48 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  19,  1899. 
ANGR^CUM  VEITCHI. 
When'  the  several  Committees  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
met  at  the  Drill  Hall  on  the  10th  inst.  Angraecum  Veitchi  certainly 
attracted  more  attention  than  any  other  individual  plant  in  the  hall. 
As  may  be  gathered  from  the  name,  it  was  shown  by  Messrs.  J.  Veitch 
and  Sons,  Chelsea,  and  it  is  a  hybrid  resulting  from  a  cross  between 
A.  sesquipedale  and  superbum  (eburneum),  of  which  the  former  was 
the  seed-bearing  parent.  The  firm’s  clever  hybridist,  Mr.  J.  Seden, 
had  in  view  the  desirability  of  an  increased  number  of  flowers  on  a 
spike,  and  this  object  will  in  all  probability  be  achieved  when  the 
plant  gains  in  strength.  The  habit  of  the  plant  is  quite  intermediate 
between  the  two  parents.  The  growth  is  more  robust  than  in  A. 
sesquipedale,  and  the  very  thick  leaves  are  wider  apart  on  the  stem. 
The  flowers  are  quite  as  large,  if  not  rather  larger,  than  those  of 
that  species.  The  clear  satiny  white  lip  of  the  hybrid  is  quite  dis¬ 
tinct  from  the  seed  parent,  but  partakes  more  of  the  character  of  A, 
eburneum  in  being  wide  and  open.  The  spur  or  tail  ot  A.  Veitchi  is 
much  shorter  than  in  A.  sesquipedale.  The  plant  staged,  and  from 
which  our  illustration  (fiiT.  10)  was  taken,  was  eleven  years  old,  and 
received  a  first-class  certificate  from  the  Orchid  Committee,  Mr.  J. 
Seden,  V.M.H.,  receiving  at  the  hands  of  that  body  a  silver  Flora  medal 
for  this  the  first  hybrid  Angrsecum. 
CATTLEYA  DOLOSA. 
I  FIND  no  difficulty  in  flowering  C.  dolosa  under  the  treatment 
given  below.  While  growing  I  keep  it  suspended  near  the  glass  at  the 
warmer  end  of  the  Cattleya  house,  affording  copious  supplies  of 
water  by  dipping  the  basket  once  or  twice  a  day.  When  the  pseudo¬ 
bulbs  are  matured  it  is  removed  to  the  cooler  end  of  the  house  and 
given  a  rest  for  a  few  weeks,  but  water  is  never  entirely  withheld.  It 
is  a  species  that  dislikes  undue  disturbance  of  the  roots  ;  therefore 
when  rebasketing  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  ample  drainage  be 
given,  taking  care  to  keep  the  plant  well  elevated,  and  encourage  the 
roots  to  ramble  outside  and  cling  as  much  as  possible  to  the  basket. 
Peat  fibre,  with  the  addition  of  charcoal  nobs,  should  be  employed  in 
the  making  up,  finishing  off  with  a  surfacing  of  sphagnum  moss. — 
G.  Hagon,  Foivley. 
RESTREPIAS. 
These  are  wonderfully  constructed  and  delicately  beautiful  little 
Orchids,  worthy  of  a  place  in  all  collections.  The  elegant  blossoms, 
borne  on  slender  stems,  are  so  delicate  and  many-coloured  that  any 
description  falls  short  of  the  real  thing,  and  gives  but  a  very  poor 
idea  of  what  they  are  really  like.  From  Upper  Mexico  to  Southern 
Brazil  these  pretty  plants  are  more  or  less  thickly  scattered  upon  the 
high  mountain  ranges,  and  thence  collectors  have,  with  much  diffi¬ 
culty,  sent  them  from  time  to  time.  The  genus  was  dedicated  to 
one  of  the  earliest  travellers  in  these  regions,  Mr.  J.  Restrep,  by 
Humboldt,  who  discovered  the  first  and  most  generally  cultivated 
M.  antennifera. 
The  culture  naturally  comes  very  near  that  of  the  Masdevallias, 
to  which  the  Restrepias  are  closely  allied.  This  is  a  cool  regime,  with 
ample  atmospheric  moisture  the  whole  year  round,  plenty  of  light 
during  winter,  and  a  constant  shade  during  the  summer  months.  As 
may  be  supposed  from  their  habitat,  air  is  as  essential  to  their  well¬ 
being  as  moisture,  and  as  long  as  possible  a  chink  of  air  may  be  left 
on  the  top  cf  the  house  wherein  they  are  grown,  and  a  little  below  all 
the  year  round,  keeping  up  the  winter  temperature  to  a  minimum  of 
50°,  and  not  allowing  the  heat  in  summer  to  rise  much  higher  than 
60°  if  it  can  be  avoided.  Under  these  conditions  they  will  enjoy  life 
and  flower  abundantly. 
