September  26,  19ul. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
283 
Lselia  harpophylla. 
We  call  attention  to  this  showy  species  at  the  present  time,  that  its 
claims  may  not  be  quite  overlooked  by  those  who  may  have  seen  it  in 
flower  about  the  springtime  of  the  year, 
and  determined  then  to  add  it  to  their 
•collections,  or  secure  more  of  it  if  they 
already  have  it,  which  is  more  than 
likely.  Few  Orchids  are  more  charming. 
Of  course  there  are  a  number  whose 
flowers  approximate  in  colour  to  those 
of  L.  harpophylla,  yet  the  colour — bright 
cinnabar-red  or  orange-vermilion  —  is 
very  telling,  and  always  has  a  tone  of 
freshness  and  rarity  with  it.  L.  harpo¬ 
phylla  has  been  in  our  gardens  for  thirty 
years  or  thereabouts,  and  is  amongst  the 
most  popular  and  easily  grown  species 
the  amateur  or  beginner  in  Orchid 
culture  could  select. 
The  Week’s  Cultural  Notes. 
Deciduous  Calanthes  of  the  Veitchi 
and  vestita  section  should  still  be 
allowed  ample  room  between  the  plants. 
Very  often  they  are  placed  close  together 
and  the  foliage  is  crowded,  consequently 
it  soon  loses  colour  and  drops,  failing,  of 
course,  to  carry  out  its  proper  functions. 
Weak  flower  spikes  and  flowers  of  poor 
colour  are  sure  to  result.  If  the  plants 
are  kept  well  clear  of  each  other,  so  that 
air  and  light  reach  every  part  of  them, 
the  foliage  remains  on  longer,  and 
only  fades  and  drops  in  the  proper  and 
natural  course. 
The  feeding  of  this  class  of  Orchids 
is  a  question  that  has  been  often  argued, 
some  very  successful  growers  inclining 
to  the  opinion  that  it  is  best  left  alone, 
others  using  liquid  manure  freely.  As 
the  plant  is  epiphytal  in  its  nature  it 
would  appear  quite  unnecessary,  but  if 
by  feeding  we  can  get  twice  the  size  of 
pseudo-bulbs  and  larger  flower  spikes, 
•then  it  is  worth  while.  But  it  is  well  to 
keep  in  mind  that  very  large,  plethoric 
■bulbs  are  usually  the  first  to  be  attacked 
by  8 pot,  and  a  medium  course  is  best. 
When  the  roots  have  obtained  a 
thorough  hold  of  the  compost  a  few 
weak  doses  of  liquid  manure  are  helpful, 
but  it  is  better  left  alone  altogether  than 
overdone  in  the  least. 
In  the  cool  house  the  pretty  Pleione 
lagenaria  or  Indian  Crocus  will  be  in 
flower  or  showing  for  flower.  The 
grower  must  be  on  guard,  and  as  soon 
as  the  flowers  are  past  the  plants  must 
be  repotted.  If  they  are  left,  only  for  a 
few  days,  the  young  roots  will  appear 
at  the  base  of  the  new  growths  and  the 
disturbance  will  not  be  to  their  liking. 
Caught  just  at  tne  right  time  the  roots 
enter  the  new  compost  freely  and  the 
plants  do  well.  Very  little  water  is 
necessary  after  repotting,  none  at  all,  in 
fact,  until  the  roots  start,  and  the 
compost  may  consist  of  equal  parts  of  peat  fibre,  loam,  and  chopped 
sphagnum  moss. 
The  morning  ventilation  now  requires  more  care,  as  a  chilling 
draught  may  easily  be  set  up  by  lifting  the  ventilators  too  much. 
Just  a  chink  in  the  morning,  increasing  it  by  degrees  if  the  day  turns 
out  bright  and  warm,  is  all  that  is  required  where  tropical  Orchids  are 
grown,  but  on  the  cool  house  more  may  be  given.  Disas,  Odonto- 
glossums,  cool  Oncidiums,  Masdevallias,  Lycastes,  Maxillarias,  and  the 
L.ELIA  HARPOPHYLLA. 
large-growing  Cymbidiums  delighting  in  the  fresh  buoyant  atmosphere 
thus  caused.  As  in  every  other  cultural  operation  judicious  manage¬ 
ment  leads  to  the  best  results. 
Odontogloseums. — {Concluded  from  page  216.) 
