April  9,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HOlxTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
309 
Cypripedium  Pltcherianum  var.  Williamsi. 
We  called  attention  to^  this  handsome  hybrid  in  an  article  on 
page  267,  and  take  the  present  opportunity  to  illustrate  what  is 
undoubtedly  a  fine  flower.  It  was  honoured  in  1892  with  a  first- 
class  certificate  when  exhibited  at  a  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s 
show  by  the  raisers,  Messrs.  B.  S.  Williams  and  Son,  of  the 
Paradise  Nursery,  Upper  Holloway.  The  parentage  is 
C.  Harrisianum  superbum  and  C.  Spicerianum.  The  flovyer  is 
well  depicted  iir  the  acoompanj-ing  woodcut;  it  has  a  polished, 
shining  appearance,  and  is  very  rich  in  the  colouring.  The  dorsal 
sepal  is  2^in,  broad,  rounded,  veined  with  dark  crimson  in  thci 
centre  and  at  the  base,  the  lower  sepal  pale  green ;  petals 
polished,  with  dark  reddish  central  veins,  the  lip  neat,  and  of  a 
dark  tint  like  the  petals.  In  habit  it  is  extremely  free,  both 
in  growth  and  flowering,  and  is  a  good  subject  for  all  general 
Orchid  collections. 
The  Week’s  Cultural  Notes. 
The  plants  of  the  Golden  Chain  Orchid,  as  Hondrochilum 
filiforme  is  popularly  called,  are  now  commencing  to  grow,  and 
should  be  placed  in  a  warm,  moist  and  partially  shaded  position 
near  the  roo-f  glass.  Un¬ 
like  some  other  Orchids  it 
does  not  relish  repotting 
at  the  time  of  starting. 
The  flower  spikes  and 
young  growths  are  prac¬ 
tically  identical,  and  it 
is  better  to  wait  until  the 
flowers  are  past  before  re¬ 
potting.  By  this  time 
the  young  pseudo-bulbs 
are,  as  a  rule,  beginning 
to  push  roots,  and  these 
will  soon  re-establish 
the  plants. 
It  is  not  well  to  in¬ 
crease  the  size  of  the  pot 
or  basket  much,  as  these 
plants  of  tufted  habit 
take  a  long  time  to  fill 
up.  But  if  a  plant  is  doing 
well  there  may  usually  be 
a  slight  difference.  Some 
old  specimens  are  very 
beautiful  Avhen  in  flower, 
and  every  effort  should  be 
made  to  bring  the  plant 
to  specimen  size,  but  a 
number  of  small  plants 
massed  have  never  the 
same  fine  appearance  as 
one  large  one.  They  do 
not  require  a  thick  com- 
lX)st  or  a  heavy  one,  a 
Targe  proportion  of  sphag¬ 
num  moss  and  finely 
broken  crocks  being 
mixed  with  the  peat. 
After  repotting  light 
dewings  overhead  are 
necessary,  and  indeed  all 
through  the  growing 
season,  these  serving  to 
keep  down  thrips,  an 
insect  that  is  very 
destructive  to  these 
plants. 
Many  deciduous  Den- 
drobiums  will  by  now  bo 
going  out  of  flower,  and 
signs  of  young  growth  appearing.  All  should  be  thoroughly  over- 
hauled  and  cleaned  before  returning  to  their  summer  or  growing 
quarters,  but  unless  really  needing  attention  t'he  roots  should 
not  be  disturbed.  Few  Orchids  are  more  easily  incommoded  by 
injury  to  the  roots,  and  often  a  little  top-dressing  will  prevent  the 
need  of  this.  D.  densiflorum  and  allied  evergreen  sorts  are 
advancing  for  flower,  and  a  little  more  generous  treatment  than 
they  have  lately  been  getting  may  be  allowed.  Do  not  wait 
for  young  growths  to  appear  before  giving  extra  moisture,  as 
their  season  of  growth  is  very  short,  and  takes  a.  lot  out  of  the 
old  pseudo-bulbs  should  these  be  shrivelled  at  the  start. — H.  R.  R. 
Flowers  of  the  Saints. 
Cypripedium  Pitcherianum  var.  Williamsi. 