ODONTOGLOSSUM  PULCHELLUM. 
This  pretty  species  is  again  in  flower,  and  every  year  it  seems  to 
gain  in  favour.  Little  wonder  either,  for  it  is  one  ot  those  charming 
little  kinds  that  look  extremely  well,  whether  on  the  plant  or  off,  and 
is  moreover  one  of  the  easiest  in  the  genus  to  cultivate.  The  flowers 
occur  on  erect  scapes  from  the  side  of  the  bright  apple-green  pseudo¬ 
bulbs,  and  have  a  fine  a|ipearance  against  the  narrow  sedge-like 
foliage.  'I'he  flowers  are  individually  small,  but  pure  glistening 
white,  with  a  yellow  centre  to  the  lip,  and  they  bear  a  strange 
resemblance  to  a  snnll  inverted  raceme  of  0.  citrosmum. 
It  was  discovered  by  Mr.  G.  Ure  Skinner,  who  sent  home  to  Mr. 
Bateman  so  many  tine  Orchids  early  in  the  present  century  from 
Guatemala  and  the  neighbourhood.  It  is  plentiful  enough  now  in 
collections,  though  for  many  years  after  its  introduction  it  was  very 
rare.  '1  here  are  no  coloured  varieties  known,  or  at  least  in  general 
cultivation,  but  there  is  considerable  variation  in  the  size  of  the 
flowers.  No  Orchid  is  easier  to  grow  in  a  house  such  as  suits 
0.  grande  and  similar  kinds,  and  it  is  one  of  the  best  for  a  cool  fernery. 
Repotting  should  take  place  as  seldom  as  possible,  once  in  three  years 
being  quite  often  enough.  Fairly  wide  pots,  a  thoroughly  clear 
drainage,  and  a  thin  compost,  consisting  of  peat  and  sphagnum  moss, 
suit  it  well,  and  water  is  necessary  ali  the  year  round. — H.  R.  R. 
SOIL  ANALYSES.  » 
When  I  originally  invited  discussion  on  page  455  (last  vol.)  by 
suggesting  certain  information  as  to  soil  and  site,  along  with  results 
of  crops  only,  as  usually  given  in  lieu  of  such  details,  I  suggested  that 
such  limited  statements  were  no  lessons  for  readers,  and  that  I  hoped 
for  the  said  details  so  that  others  (myself  included)  might  do  likewise 
under  similar  conditions,  thus  characterising  myself  distinctly  as  a 
learner,  as  I  shall  be  all  my  life,  concluding  it  with  the  paradox  that 
the  more  I  know'  the  less  I  know,  as  each  step  in  learning  will  only 
display  before  me  a  fan-like  extension  of  the  unknown.  With  this 
inquisitiveness  of  mind  I  can  conscientiously  declare  life  too  short, 
however  long  it  may  be  in  years. 
From  these  premises,  partly  stated  originally,  I  should  have  thought 
my  assertion  that  I  am  “  no  chemist  ”  was  almost  superfluous.  But  I 
should  like  to  affirm  myself  very  much  alive  to  common  sense  views 
that  are  the  half-way  house  between  exact  science  and  rule-of-thumb 
in  regard  to  production  from  the  soil,  and  concerning  which  some  very 
good  hands  at  this  industry  would  probably  share  my  views  as  to  its 
being  a  very  fair  basis  to  occupy  when  we  are  “  no  chemists.’’ 