0.  Andersonianum  and  0.  baphicanthum  are  very  similar  plants, 
both  presumably  of  natural  hybrid  origin.  They  are  very  variable, 
the  ground  colour  usually  a  pale  yellow  with  spots  of  chestnut  brown 
and  red.  0.  bictonense  is  the  oldest  species  in  the  genus,  and  is 
interesting  on  this  account,  while  its  free  flowering  nature  renders  it 
acceptable  in  a  representative  collecti  n.  A  beautiful  species  is 
0.  blandum,  at  one  time  extremely  rare, 
and  none  too  plentiful  even  now.  The 
erect  spikes  bear  many  flowers,  thes-e 
being  white  spotted  with  purple.  0. 
Cervantesi  is  a  little  gem,  thriving  best 
when  hung  up  close  to  the  roof  in  pans 
of  peat  and  moss.  The  flowers  are 
white  and  marked  in  a  transverse 
manner  about  the  centre  with  purple. 
In  seme  of  the  better  forms  these 
markings  cover  almost  the  entire 
surface,  notably  in  the  beautiful  O.  C. 
punctatissimum. 
0.  cirrhosum  is  a  very  elegant  plant, 
the  spikes  rising  gracefully  to  a  con¬ 
siderable  height,  and  then  branching 
laterally.  The  segments  are  all  much 
narrower  than  those  of  most  species,  and 
are  pure  ivory  white  w’ith  maroon  spots. 
0.  citrosmum  is  a  well  known  plant, 
remarkable  for  its  perfectly  pendent 
flower  spikes,  which  render  the  use  of 
some  hanging  receptacle  imperative.  It 
likes  rather  more  heat  than  most  of  the 
species,  plenty  of  water  while  growing, 
and  from  the  time  the  growth  is  made 
up  in  autumn  until  the  flower  spikes 
show  in  spring,  no  water  must  be  given. 
Though  in  some  cases  the  plants  will 
shrivel  considerably,  they  soon  plump 
up  again  when  water  is  applied. 
1,0.  crispum  is  one  of  the  most  gene¬ 
rally  grown  Orchids  in  existence,  and 
certainly  one  of  the  most  beautiful.  Its 
chaste  blossoms  may  be  had  for  over 
six  months  out  of  the  twelve,  and  they 
are  extremely  variable  both  in  size  and 
colouring.  Although  ordinary  forms 
are  very  cheap,  good  varieties  fetch  very 
high  prices.  A  pure  white  form,  0.  c. 
virginale,  is  in  cultivation,  but  is  rather 
rare,  and  there  are  many  lovely  forms 
in  the  rose  tinted  section.  Those  with 
white  ground  are  valued  according  to 
shape  and  colouring,  a  broad  well-filled 
up  flower  with  large  bold  blotches  being 
considered  the  best.  Quite  distinct 
from  all  these  is  the  purple  flowered  0. 
Edwardi,  a  pretty  plant  from  Ecuador 
with  spikes  rising  a  couple  of  feet  high, 
the  flowers  small  but  showy,  and  deli¬ 
cately  scented. 
0.  grande  is  a  superb  plant,  easily 
distinguished  by  the  large  yellow  spotted 
flowers  that  are  produced  on  stiff  erect 
spikes.  From  their  bold  rich  colouring 
the  species  has  been  termed  the  Tiger 
Orchid.  This  and  the  nearly  allied 
Mexican  species,  0.  Schleiperianum  and 
0.  Insleayi,  like  a  rather  higher  tem¬ 
perature  than  the  crispum  set,  but  if 
this  is  not  at  command  they  get  along 
very  well  together.  The  Cattleya  house, 
though  sometimes  a- 1  vised,  is  really  too 
„„„  .„.  ... _ _  0.  Halli  is  a  variable  and  pretty  species  deserving  ot 
every  attention,  while  the  newer  0.  Harryanum  is  a  very  striking  and 
handsome  plant.  The  sepals  and  petals  are  yellow,  almost  covered 
with  chocolate  brown  blotches,  and  the  lip  is  a  pretty  combination  of 
white,  yellow,  and  purple. 
0.  Krameri  is  a  small  but  pretty  plant,  with  flowers  of  a  pleastng 
mauve  shade,  becoming  nearly  white  at  the  tips  of  the  segments. 
There  is  also  a  white  form  of  it,  which  makes  a  fine  companion  to 
hot  for  them. 
