January  17,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
47 
Cypripedium  insigne. 
A  few  days  ago  I  called  to  see  Mr.  F.  Pheby,  gardener  at 
Belmont,  Otley,  the  residence  of  Thos.  Duncan,  Esq.  I  saw  there 
three  specimens  of  Cypripedium  insigne  well  worthy  of  comment.  I 
have  great  pleasure  in  sending  you  a  photograph  taken  by  Mr. 
Duncan,  jun.,  of  one  plant  which  carried  thirty-six  blooms  ;  the 
three  plants  carried  about  eighty-five.  Remarkable  to  say,  these 
plants  have  in  no  way  been  done  up  for  a  period  of  twelve  years, 
and  Mr.  Pheby  informs  me  that  the  three  plants  are  each  about 
twenty  years  of  age.  The  largest  plant  is  growing  in  a  10-inch  pot. 
The  surface  is  one  complete  entanglement  of  roots,  rising  4  or 
6  inches  above  the  rims  of  the  pot.  I  remarked  about  their  very 
healthy  condition,  when  I  was  informed  that  they  were  very  liberally 
treated  with  guano  water  during  their  season  of  growth. — J.  Snell, 
Farnley  Gardens. 
Cypripedium  Leeanum. 
With  a  little  care  the  blossoms  of  this  fine  hybrid  may  be  enjoyed 
all  through  the  winter,  like  those  of  its  seed  parent,  the  well-known 
C.  insigne.  Its  other  or  pollen 
parent  was  C.  Spicerianum, 
and  the  influence  of  this,  as  is 
well  known,  is  very  marked, 
while  the  plant  is  of  such  an 
excellent  habit  that  its  culture 
is  of  the  easiest.  To  grow  it 
well  one  wants  a  sufficient 
stock  of  it  and  similar  hybrids 
to  fill  a  small  house  or  com¬ 
partment,  and  let  them  have 
it  to  themselves.  They  like 
ample  light,  and  are  not  at 
all  averse  to  a  lair  amount  of 
sunshine,  in  this  respect  differ¬ 
ing  from  the  fine  leaved 
forms,  such  as  C.  Lawrence- 
anum  and  others. 
If  a  little  skill  is  used  no 
one  need  be  afraid  to  divide 
this  hybrid  freely,  and  a  large 
plant  of  it  carefully  manipu¬ 
lated  will  in  a  very  few  years 
be  transformed  into  a  healthy 
and  thriving  stock.  It  is 
best  to  wash  away  the  greater 
portion  of  the  compost,  as  this 
bares  the  whole  of  the  roots, 
and  then  injury  is  not  caused 
them  by  the  use  of  the  knife.  It  is  easy  to  see,  too,  where  tne  most 
convenient  places  for  division  are  situated.  Use  a  thin  bladed 
knife,  and  cut  through  the  rhizome  without  injuring  either  roots  or 
leaves.  Pot  the  plants  singly,  and  place  them  without  delay  in  a 
rather  closer  and  moister  house  to  that  they  have  been  accustomed  to, 
and  in  a  few  weeks  healthy  growths  will  form. 
The  compost  for  these  divided  portions  ought  not  to  be  quite  as 
heavy  as  for  established  plants,  a  little  more  sphagnum  moss  than 
usual  being  an  advantage.  When  really  well  established  and  strong 
at  least  one  half  the  compost  may  consist  of  fibrous  loam,  working  up 
with  peat  or  leaf  mould  and  chopped  sphagnum.  To  keep  the  bulk  in 
a  sweet  condition  add  an  abundant  supply  of  crocks  or  ballast  and  the 
plants  will  do  well.  Spread  the  root6  out  and  work  the  compost 
in  between  them  with  the  fingers,  as  the  roots  are  more  persistent 
than  those  of  most  Orchid-,  and  possess  in  a  greater  degree  the  power 
to  catch  hold  of  the  soil  again  after  disturbance. 
The  compost  of  these  strong  plants  need  not  be  rounded  on  the 
surface,  but  the  crowns  kept  a  little  below  the  rim  of  the  pot  as  in 
ordinary  potting.  The  divided  portions  may  perhaps  be  elevated  a 
little,  but  if  the  lighter  material  is  used  they  will  take  no  harm.  Water 
the  compost  at  once,  and  when  the  roots  begin  to  run  freely  in  this 
allow  a  little  more  air.  If  no  Orchid  house  is  at  command  the  plants 
thrive  equally  well  in  a  light  stove  or  warm  greenhouse,  and  during 
the  summer  months  in  vineries  or  other  houses.  So  that  there 
is  no  reason  why  anyone  possessed  of  a  few  plants  and  a  suitable 
structure  should  not  work  up  a  good  stock  of  this,  certainly  one 
Cypbipedium  insigne. 
of  the  finest,  though  one  of  the  oldest  hybrid  Cypripediums  in 
cultivation. 
Dendrobium  Schneiderianum. 
