March  21,  190L 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
235 
'WSL 
fit: 
OdontoglosBum  crispum  var.  Queen  Empress. 
Our  illustration  of  this  exceedingly  handsome  variety  of  Odonto- 
glossum  crispum  (of  the  roseum  section)  fully  preseuts  the  immense 
size  and  grand  effect  of  the  individual  flower.  The  Orchid  Committee 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  unanimously  awarded  a  first-class 
certificate  to  it  when  W.  Thompson,  E<q.  (gardener,  Mr.  W.  Stevens)* 
of  Walton  Grange,  Stone,  Staffordshire,  presented  it  before  them  on 
the  12th  of  this  month.  The  spike  bore  nine  such  flowers  as  the  one 
here  illustrated,  each  being  strong  and  very  substantial.  Besides 
having  the  advantage  of  size  and  good  form  the  colour  is  also  especially 
fine.  The  lip  is  almost 
white,  and  has  a  bright 
yellow  disc,  which  makes  an 
admirable  contrast  to  the 
<leep  rose  petals.  There  are 
few  varieties  of  O.  crispum 
that  equal  this  one. 
Ccelogyne  pandurata. 
I  saw  a  nice  healthy 
plant  of  this  in  full  flower 
quite  lecently,  and  1  do  not 
remember  having  seen  it 
before  so  early  in  the  year. 
The  flowers  are  very  telling 
in  their  tints  of  black  and 
green,  and  most  people 
admire  them.  I  s  culture  is 
rather  more  difficult  than 
that  of  others  in  the  genus, 
as  it  is  of  very  rambling 
habit,  and  soon  grows  out  cf 
an  ordinary  pot.  The  speci¬ 
men  referred  to  was  growing 
in  a  long  wooden  trough, 
and  this  seems  very  suitable 
for  its  culture,  as  it  allows 
for  free  extension  of  the 
rhizomes. 
Angraecum  eburneum. 
There  are  few  more 
easily  grown  Orchids  than 
this,  the  very  vigorous  hasbit 
and  free  rooting  propenhities  tending  to  this  end.  If  a  fault  can  be 
found  with  it,  this  is  t  e  rather  stiff  character  of  the  flowers  ;  but 
the  lovely  |  ure  white  of  the  inverted  lip,  and  the  fact  of  its  lasting 
for  many  weeks  in  good  condition,  are  all  in  its  favour.  It  will 
thrive  in  any  warm  moist  house,  and  a  little  fibry  loam  should  be 
mixed  with  the  sphagnum  and  charcoal  or  ballast  when  preparing 
the  compost.  U*e  large  pots,  and  water  freely  at  the  roots  an  l 
maintain  a  moist  atmospheie;  the  plants  will  then  be  sure  to 
do  well.  The  smaller  growing  variety,  A.  e.  virens,  is  most 
suitable  lor  small  collections. 
Dendrobium  undulatum. 
Although  a  pre  ty  and  distinct  species,  this  Dendrobium  is  not 
often  teen.  The  reason  probably  is  that  in  many  places  where  it  hat 
been  tried  it  has  not  proved  very  tractable.  Its  nearest  ally  is  perhaps 
the  Bull’s-head  Dendrobe,  D.  taurinum,  than  which  it  is  lighter  in 
colour,  though  it  possesses  the  peculiarly  formed  upright  sepals.  The 
most  likely  place  tor  it  is  with  D.  Phalaenopsis  and  other  Australasian 
kinds,  and  it  should  be  grown  in  a  small  amount  of  compost  in 
suspended  pans  with  perforated  sides. 
Cool  House  Orchids. 
As  the  days  lengthen  and  the  light  increases  the  house  devoted  to 
cool  Orchids  gets  daily  more  attractive,  both  on  account  of  the 
number  of  flowers  produced  and  the  progress  the  plants  are  making. 
Odontoglossums  and  kindred  plants  that  were  repotted  in  September 
have,  if  they  are  in  a  satisfactory  condition,  made  good  progress  at  the 
roots.  The  latter  will  be  pushing  well  in  the  new  compost,  and  will 
aid  the  forming  of  growths  and  flower  spikes  mateiially.  Both  on 
this  account,  and  also  because  of  the  increased  air  circulation  now 
possible,  more  moisture  will  be  needed. 
