March  23,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
233 
usually  contain  from  four  to  ei"ht  lars^e  flowers,  the  colour  of  the 
sepals  and  petals  varying  from  nearly  white  to  a  pretty  deep  purple 
rose,  the  lip  having  a  fine  deep  warm  purple  blotch  in  front.  Though 
discovered  many  years  a^o  by  Sir  R.  Schomburgk,  it  was  not  intro¬ 
duced  in  quantity  until  about  1884,  when  Messrs.  Sanders’  collectors 
found  it  in  British  Guiana.  According  to  Mr.  E.  in  Thurm  it  is 
usually  found  in  many  sheltered  positions. — LI.  R.  R. 
Hybrid  Dendrobiums. 
TTsefdl  and  showy  as  are  the  species  of  this  family,  there  are  many 
of  the  hybrids  which  eclipse  their  parents,  both  as  regards  colour  and 
form.  Most  of  them  are  good  growers,  and  will  repay  one  for  any 
amount  of  attention  that  may  be  given  them.  The  great  aim  of  the 
cultivator  should  be  to  obtain  as  large  and  fine  growths  as  possible, 
and  then  to  get  these  thoroughly  matured  by  exposing  them  to  the 
sun,  resting  in  a  lower  temperature,  and  withholding  water,  taking 
care  that  the  temperature  does  not  fall  much  below  50°. 
The  culture  or  Dendrobium  nobile  is  so  well  known,  and  has  been 
given  so  many  times  in  the  Journal,  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  repeat 
it.  Let  it  suffice  to  state  that  the  majority  of  the  hybrids  will  succeed 
under  the  same  conditions.  It  may  perhaps  be  advisable  to  mention 
that  the  compost  should  be  of  the  best,  and  thoroughly  well  prepared 
by  taking  out  all  the  dust  and  fine  particles,  and  then  mixing  about 
the  same  portion  of  clean  live  sphagnum  moss.  The  plants  may  be 
grown  in  almost  any  receptacle.  Some  growers  preler  pot-shaped 
baskets,  others  S(iuare  ones,  but  I  have  yet  lo  learn  that  any  of  them 
are  better  than  a  good  perforated  Orchid  pan,  such  as  is  made  by  our 
loading  pot  makers. 
The  hybrids  from  D.  nobile  and  D.  aureum  are  no  doubt  well 
known,  and  comprise  D.  Ainswmrthi,  Leechinnum,  or  splendidissimum, 
or  its  variety  grandiflorum.  Undoubtedly  D.  Ainsworthi  intertextum 
is  one  of  the  finest  hybrid  Dendrobiums  yet  raised,  and  in  this  class  I 
think  still  we  must  place  the  finest  and  the  showiest  of  them  all — 
namely,  D.  Apollo,  and  its  form  grandiflorum  splendidissimum 
il lustre,  which  with  rubens  grandiflorum  is  perhaps 
without  a  rival  amongst  the  highly  coloured  varieties. 
The  whole  of  these  are  useful,  both  to  the  Orchid  con¬ 
noisseur  and  to  those  who  only  grow  Orchids  for  cut 
flowers  and  other  purposes.  We  may  now  take  the 
D.  melanodiscus  family,  with  which  has  been  as.sociated 
D.  Findlayamim,  as  one  parent  or  tiie  other.  The  most 
beautiful  of  these  perhaps  are  Cybele  nobilius,  pallens, 
Uainbow,  and  Juno. 
Then  we  have  the  hybrids,  with  D.  Wardlanum  as 
a  parent,  which  section,  as  yet,  is  not  very  large,  owing 
to  the  difficulties  experienced  in  getting,  flowers  to  set 
fertilised  with  I).  Wardianum  pollen,  and  vice  versa, 
but  D.  chlorostete,  D.  c.  Owenianum,  and  Aspasia  are 
most  beautiful.  I  cannot  close  these  notes  without 
■mentioning  the  lovely  D.  Venus  (fig.  58),  which, 
though  with  some  growers,  like  one  of  its  pnrent.s, 
D.  Falconeri,  rather  shy  in  flowering,  is  still  worthy  of 
.its  place,  and  should  be  grown.  No  Dendrobium  I  know 
will  stand  such  a  rest  as  this  one,  and  it  must  have  it 
to  insure  its  flowering  satisfactorily.  There  are  other 
hybrid  Dendrobiums  which  are  tvell  worth  a  ])lace, 
but  those  mentioned  will  suffice  to  enable  all  growers 
to  select  for  themselves  those  which  are  most  pleasing 
to  their  individual  taste. — J.  Barker,  Ilessle. 
Orchids  at  Bowden  Hill  House. 