I  do  not  for  one  moment  contend  that  direct  experiment  is  not 
very  valuable.  On  the  contrary,  I  have  said  more  than  once  it  should 
concur  with  analysis  of  the  soil.  If  analysis  precedes,  and  the  lime 
question  is  thus  solved,  the  direct  experiments  following  will  occupy 
less  time  than  by  ignoring  analysis  and  experimenting  some  years, 
and  having  to  acknowledge  ourselves  beaten  in  some  cases  by  the  very 
insufficiency  of  lime ;  others,  if  lime  be  present,  will  be  more  fortunate. 
To  say  that  the  presence  of  lime  can  be  demonstrated  by  twopence 
spent  in  chemicals  is  quite  correct,  but  the  operation  does  not  register 
its  proportion,  and  hence  the  10s.  expense  for  the  mechanical  part  of 
the  process  is  highly  instructive,  as  it  simultaneously  informs  us 
equally  well  about  proportions  of  humus,  clay,  and  sand,  and  every 
enterprising  gardener  ought  to  look  to  it. 
In  spite  of  an  “  English  Gardener,”  whom  I  suppose  I  am 
directed  by  himself  to  identify  with  “  Gardener,  England^'  on 
page  481,  last  vol.,  I  make  bold  to  assert  that  I  had  my  own 
orchard,  probably  at  an  age  when  he  was  in  charge  of  none,  as  I 
was  only  seven  years  old  when  I  planted  it  with  self-discovered 
seedlings  of  Apples,  Pears,  Plums  and  Cherries,  from  pure  love  of 
the  subject  from  those  early  days  that  has  never  since  deserted  me. 
Yet  perhaps  he  will  forgive  my  faith  in  our  getting  on  very  well 
together,  as  nothing  attracts  me  more  than  the  capacity  of  taking 
trouble ;  and  that  he  has  done  in  having  ten  analyses  made  from  a 
soil  not  homogeneous,  and  thus  obviously  unfavourable  for  my 
purposes,  as  he  thus  found  completely  differing  results  between  them 
all.  But  he  still  omits  to  inform  me  of  the  proportions  of  lime  he 
found,  and  yet  the  main  factor  of  my  entire  argument  is  the  presence 
of  lime,  a  very  broad  basis  admittedly,  which  does  not  soar  beyond 
common  sense  capacity. 
Nobody  will  dispute  the  obvious  truth  of  the  greatest  successes  in 
cultivation  having  been  derived  from  direct  experiment,  because  they 
extend  back  some  generations,  whereas  analysis  so  applied  is  a  short 
cut  in  modern  ways  that  is  destined  to  economise  direct  experiments, 
and  which  has  yet  many  sceptics  to  contend  against  whose  successors 
may  take  opposite  views,  although  soil  not  homogeneous  will  ever 
continue  to  require  exceptional  treatment.  An  “English  Gardener” 
only  does  the  right  thing  in  such  restive  conditions  ot  soil  as  he  has  to 
contend  with,  in  preferring  a  gardener’s  instinct  to  direct  the  manage¬ 
ment.  But  want  of  faith  in  analysis  is  beyond  this  cavil,  and  the 
pessimism  expressed  is  simply  misdirected  energy. 
My  reference  to  Mr.  Cousins’  treatise  was  quite  to  the  point  and 
very  brief,  concerning  absolutely  only  the  bare  fact  of  his  deprecating 
proprietary  manures.  If  “English  Gardener”  obtained  the  book  and 
looked  for  a  variety  of  information  he  was  unable  to  obtain  he  is  net 
justified  in  blaming  me.  Being  “  no  chemist,”  I  am  aole  to  learn  a 
good  deal  from  it.  I  advise  my  critic  to  refresh  his  memory  as  to  the 
last  jraragraph  of  mine  on  page  481  concerning  the  value  of  analysis  of 
the  soil  as  judged  by  competent  City  chemists  named  and  their  faith, 
quoted  as  expressed  by  them  in  the  “  Standard  ”  recently. 
Nor  had  I  mentioned  or  directed  “  English  Gardener’s  ”  attention  to 
plant  ash  analysis,  having  heard  such  contradictory  value  attached  to 
it,  including  Dr.  Hall’s  own  words,  as  listened  to  by  me  in  his  lecture 
at  the  Drill  Hall,  and  Mr.  Cousins’  in  his  Primer.  (That  both  these 
gentlemen  are  members  of  the  Kentish  College  at  Wye  may  be 