Anyone  acquainted  with  their  habits  can  hardly  go  wrong  in 
the  watering  now,  but  it  is  vexing  to  go  into  some  collections,  where 
those  in  charge  should  know  better,  and  see  the  plants.  They 
are  never  dry,  they  ere  never  really  wet,  but  the  surface  of  the 
compost,  owing  to  the  constant  dribblings  of  water  given,  is  at  all 
times  in  a  moist  and  sour  condition,  while  below  and  amongst  the 
drainage  the  roots  are  absolutely  dry.  Now  it  must  be  obvious  to 
anyone  who  thinks,  that  such  a  state  of  things  as  this  would  not 
be  possible  were  the  plants  growing  naturally  on  their  host  trees. 
At  times  they  must  be  very  dry,  while  at  oth  rs  the  drenching 
tropic  d  rain  must  so  thoroughly  soak  everything  around  them,  and 
render  the  atmosphere  about  them  so  very  moist,  that  every  part  of 
the  plant  is  wet  alike. 
We  need  not  follow  this  in  its  entirety,  but  it  will  be  quite 
wrong  to  go  to  the  other 
extreme  and  give  each  plant 
a  little  every  day,  just 
because  the  time  for  doing 
so  has  arrived.  Circum¬ 
stances  are  not  always  alike, 
and  plants  in  a  small  narrow 
house,  where  the  first  move 
of  the  top  ventilator  empties 
it  of  atmospheric  moisture, 
will  need  attention  much 
oftener  than  others  growing 
under  a  broad  flat  roof.  But 
/  in  any  case  it  will  be  found 
an  advantage  to  occasion- 
-  ally  allow  all  Orchids  to 
become  thoroughly  dry,  be¬ 
fore  giving  a  soaring  that 
will  moisten  every  part  of 
the  plant  and  compost. 
Plants  so  treated  make  a 
more  solid,  hard  growth,  and 
are  better  in  health  than 
specimens  coddled  by  mois¬ 
ture.  Roots  of  the  right 
sort  will  be  put  forth  to 
look  for  it,  and  the  plants 
will  be  more  satfsfactory  in 
every  way. 
There  may  have  been 
some  plants  that  for  various 
reasons  were  not  pulled 
about  at  the  roots  in  the 
autumn,  and  although  I 
am  not  an  advocate  for  dis- 
turbii  g  Odontoglossums  at 
this  time  of  year,  yet  any 
bad  condition  may  have  attention.  AUo  at.y  plmts  that 
outgrowing,  say  a  3-inch  pot,  may  have  a  good  shift  into  the 
this 
less 
darTger  attending  the  shift,  provided,  of  course,  watering  is  judiciously 
done. 
Cleaning,  too,  will  claim  attention,  for  the  late  spring  and  summer 
are  busy  times  with  Orchids,  and  insects  left  by  chance  now  increase 
rapidly.  Gentle  fumigation  with  West’s  extract  of  nicotine,  or  some 
such  excellent  preparation,  should  precede  spongimz  with  softsoap  for 
such  delicate  and  easily  injured  plants  as  Masdevallias,  Colax  jugosus, 
and  others  proDe  to  the  attacks  ot  thrips.  Wnere  gentle  mean*  prevail 
now  much  more  drastic  measures  will  have  to  be  taken  later  if  these 
are  neglected.  And,  besides  the  plants,  it  is  very  important  that  the 
houses  are  kept  clean  and  free  from  litter.  D  sused  pots,  crocks, 
oduments  of  peat  and  moss,  or  dead  leaves  lying  about,  all  torm  fine 
cover  for  Dight  marauders,  such  as  woodlice,  snails,  and  cockroaches; 
but  keep  the  house  cleaned  up  daily  and  these  are  usually  conspicuously 
absent,  to  the  great  advantage  of  the  forming  growths  and  flower 
spikes. 
One  more  point,  never  allow  weak  plants  to  carry  their  flowers 
too  long.  In  some  cases  it  is  best  to  pinch  the  flower  s,  ikes  out 
at  once,  but  if  it  is  specially  desired  to  see  what  a  variety  is,  then 
remove  all  but  one,  or  at  most  two  flowers,  from  the  spikes  before 
rhey  open. 
mm 
Odontoglossom  crispum  var.  Queen  Empress. 
in 
are 
5-inch  or  6-mch  size.  The  progress  when  a  plant  reaches 
stage  is  usually  more  rapid  than  before,  consequently  there  is 
