JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER 
189 
March  7,  1901. 
Phaio-Calanthe  Schrcederiana. 
In  the  above  we  have  a  remarkable  bi-generic  hybrid,  with  pale 
lilac  petals  and  sepals,  and  finely  developed  claret-coloured  lip.  The 
hybrid  was  staged  bv  Messrs.  James  Yeitch  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  Chelsea, 
at  the  last  Diill  Hall  meeting,  with  whom  it  resulted  as  a  cross 
between  Phaius  Wallichi  (female)  and  Calanthe  X  Baron  Sohroeder 
(male).  These  gemric  hybrids  are  exceedingly  interesting,  and  serve 
to  prove  how  closely  united  the  genera  are. 
Oucidlmn  spilopterum. 
under  the  impression  that  the  white  varieties  as  a  whole  are  far  more 
successfully  cultivated  now  than  a  few  years  ago,  and  this  is  without 
doubt  due  in  considerable  measure  to  the  increased  amount  of  light 
allowed  them. 
Much  as  the  type  plant  delights  in  this  it  is  even  more  necessary 
for  the  white  varieties,  which  will  not  flower  satisfactorily  in  an 
overheated,  shady,  or  very  moist  house.  Yet  they  delight  in  moisture, 
and  as  long  as  there  are  ample  air  currents  and  a  free  light  no 
harm  will  be  done  by  damping  floors  and  .-tages  often.  The  thing 
to  avoid  is  a  stagnant  and  close  damp  atmosphere.  What  is  true 
of  the  atmosphere  is  also  true  of  the  roots.  These  like  plenty  of 
moisture,  but  the  compost  must  be  so  arranged  that  the  water 
passes  quickly  away  when  poured  upm  it.  The  present  is  a 
suitable  time  for  potting,  and  this  point  must  be  kept  in  mind. 
Peat  and  moss  in  equal  proportions  will  suit  it  well,  and  a  thin 
layer  only  over  good  drainage  is  essential. 
Vandas. 
This  species  produces  handsome  paniculate  spikes  of  bright  yellow 
blossoms,  each  with  a  crimson  crest  that  gives  it  a  very  distinct  and 
telling  appearance  in  a  group  of 
Orchids.  The  plant  is  of  medium 
growth  only,  and  like  others  of  a 
similar  habit,  should  not  be  very 
liberally  treated  in  the  matter  of 
size  of  pot  and  amount  of  compost ; 
yet  when  the  plants  are  thriving 
and  healthy  a  moderate  amount 
of  ieeding  is  better  than  a  very 
bare  diet,  but  it  is  most  important 
that  nothing  at  all  likely  to  clog 
the  drainage  or  fine  down  the 
other  parts  of  the  compost  is  intro¬ 
duced  therewith.  It  is  a  native 
of  Minas  Gesnes  in  Brazil,  and 
very  nearly  related  to  O.  Bate¬ 
man  ianum. 
Recent  importations  have  made 
it  more  plentnul  than  formerly  in 
collections,  aud  it  is  not  at  all 
unusual  to  see  nice  plants  of  it 
in  our  trade  groups  at  the  shows. 
Anything  like  this  a  little  out  of 
the  ordinary  run  of  Oncidiums  is 
bound  to  attract  attention,  and 
being  of  easy  culture  amateurs 
may  take  it  up  with  every  prospect 
of  succeeding.  The  most  likely 
place  for  it  is  one  close  to  the  light 
in  a  cool  intermediate  house,  or  at 
the  cool  end  of  that  devoted  to 
Cattleyas.  In  more  heat  the  growth  will  be  weak  and  flowerless, 
while  in  a  very  cool  house  it  will  not  be  sufficiently  free. 
-  m 
,\ 
Phaio-Calanthe  Schrcederiana 
I  was  pleased  to  see  “  S.  F.,”  on  page  109,  calling  attention  to 
the  merits  of  this  grand  genus  of  Orchids,  which  has  been  much 
neglected  of  recent  years.  But  I 
hope  “  S.  F.”  will  pardon  me  for 
calling  his  attention  to  the  fact 
that  all  Vandas  do  not,  as  his  note 
implies,  come  from  the  hottest 
parts  of  India.  Take  that  lovely 
one  which  he  extols  as  the  finest 
of  all  Vandas,  V.  coerulea.  This 
we  are  told  by  collectors  is  often 
found  covered  with  hoar  frost  in 
early  morning,  and  has  been  found 
under  cultivation  to  be  most  satis¬ 
factory  in  a  cool  house. 
