February  19,  19(.3.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GAEDEHER. 
157 
To-day  we  figure  Mr.  Norman  C.  Cookson’s  Odontoglossum 
that  received  a  Gold  Medal  and  a  First  Class  Certificate  at  the 
meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  on  February  10.  It 
is  the  fine.st  blotched  Odontoglossum  yet  seen,  and  a  model  flower 
in  every  respect.  The  natural  size  of  the  flower,  according  to 
exast  measurement,  was  4in  across,  so  that  Mr.  Shayler’s  drawing 
here  presented  shows  a  slight  reduction.  Each  petal  is  Ifin 
wide,  and  of  great  substance,  notched  and  wavy  at  the  edge. 
The  colour  (brown  blotches  over  a  snowy-white  ground)  is  rich, 
beautiful,  and  distinctive.  Tlie  tiny  lip  is  yellow  in  the  centre, 
blotched  with  brown,  and  edged  white.  The  plant  was  one 
secured  from  imported  stock,  had  seven  pseudo-bulbs,  and  had 
borne  six  flowers. 
The  Week’s  Cultural  Notes. 
The  time  has  arrived  for  repotting  Thunias,  and  nothing  will 
be  gained  by  leaving  them  longer  in  the  old  material.  Shake 
them  quite  clear  of  soil,  and  shorten  back  the  dead  roots,  leaving 
a  tuft  to  each  stem  to  help  support  the  latter  in  the  new  com¬ 
post.  The  pots  will  be  of  various  sizes  to  accommodate  the 
number  of  stems  it  is  intended  tO'  grow.  Three  stems  to  an  Sin 
pot,  or  five  to  a  lOin  one,  will  be  suitable,  or  they  may,  if  pre¬ 
ferred,  be  grown  singly  in  the  oin  size.  As  the  stems  do  not 
always  flower  .simultaneously,  the  latter  method  has  much  to 
recommend  it,  though  when  they  do  the  larger  number  makes 
a  finer  display. 
For  compost  use  two  parts  fibry  loam  tO'  one  of  peat  and  half 
each  of  dried  cow  manure  and  sharp  grit  of  some  kind.  Place 
the  crocks  on  end  in  the  pots,  and  drive  a  strong  stake  into  the 
centre  of  each  before  placing  any  of  the  compost.  Tie  the  stems 
loosely  to  this,  and  fill  in  with  the  soil,  not  above  the  rim,  as  is 
usual  with  most  Orchids,  but  slightly  below,  as  in  ordinary 
potting.  The  base  of  the  s;tems  should  just  rest  in  the  compost, 
or  be  only  very  slightly  buried,  and  exceptional  care  taken  to 
have  them  thoroughly  firm  in  their  new  home. 
After  repotting,  place  theiiu  in  strong  heat  and  the  lightest 
and  sunniest  position,  giving  no  water  until  the  new  leads  have 
advanced  a  little  and  are  rooting  Avell.  After  this  full  supplies 
are  needed.  It  is  convenient  very  often  to  repot  many  of  the 
C’ypripediums  now,  a  somewhat  similar  compost  to  that  advised 
above  suiting  them  well.  All,  or  nearly  all,  of  the  C.  insigne 
group  will  be  getting  past  their  best,  also  maily  of  the  hybrids, 
such  as  C.  Leeanum  and  others.  Here  it  is  advisable  to  thin 
out  all  dead  or  dying  roots,  to  spread  the  healthy  ones  out  regu¬ 
larly,  and  woi-k  the  compost  down  between  them  with  the  fingers. 
Water  may  also  be  given  directly  after  potting  to  settle  the 
compost  about  the  roots,  while,  as  a  rule,  a  shady  position  is 
to  be  desired. 
All  newly  potted  plants,  as  well  as  all  specimens  recently 
imimrted,  require  a  slightly  warmer  position  at  first,  and  a  kind 
of  nursing  or  convalescent  treatment  until  they  get  over  the 
distui'bance.  This  is  easily  arranged  at  this  season  of  the  year, 
when  everything  in  all  departments  is  waking  up,  as  it  were,  into 
new  growth.  For  this  rea.son,  newly  imported  plants  obtained 
now  are  far  more  likely  to  do  well  than  when  purchased  in  late 
summer  or  autumn. — H.  R.  R. 
