  with 
subsequent  importations  from  its  habitat  on  the  Organ  Mountains, 
have  made  it  plentiful. — H.  R.  R. 
Grammangis  Elliei. 
A  Madagascar  Orchid,  with  handsome  half-drooping  racemes.  A 
plant  grown  in  a  basket  among  sphagnum  and  peat,  in  the  Cypripedium 
and  Phalsenopsis  house  at  Kew,  is  at  present  in  flower,  and  at  its  best. 
The  stout,  fleshy  raceme  bears  twenty-nine  flowers,  which  resemble 
the  individual  flowers  of  Cymbidium  Lowianum.  The  colour  of  sepals 
is  deep  bronzy  gold  edged  reddish  brown;  the  lip  and  petals  are  very 
small,  the  latter  having  beau¬ 
tifully  recurving  tips.  It  is  a 
handsome,  though  not  brilliant 
Orchid,  and  was  brought  to 
Kew  in  1893. — K. 
Orchids  in  Baskets. 
Many  Oic'hids  have  a  very 
preity  effect  when  grown  in 
baskets  that  is  lost  when  they 
are  cultivated  in  pots  in  the 
usual  way.  Those  with  pen¬ 
dulous  flower  spikes  are.  of 
course,  the  most  suitable,  but 
there  are  others  that  look  well 
when  in  flower,  as  the  blos- 
s  ms  have  a  finer  effect  when 
on  a  level  with  the  line  of 
vision,  or  slightly  above  it, 
than  when  looked  down  ufon. 
For  instance,  the  Dendrochi- 
lums,  or  Platyclinis,  as  they 
are  more  correctly  termed, 
never  look  so  well  as  when 
growing  in  baskets,  the  pretty 
arch  of  the  racemes  of  such 
as  glumaceum  being  well 
shown  up;  and  these  do  well 
under  basket  treatment,  their 
proximity  to  the  light  being 
all  in  favour  of  the  growths 
finishing  well  in  late  autumn.  Odontoglossum  ckisdum  Sandkras. 
Auother  grand  Orchid  for 
baskets  is  Odontoglossum  citrosmum,  its  beautiful  spikes  of  flowers 
always  taking  an  exact  downward  direction.  This  plant  is  often 
exhibited  grown  in  pots  or  pans  with  the  spikes  tied  to  stakes,  but  it 
loses  its  beauty  shown  this  way,  while  if  allowed  to  hang  over  the 
edge  of  the  stage  in  a  group,  as  I  have  sometimes  seen  it,  the  flowers 
are  apt  to  be  rubbed  by  the  knees  or  handled  by  the  fingers  of 
spectators.  Gro^n  in  baskets  suspended  from  the  roof,  or  raised  on 
light  pedestals,  it  is  exquisite. 
Nearly  all  the  deciduous  Dendrobiums,  again,  are  perfect  for  basket 
culture.  Take  D.  chrysanthum,  D.  Wardianum,  D.  crassinode,  or 
D.  Devonianum,  and  tie  them  up ;  they  are  not  half  as  pretty  as  when 
allowed  to  grow  at  will,  first  upright,  or  nearly  so,  and  then  by 
their  weight  gradually  assuming  a  horizontal  or  pendent  position. 
The  flowers  take  their  natural  pose  on  the  stems,  and  each  one  looks  at 
you,  so  to  speak  ;  tie  them  up,  and  they  never  again  assume  their  place, 
as  after  a  flower  has  opened  the  power  of  twisting  its  pedicel  is  gone. 
Ac  netas  and  Stanhopeas  are,  of  course,  purely  basket  Orchids ; 
the  flower  spikes  burrow  through  the  compost,  and  would  be  lost 
entirely  if  grown  in  pots.  Many  Masdevallias,  again,  such  as 
M.  Chimsera  and  its  varieties,  have  their  beauties  hidden  if  growing  on 
a  stage  in  pots,  but  put  them  in  baskets  and  keep  them  up,  then  their 
quaint  structure  and  beautiful  colouring  is  easily  seen.  These  are  only 
a  tithe  of  the  plants  that  may  be  so  grown,  as,  besides  looking  well, 
there  are  many  plants  that  thrive  in  baskets  better  than  in  any  other 
receptacle.  And  it  is  noteworthy  that  a  plant  that  has  for  years  been 
sickly  aud  pining  in  a  pot,  will  often,  when  placed  in  a  basket,  return 
to  health  and  vigour. 