Most  people  who  care  at  all  about  flowers  have  their 
favourites;  possibly  they  have  several,  but  one  takes  the  lead, 
being  admired  for  its  beauty,  fi'agrance,  or  form,  perhaps  from 
no  particular  reason.  Many  a  page  of  history  reminds  us  of 
the  association  of  certain  flowers  with  notable  individuals,  or 
with  a  family,  sometimes  for  a  long  period.  It  is  one  thing, 
though,  to  select  a  flower  which  we  wi.sh  to  call  ours,  and 
another  to  have  one  c'hosen  which  is  considered  to  be  suitable 
or  appropriate  for  us.  To  the  saints  of  the  olden  time  it  was 
usual  to  assign  an  emblem  ;  it  might  be  animal  or  vegetable, 
the  reason  not  being  at  all  obvious  in  some  cases,  and  the 
heralds  seem  to  have  used  a  good  deal  of  freedom  when  they 
devis^  the  armorial  bearings  of  families,  bringing  into  tliein 
occasionally  very  singular  plants  and  flowers.  Doubtless  there 
was,  with  .some,  an  explanation  of  the  choice,  though  it  has 
dropped  from  history  now,  it  may  be.  A  trifling  circumstance, 
if  the  tales  are  true,  has  made,  over  and  over  again,  an  insigni¬ 
ficant  plant  of  s.ymbolic  importance.  The  outcry  of  a  warrior 
who  stepped  unawares  upon  a  Thistle,  and  so  spoilt  a  night 
surprise,  is  said  to  have  given  Scotland  its  national  emblem. 
Gathered  by  the  waj^side  as  an  illustration,  the  spray  of  Wood- 
sorrel,  or,  ’tis  more  likely,  of  some  Clover,  became  Ireland’s 
Shamrock. 
Recent  years  have  witnessed  a  revival  of  the  observance  of 
saints’  days,  but  in  the  olden  time  they  were  taken  much  more 
heed  of,  and  for  a  special  reason  a  holy  day  was  also  a  holiday, 
or  at  least  its  greater  part,  after  church  had  been  attended. 
This,  gives  us  a  clue  to 
the  association  of  flowers 
with  such  saints  whose 
days  fell  in  the  growing 
months ;  people  noted 
one  or  more  flowers  that 
happened  to  be  opening 
when  the  anniversary  of 
a  saint  came  round. 
Hence  it  liappened  that 
a  saint  whose  day  was 
in  a  month  profuse  of 
flowers  had  a  number 
dedicated  to  him,  St. 
John,  for  instance  (John 
the  Baptist,  at  midsum¬ 
mer,  had  a  long  list ;  he 
might  also  have  had  in¬ 
sect  symbols,  the  bee 
and  the  locust).  Other 
causes  connected  saints 
with  certain  flowers,  such 
as  a  legend  or  tradition, 
and  the  doctrine  of  sig¬ 
natures.  There  was  for¬ 
merly  a  practice  of  deco¬ 
rating  the  figures  of 
saints  with  a  wreatli  or 
chaplet,  composed  of  the 
flowers  that  could  be 
gathered  on  the  anniver¬ 
sary.  Incidentally,  as  it 
were,  many  saints’  days 
record  about  the  time 
when  various  wild  flowers 
bloomed  centuries  ago. 
It  seems  that  the  spring 
flowei’s  opened  no  later 
than  they  do  now,  yet 
we  might  have  expected 
they  would,  when  the 
average  winters  were 
colder. 
Some  saints  have  their 
anniversaries  during  the 
winter  season,  and 
thence  arose  a  difficulty 
in  providing  flowers  for 
the  occasion.  Possibly 
one  suitable  could  not  be 
obtained,  so  they  had  instead  a  sprig  of  an  evergreen,  or  twigs 
with  expanding  buds.  Still,  various  references  show  that  tlic 
monks  often  devoted  part  of  their  gardens  to  raising  early 
flowei's  as  well  as  vegetables  for  themselves,  though  scarcely 
well  up  in  the  art  of  forcing.  They  planted  English  wild  flowers 
it  would  seem,  also  species  from  abroad,  specially  .some  adapted 
for  spring  decoration.  Hence  it  is  probable  monks  brought  in 
the  Snowdrop,  which  old  writers  on  botany  do  not  mention  as 
a  native,  though  it  is  found  growing  apparently  wild,  but  may 
indicate  the  locality  of  a  vanished  garden.  This  flower  was 
deemed  suitable  for  any  virgin  saint  on  whose  anniversary  it 