Notes  on  Japanese  Ferns, 
About  250  species  of  Ferns  are  known  to  grow  wild  in 
the  Japanese  Islands.  If  Formosa,  which  recently  became 
a  Japanese  possession,  be  included,  the  number  would  be 
much  greater.  Japan  thus  has  more  species  of  Ferns  than 
the  whole  of  the  United  States,  three  times  as  many  as  are 
found  in  the  British  Isles,  and  may  be  called  one  of  the  richest 
Fern  countries  outside  of  the  tropics.  The  Japanese  Islands 
have  been  pretty  well  explored  in  the  last  thirty  years,  and 
nearly  all  of  the  flowering  plants  and  Ferns  have  been 
identified  by  botanists. 
The  majority  of  the  Japanese  Ferns  are  herbaceous 
species,  and  Tree  Ferns  grow  only  in  the  southernmost  part 
of  Japan,  where  also  occur  other  sub-tropical  and  tropical 
species  like  those  found  in  the  East  Indies  and  in  the  Malay 
Archipelago.  There  are  a  number  of  species  of  Ferns  which 
are  found  only  in  Japan  ;  thus  moi’e  than  half  a  dozen  species 
are  christened  Japonica,  or  Nipponicum. 
Among  the  Ferns  which  are  more  or  less  widely  distri¬ 
buted  in  different  parts  of  the  world,  and  which  also  occur  in 
Japan,  may  be  mentioned  the  following: — Pteris  aquilina, 
Adiantum  pedatum,  Scolopendrium  vulgare,  Osmunda  regalis 
(variety  japonica),  Aspidium  filix-mas,  Asplenium  Tricho- 
manes,  Pteris  cretica,  Pteris  serrulata,  Lomaria  spicant, 
Woodwardia  radicans  (variety  orientalis),  Onoclea  sensibilis, 
O.  Struthiopteris,  Osmunda  Claytoniana,  O.  cinnamomea, 
Botrychium  lunaria,  and  B.  virginiana.  Although  almost 
every  part  of  the  country  is  rich  in  Ferns,  more  species  are 
found  in  the  mountainous  region.  I  collected  over  a  hundred 
species  in  the  vicinity  of  Kioto,  the  former  capital  of  Japan. 
It  is  rather  uncommon  to  find  Fern-pots  in  Japanese 
houses,  but  the  Fern-ball  is  very  frequently  seen  hanging  on 
the  porch.  For  the  ball,  Davallia  bullata,  called  “  Shi  no  bu  ” 
by  the  Japanese  people,  is  almost  exclusively  used.  This 
Fern  does  not  grow  wild  in  the  fields,  but  is  found  only  in  the 
mountains.  It  was  so  much  hunted  after,  for  ornamental 
purposes,  that  it  is  very  scai’ce  now,  being  one  of  the  rare 
Ferns  for  the  collector,  although  common  and  well  known  in 
Japanese  households. 
Another  Fern,  which  is  very  familiar  to  the  Japanese 
people  is  Gleichenia  longissima,  commonly  called  “  Urajiro- 
shida  ”  (Fern  with  white  under  surface),  or  more  commonly 
simply  “  Urajiro  ”  (white  underneath).  This  is  used  for  orna¬ 
mental  purposes,  but  is  somewhat  different  from  the  above- 
mentioned  species  of  Davallia.  The  leaves  being  evergreen, 
are  used  as  a  sort  of  decoration  on  New  Year’s  Day,  being 
placed  above  the  house  entrance  or  gate. 
The  young  shoots  of  Pteris  aquilina  (Japanese  name 
“  Warabi  ”)  and  Osmunda  regalis  var.  japonica  (“  Zenmai  ” 
in  Japanese)  are  very  commonly  eaten  by  the  natives.  The 
plants  are  gathered  before  the  leaves  unfold,  while  the  shoots 
are  still  fiddle-head  shaped.  They  are  sometimes  cooked 
Odontoglossum  crispum  Cooksonias.  (Nat.  size  4iii.  diameter.) 
while  fresh,  but  more  often  they  are  sold  in  the  markets 
dried.  Starch  also  is  made  from  the  rhizoma  of  Pteris 
aquilina,  and  is  very  good  for  food. 
The  island  of  Formosa  is  very  rich  in  Ferns,  being  located 
on  the  border  line  of  the  tropical  and  the  temperate  zones. 
The  Tropic  of  Cancer  passes  through  the  middle  of  the  island 
I  was  fortunate  enough  to  travel  through  the  island  for  several 
months,  and  although  unable  to  devote  all  my  time  to  herns, 
still  I  collected  over  a  hundred  species.  More  than  halt  ot 
these  seems  to  grow  also  in  the  Loo-Choo  Islands,  the 
southernmost  group  of  islands  of  the  former  Japanese 
empire.— Kuchi  Miyake,  Ph.D.  (in  “Fern  Bulletin.  ). 
