Feb  1*0 ary  "7,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
109 
Odontogioseum  nevadense  rosefieldiense. 
Obchids  were  not  numerous  at  the  Drill  Hall  on  the  29th  ult.,  hut 
they  were  of  the  greatest  interest.  De  Barri  Crawshay,  Esq.,  Rosefield, 
Sevenoaks,  contributed  amongst  other  Orchids  a  spike  of  Odonto- 
glossum  nevadense  rosefieldiense,  which  received  an  award  of  merit 
from  the  Orchid  Committee.  It  is  larger  than  the  type  and  much 
finer.  0.  nevadense  is  described  by  Mr.  Williams  in  the  “Orchid 
Growers’  Manual  ’’  as  follows : — “  A  thoroughly  distinct  as  well  as 
rare  and  beautiful  species.  It  has  large  oblong  ovate  pseudo-bulbs 
which  are  diphyllous;  the  lorate  lanceolate  keeled  leaves  are  much 
narrowed  at  the  base,  and  the  radical  scapes  bearing  long  drooping 
racemes  of  numerous  large  and  pleasingly  coloured  flowers,  of  which 
the  lanceolate  sepals  are  clear  bright  chestnut  with  a  narrow  even  edge 
of  yellow,  the  petals  smiller,  similarly  coloured,  with  two  forked  bars 
of  pale  yellow  opposite  the  lateral  lobes  of  the  lip,  which  are  l  uge, 
erect,  crescent  shaped,  white  spotted 
with  chestnut,  the  front  lobe  large, 
roundish,  cuspidate-acuminate,  pure 
white  deeply  fringed,  the  disc  with  a 
bifid  crest  and  three  ob-cuneate  brown 
spots.”  This  d'scription  answers 
admirably  for  the  newcomer,  in  which, 
however,  the  beautiful  fringe  of  the 
lip  is  yellow. 
Epidendrum  atro-purpureum. 
Epidendrums  are  not  as  a  whole 
popular  garden  Orchids,  yet  they  are 
extremely  pretty  in  many  cases  and 
wonderfully  varied.  There  are,  it  is 
true,  a  number  of  weedy  species  that 
are  hardly  worth  considering  in  the 
light  of  garden  plants,  but  they  are 
greatly  in  the  minority.  Unfortu¬ 
nately  growers  are  apt  to  confuse  the 
names,  and  in  some  cases  to  call  an 
Orchid  an  Epidendrum  is  to  condemn 
it.  The  species  named  is  an  excellent 
one,  and  it  deserves  to  be  better  known. 
From  large,  roundish,  scaly  pseudo¬ 
bulbs  the  spikes  rise  nearly  2  feet  high 
and  carry  from  eight  to  ten  handsome 
flowers.  In  the  type  these  are  a  light 
chocolate  tint,  incurved  at  the  tips 
and  suffused  at  the  base  with  green ; 
the  lip  is  creamy  white  with  a  purple  blotch  in  the  centre.  The 
flowers  last  well,  and  are  sometimes  nearly  3  inches  across,  as  large, 
perhaps,  as  those  of  any  Epidendrum  in  cultivation. 
No  one  with  any  idea  of  Orchid  culture  need  be  afraid  to  tackle 
this  species,  which  is  easily  grown,  but  good  strong  plants  should 
be  procured  in  toe  first  place,  and  every  endeavour  must  be  made 
to  keep  up  the  vigour  of  the  specimens.  Weak,  half-starved  plants 
never  grow  into  good  specimens,  or  very  rarely.  The  best  place  to 
grow  E.  atro-purpureum  is  in  the  Cattleya  house,  with  abundant 
light  and  ample  atmospherie  moisture.  In  strong  heat  the  growth 
is  too  sappy,  as  it  were,  and  not  sufficiently  consolidated  to  have  the 
strength  to  flower  well.  It  likes  a  moderate  amount  of  rest  after  the 
flowers  are  past  and  the  growth  fully  made  up,  but  severe  drying 
off  is  not  to  its  taste. 
Tne  roots  are  moderately  strong  and  wiry,  and  have  a  habit  of 
insinuating  themselves  among  lumps  of  charcoal  and  crocks  rather 
than  penetrating  deeply  into  a  heavy  and  moist  mass  of  compost. 
This  must  be  kept  in  mind  when  preparing  the  latter.  All  the  same 
the  roots  like  moisture,  but  it  must  not  be  stagnant  ;  and  as  I  have 
often  remarked  when  speaking  of  South  American  plants,  a  good  day  or 
two  days’  drying  does  them  no  harm,  provided  they  are  well  supplied 
as  a  rule.  It  does  good  in  fact  by  hardening  the  bulbs  and  leaves 
slightly  as  they  grow. 
In  addition  to  the  type  form  we  have  the  purple  tinted  E.  atro- 
purpureum  Randianum,  often  described  as  a  distinct  species;  var. 
roseum,  a  smaller  sort,  with  a  rose  tinted  lip,  and  one  or  two  others 
more  or  less  distinct.  Tne  plant  has  been  gathered  over  a  very  wide 
range  of  country  in  Central  and  South  America,  especially  about 
Guatemala  and  Venezuela,  and  the  type  was  introduced  by  Mr. 
Horsfall  in  1836. — H.  R.  R. 
Dlsas. 