V.  teres  and  V.  Ilookeriana, 
on  the  other  hand,  can  hardly 
have  too  much  heat  during  their 
growing  season.  The  genus,  as 
a  matter  of  fact,  cannot  be  treated 
of  in  a  collective  manner.  No 
one  with  any  experience  with 
Orchids  would  think  of  giving 
the  large  growing  species,  such 
as  V.  Batemani  and  V.  gigantea, 
the  same  class  of  material  or  size 
of  pot  that  they  would  give  to 
V.  Kimballiana,  or  even  the  species 
mentioned  above,  which  seems 
always  to  delight  in  having  its 
roots  tightly  twisted  into  a  ball, 
and  overflowing  the  pot  or  basket 
into  the  congenial  moisture  of  the 
Orchid  house.  I  can  quite  bear  out  all  that  “  S.  F.”  says  in  favour 
of  these  lovely  Orchids,  and  it  is  a  great  pity  they  are  not  more 
generally  grown. — H.  R.  R. 
Masdevallia  Peristeria. 
The  front  of  the  flower  of  this  pretty  species  is  almost  an  exact 
imitation  of  the  lip  of  the  Dove  Orchid,  Peristeria  elata.  But  the 
colour  is  quite  different,  this  varying  in  the  different  forms  from 
yellowish  to  reddish  browD,  but  never  white  as  in  the  above  well- 
known  plant.  M.  Peristeria  should  be  grown  in  a  very  cool, 
moist,  and  shady  house ;  it  will  not  thrive  in  a  dry  or  hot  one. 
The  pots  or  baskets  (either  are  suitable)  used  for  it  should  be  only 
sufficiently  large  to  take  the  plant  easily,  and  allow  for  about  an  inch 
of  margin. 
The  roots  cannot  push  through  a  heavy,  close  mass  of  peat  and 
moss,  or  other  compressible  material,  and  if  this  is  given  the  plants 
are  never  really  happy  in  it.  But  let  them  have  a  little,  and  keep 
this  open  and  well  drained.  Then  the  roots  push  through  it  and 
take  hold  of  the  receptacle  in  which  it  is  grown,  and  as  every 
Orchid  must  have  a  firm  hold  on  the  home  of’  its  adoption  to  be 
healthy,  this  will  tend  materially  to  the  end  in  view.  Like  all 
Masdevallias,  this  one  is  very  apt  to  be  overrun  with  thrips,  both 
black  and  yellow.  White  scale  is  also  a  troublesome  pest  if  not 
cleared  off  early,  and  these  should  have  attention  directly  the  least 
sign  of  them  is  noticed.  M.  Peristeria  was  introduced  from 
Antioquia  in  1873  by  Messrs.  Veitch. 
Loelia  anceps  alba. 
In  using  the  varietal  name  alba  I  am  not  thinking  so  much  of  this 
particular  variety  as  of  the  white  forms  generally.  All  these  are  very 
beautiful  Orchids,  as  was  shown  at  a  recent  Drill  Hall  meeting,  when 
some  scores  of  spikes  were  present  from  various  exhibitors.  I  am 
■ - — — - 
Diospyros  Kaki. 
Away  back  in  1876  a  writer  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  said  that 
“  as  the  generio  name  affirms,  this  is  a  fruit  fit  for  the  gods  ;  which  is 
more  than  the  usual  exaggeration,  for  although  its  bright  yellow  colour  is 
showy,  it  is  not  so  good  in  flavour  as  a  moderate  Plum.”  No,  indeed  ! 
for  it  is  a  very  sour  “  Plum  ”  unless  it  is  eaten  at  the  stage  known  as 
“dead  ripe.”  It  is  probably  this  fact  which  deters  the  advance  in 
popularity  of  D.  Kaki,  the  Chinese  Date  Plum,  better  known  as  the 
North  American  Persimmon.  The  fruit,  however,  are  said  to  be 
esteemed  in  Japan,  the  native  country  of  the  tree,  where  it  bears 
prolificly.  Plants  have  had  a  trial  in  orchard  houses  in  this  country,  as, 
for  instance,  in  Mr.  G.  F.  Wilson’s  garden  at  Weybridge,  Surrey,  where 
they  throve.  Whether  they  still  continue  to  bear  and  grow  well  we  do 
not  know.  Mr.  Wilson,  in  common  with  others,  complains  of  its  tart 
astringency.  When  preserved  in  syrup,  or  even  candied,  the  fruit  are 
very  tasty,  and  might  be  imported  for  our  markets.  Our  illustration 
(page  191)  splendidly  depicts  the  rounded  shape  and  Apple-like 
appearance  of  this  fruit.  Canon  Ellaoombe  succeeds  in  fruiting  the 
plant  against  a  wall  in  his  garden  at  Bitton.  The  above  may  be 
of  interest  to  “  A.  C.,”  Dehra  Dun,  India,  who  wrote  concerning  the 
Persimmon  two  weeks  ago. 