At  Bowden  Hill,  near  Chippenham,  the  residence  ot 
J.  Harris,  Esq.,  Orchids  have  superseded  all  other  stove 
and  greenhouse  plants.  Long  ranges  of  houses  are 
wholly  filled  with  them,  and  evidently  the  pure  air 
and  Mr.  W.  Fenton’s  able  treatment  suit  Orchids  re¬ 
markably  well.  Altogether,  1200  Odontoglossums  are 
grown,  and  at  the  present  time  not  less  than  1 00  of 
^hese  are  furnished  with  strong  flower  spikes.  Among 
them  are  many  good  forms,  while  a  large  number  have 
yet  to  be  proved.  The  cooler  sections  are  arranged 
in  two  span-roofed  houses,  where  the  temperature 
rangeo  from  45°  to  50°,  air  b^ing  admitted  when  the  latter  figure  is 
reached,  with  the  result  that  clean,  healthy  growth  and  well-matimd 
bulbs  prevail. 
Dendrobiums  were  a  great  feature  late  in  February  and  onwards, 
some  8000  blooms  being  expanded  at  one  time.  Among  the  best  were 
1).  nobile  in  variety,  D.  crassinode,  and  D,  thyrsiflorum.  All  aie  grown 
near  the  glass,  and  after  having  formed  strong  pseudo-bulbs  a  thorough 
ripening,  almost  amounting  to  a  baking  process,  has  the  effect  of 
causing  them  to  flower  most  freely.  They  are  potted  in  sphagnum 
and  peat,  and  those  given  the  most  moss  are  in  the  best  condition  both 
as  regards  root  and  top  growth. 
Cattleyas  are  flowering  grandhq  and  among  them  C.  Trianae, 
Schriideri,  Gaskelliana,  Mossise,  Mendeli,  aurea,  amethystoglossa, 
Leoprldi,  Ilarrisi,  Warneri,  gigas,  Bowringiana,  Sanderiana,  Alexandra, 
Victoria  llegina,  and  Lawrenceana  in  variety  are  well  represented. 
Several  him  i  red  plants  are  grown,  Mr.  Harris  taking  the  most 
interest  in  this  class  of  Orchids  and  Odontoglossums.  Laelias  are  in 
equally  good  health,  many  of  them  promising  to  flower  grandly. 
There  are  enough  strong  plants  of  L.  purpurata  in  variety,  crispa, 
crispa  superba,  Schilleriana,  Perrini,  tenobrosa,  prsestans,  elegans, 
Dominiana,  and  grandis  to  fill  a  good  sized  house.  Another  compartment 
is  devoted  to  the  anceps  section,  some  of  the  best  varieties  of  wffiich  are 
alba,  Stella,  Mrs.  H.  J.  Harris,  Sanderiana,  albida,  and  Schruderiam. 
Cymbidiums  are  a  speciality  at  Bowden  Hill,  and  there  are  numbers 
of  C.  eburneum  in  a  most  promising  condition  for  giving  a  grand 
display  of  bloom.  C.  Mastersi  and  C.  Lowianum  are  in  an  equally 
satisfactory  state.  With  these  are  to  be  seen  numerous  plants  of 
Oncidium  tigrinum,  many  of  them  with  pseudo-bulbs  measuring 
11  inches  in  circumference.  Equally  luxuriant  are  the  plants  of 
Odontoglossum  grande,  Cypripediums,  Dncidiums,  Chysis,  Epiden- 
drums,  Platyclinis,  Masdevallias,  and  Coelogynes,  which  complete  this 
highly  creditable  collection  of  Orchids. — W.  I. 
“  The  Orchid  Hybrids.” 
Mr.  George  Hansen,  Berkeley,  California,  writes  : — Kindly  give 
me  a  jraragraph  in  the  Journal  setting  forth  that  I  am  anxious  to 
secure  the  kind  co-operation  of  all  Orchid  hybrid  raisers  for  the  third 
supplement  to  my  monograph,  “  The  Orchid  Hybrids.”  It  will  be  out 
some  time  this  summer,  and  as  the  material  is  accumulating  so  rapidly 
it  seems  ti  be  obvious  that  one  index  should  be  printed  for  all  the 
matter  published.  I  intend  to  retain  the  type  of  such  ])rint,  and 
publish  only  as  many  copies  as  I  have  subscribers,  furnishing  every 
purchaser  of  a  supplement  with  a  new  index.  This  appears  to  be  the 
only  way  to  keep  the  work  up  to  date  and  handy. 
As  to  the  help  desired,  I  wish  everyone  engaged  in  crossing  Orchids 
would  furnish  me  a  list  of  what  he  has  accomplished,  regardless 
w’hether  such  has  been  done  before  at  other  places  or  not.  It  is  lest 
to  have  recorded  every  cross  brought  to  a  successful  issue,  as  it  should 
be  known  from  how  many  sources  our  stock  originates.  Let  it  bo 
stated  in  such  lists  which  were  the  parents,  marking  the  seed-bearing; 
plant  ;  also  give  date  of  fecundation  and  time  required  to  flower  tho 
seedling.  _ 
Salpiglossis. — These  are  beautifully  coloured  and  marked  flowers, 
which  make  a  good  display  in  beds,  associating  well  with  Asters.  The 
■  flowers  are  well  adapted  for  cutting.  Sow  seeds  now  in  boxes,  prick 
I  out  the  seedlings  in  other  boxes,  and  transplant  to  a  permanent  posilicri 
'  in  May.  Mixed  large  flowering  varieties  are  the  best. — E. 
Fig.  58. — Dendrobium  Venus. 