My  plants  of  these  beautiful  Orchids  occupy  large  pans,  and  during 
the  summer  months  they  are  grown  in  a  frame  placed  under  a  north 
wall.  One  of  the  lights  happened  to  have  a  broken  square  of  glass 
immediately  above  one  of  the  Disas,  and  the  unexpected  early  frost 
blackened  some  of  the  growths,  which  still  show,  and  will  do  for  some 
time,  the  effects  of  that  night.  Too  much  loam  is  decidedly  harmful, 
and  should  only  be  used  sparingly,  and  that  fibrous.  As  the  Disas 
require  abundance  of  water  during  growth  the  pottmg  material  should 
be  loose,  so  that  water  can  pass  freely  through.  Anything  approaching 
stagnation  is  fatal  to  them.  Sand  and  manure — I  used  dried  cow 
excreta — can  also  be  dispensed  with,  all  that  is  required  being  good 
fibrous  peat  and  live  sphagnum  in  equal  quantity,  with  plenty  of 
crocks  broken  very  small. 
After  potting  the  plants  soon  began  to  show  signs  of  activity,  and 
during  the  summer  they  were  placed  outside  over  a  narrow  stream  in 
a  shady  part  of  the  garden.  D.  cornuta  was  potted  singly  in  4-inch 
pots,  and  grew  very  strongly,  throwing  up  spikes  of  bloom  16  inches 
high.  D.  Herschelli,  with  grass-like  leaves,  has  made  growths  as  large 
as  the  imported  ones,  and  ought  to  bloom  this  year.  D.  graminiflora 
and  D.  spathulata  have  similar  foliage,  and  have  formed  large  new 
white  growths.  D.  sagittalis  in  habit  of  growth  resembles  D.  grandi- 
flora,  but  the  flowers  are  white  and  mauve. 
My  plants  were  housed  early  in  September,  and  have  since 
occupied  a  shelf  in  the  cool  house 
close  to  the  ventilators,  where  frost 
is  only  just  excluded,  and  since  then 
the  soil  has  gradually  been  allowed 
to  become  dry.  I  have  been  ex¬ 
amining  the  growths,  and  find  them 
as  mentioned  and  very  firm,  and  a 
few  are  commencing  to  grow  again. 
— (Jrchidist. 
Vandas. 
These  beautiful  epiphytal  Orchids 
are  splendid  plants  for  the  stove,  for 
with  care  and  attention  they  pro¬ 
duce  such  fragrant  flowers,  and  grow 
most  vigorously.  They  are  natives 
of  the  East  Indies,  where  they 
are  found  growing  in  the  hottest 
parts,  and  where  moisture  is  very 
abundant.  There  they  grow  at  a 
rapid  rate,  for  a  period,  when  the  heat 
is  at  its  height  and  rain  rather  pre¬ 
valent. 
It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  if  we 
wish  for  success  in  cultivating  Vandas 
we  must  imitate  as  nearly  as  possible 
the  climate  of  their  native  land.  The 
most  suitable  season  for  this  purpose 
is,  of  course,  the  summer,  as  then  the 
conditions  of  our  climate  are  in  every 
way  better  adapted  to  their  requirements  than  the  winter.  From 
May  to  September  a  temperature  of  85°  should  be  maintained  ; 
i  this  may  easily  be  done  by  regulating  the  fire  according  to  the 
rise  and  fall  of  the  temperature ,  outside.  Also  an  abundant  supply 
of  water  (rain  water  if  possible)  should  be  given  at  the  roots,  and  a 
syringing  tw  ee  a  day. 
After  September  less  water  should  be  given,  and  the  tempera¬ 
ture  lowered  to  about  60°  by  day,  and  during  winter  only  enough 
water  applied  to  the  plants  as  will  prevent  the  leaves  curlmg. 
Watering  during  this  season  must  be  carefully  performed,  for  if 
the  house  be  kept  in  a  very  moist  condition  the  plants  will  in 
all  probability  start  into  growth,  and  if  this  is  not  prevented 
few  flowers  will  be  produced.  The  importance  of  a  perfect  season 
of  rest  is,  therefore,  seen  when  the  time  arrives  for  the  plants  to 
flower. 
About  March  the  flowers  usually  begin  to  appear,  and  a  little 
more  moisture  should  then  be  given.  After  the  plants  have 
finished  flowering,  growth  once  more  commences,  when  the  above 
routine  should  be  gone  through  To  grow  Vandas,  either  pots 
or  baskets  of  teak  wood  should  be  used,  and  these  must  b3 
well  drained  with  charcoal  or  crocks,  also  thoroughly  cleaned. 
The  best  material  to  grow  them  is  in  living  sphagnum  moss  and 
charcoal. 
The  following  are  good  species : — V.  insignis,  a  very  handsome 
species,  producing  beaut'ful  large  yellow  flowers,  which  are  spotted 
with  crimson.  V.  teres,  with  purple  petals,  sepals  cream  colour,  and 
lip  yellow  with  crimson  markings.  V.  coerulea,  perhaps  the  finest  of 
the  Vandas,  the  fljwers  being  about  4  incaes  in  diameter,  each  raceme 
bearing  nine  or  ten.  Tne  petals  and  sepals  are  pale  blue,  and  the  lip 
deep  blue. — S.  F. 
Odontoglossum  nevadense  rosefieldiense. 