The  hybrid  Dendrcbiums  are  a  most  beautiful  class  of  Orchids,  and 
will  soon  be  flowering.  The  above  is  one  of  the  earliest,  and  I  noticed 
it  in  bloom  recently.  A  cross  between  D.  Findlayanum  and  D.  aureuro, 
the  flowers  are  intermediate.  The  sepals  and  petals  are  most  like  those 
of  the  former  parent,  being  rosy  white  with  a  distinctly  deeper  tint  of 
colour  on  the  tips,  the  lip  is  closely  covered  with  minute  hairs,  and  is 
yellowish  with  purple  markings.  Its  parentage  suggests  the  likeliest 
mode  of  treatment — viz.,  heat  and  moisture  in  abundance  while  growing, 
early  ripening,  and  a  good  rest,  and  this  will  be  found  suitable.  It  may 
be  freely  propagated  by  cutting  up  the  stems  in  the  manner  I  have 
often  described  in  this  column. 
Starting  Calanthes. 
The  time  will  soon  arrive  when  Calanthes  must  be  started  into 
growtn,  and  their  perfect  success  or  failure  depends  to  a  very  great 
extent  on  their  treatment.  I  have  known  splendid  pseudo-bulbs 
spoiled  by  a  bad  start,  in  one  case  in  particular,  where  the  pseudo¬ 
bulbs  were  potted,  immediately  watered,  and  kept  so  constantly  ;  bu' 
it  did  not  suit  them,  as  the  roots  were  long  in  forming.  When  they 
pushed  forth  they  were  few  and  weak ;  they  continued  sickly  all  the 
season,  and  at  the  end  of  the  year  the  new  pseudo-bulbs  were 
extremely  poor,  and  had  little  resemblance  to  their  parents  of  the 
previous  spring. 
This,  I  need  hardly  say,  is  a  manner  of  starting  Calanthes  that 
should  never  be  practised  ;  but  if  a?  layer  of  sphagnum  or  other  mos-' 
is  placed  at  the  bottom  of 
some  shallow  boxes,  the 
pseudo-bulbs  stood  upright  on 
this,  a  little  more  moss  packed 
between  to  make  them  stand, 
and  then  placed  in  a  tempera¬ 
ture  of  65°  to  70°,  sparingly 
watered,  they  will  soon  root 
freely,  and  send  out  strong, 
healthy  side  shoots  that  will 
form  the  pseudo- bulbs  for 
flowering.  As  soon  as  they 
are  fairly  started  they  should 
be  taken  from  the  box  without 
injuring  the  roots  and  potted. 
Some  of  the  moss  will  adhere 
to  the  roots,  but  this  will  not 
do  them  any  harm,  particu¬ 
larly  if  it  is  sphagnum.  The 
pottiDg  material  should  be 
rough,  and  they  ought  to  be 
put  into  pots  that  will  admit  of 
their  being  repotted  into  larger 
ones  later  on. — Orchidist. 
Phaius  grandifolius. 
This  old  but  useful  Orchid, 
so  often  despised  by  those 
who  are  ever  on  the  look  out 
for  novelties,  proves  to  be  an  invaluable  plant  for  conservatory 
decoration.  If  kept  on  the  dry  side  while  in  these  structures  the 
complete  rest  while  in  flower  is  very  beneficial.  In  repotting  I 
shake  the  whole  of  the  old  soil  from  the  roots  and  place  the  plants 
in  a  compost  of  loam,  peat,  sand,  and  a  little  decayed  manure. 
After  potting  care  is  needed  at  first  not  to  give  them  too  much 
water,  and  the  syringe  should  be  used  with  caution.  ^  If  scale  is 
noticed  on  the  leaves  sponge  thoroughly  before  potting. — Gr. 
Dendrobium  thyrsiflorum. 
This  is  usually  an  easy  plant  to  manage,  and  yet  we  often  hear 
of  its  failure  to  bloom.  While  it  is  growing  it  should  be  helped  as 
much  as  possible  to  make  a  .strong,  unchecked  growth  until 
December,  when  it  should  begin  to  rest.  In  January  and  February 
the  plants  must  be  dried  until  the  pseudo-bulbs  show  signs  of 
shrinking,  and  then  water  should  be  given.  If  this  is  kept  up  the 
bulbs  ought  to  be  1  or  2  inches  long  by  the  middle  of  February. 
If  dried  too  completely  the  buds  shrivel ;  if  kept  loo  moist  new 
growths  are  encouraged  at  the  expense  of  flowers. 
Dendrobium  Hookerianum  and  D.  Dalhousianum,  in  order  to 
be  flowered  successfully,  need  more  severe  drying.  If  treated 
as  evergreens  -they  flower  sparingly.  Indeed,  1  have  known 
specimens  of  Dendrobium  Dalhousianum  to  be  5  feet  high  that, 
have  not  bloomed  for  years.  With  a  good  root-system,  and.  large 
healthy  pseudo-bulbs  a  little  shrivelling  does  not  hurt  them  in  the 
least. — G.  F. 
