April  25, 1901.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  341 
Epidendrum  x  Clarissa  snperba. 
An  interesting  report  on  hybrid  Epidendrums  was  given  by 
Mr.  Harry  J.  Veitch  before  the  Scientific  Committee  (R.H.S.)  at  the 
sitting  of  April  9th,  of  which  notes  will  be  found  on  page  333  of  last 
week’s  Journal.  From  Mr.  Yeitch’s  statements,  it  would  appear  that 
E.  Clarissa  is  a  hybrid  having  the  admixture  of  two  species  (E.  Wallisi 
X  E.  Eodresi)  and  two  hybrids  (E.  Eudresio-Wallisi  X  E.  elegaD- 
tulum).  There  have  been  many  varieties  obtained  from  the  far-fetched 
E.  Clarissi,  but  the  finest  of  them  all,  so  far,  is  the  one  we  illustrate 
on  this  page.  At  the  Royal  Exotic  Nursery,  Chelsea,  there  are  a 
number  of  specimen  plants  of  this  variety  in  flower  at  the  present 
time.  The  plants  have  the  habit  of  E.  Wallisi,  attaining  about 
3  feet  in  height,  and  having  flowers 
whose  sepals  and  petals  are  yellow- 
tinged  and  spotted  with  mauve- 
purple.  The  lip  is  pale  reddish 
violet  colour  and  conspicuous.  A 
first-class  certificate]  was  awarded 
to  it  on  April  the  9th,  when  shown 
by  the  Veitchian  firm. 
Dendroblum  Brymerianum. 
In  the  above  we  have  oue  of  the 
most  remarkable  Orchids  known, 
yet  one  of  the  freest  to  flower,  and 
so  handsome.  The  peculiar  golden 
or  deep  orange -coloured  flowers 
bear  fringed  lips,  which  distinguish 
this  Dendrobe  from  all  others.  The 
whole  flower  is  a  beautiful  orange- 
golden  yellow.  Its  culture  is  much 
simpler  than  that  of  many  others, 
and  the  flowering  period  ranges 
from  February  till  the  present 
time. 
Orchids  for  Cutting. 
More  and  more  each  year  the 
Orchid  enters  into  all  classes  of 
decorative  work  for  which  cut 
flowers  are  in  request.  The  flowers 
are  so  eminently  suited  for  the  pur¬ 
pose,  by  their  graceful  contour, 
elegant  and  striking  colouring,  and 
long  lasting  qualities,  that  they 
will  doubtless  be  even  more  drawn 
on,  especially  if,  as  seems  likely,  the 
plants  of  ordinary  species  and 
varieties  become  cheaper.  Time  was 
when  they  were  the  pets  of  the  rich 
Only  ;  when  it  was  rare  to  see  one 
used  as  a  buttonhole  flower,  and 
when  their  culture  was  believed  to 
involve  a  great  deal  of  mystery. 
But  all  this  is  changed  fur  the 
better.  The  plants  are  very  mode¬ 
rate  in  price,  the  flowers  are  to  be 
seen  in  every  good  florist’s  shop,  and,  thanks  to  the  light  that  has 
been  thrown  on  their  culture  by  the  horticultural  press,  all  classes  of 
gardeners,  amateur  and  professional,  can,  and  do,  cultivate  them 
successful  y.  And  there  is  a  decided  gain  in  cultivating  these  plants 
for  cut  flowers  over  growing  them  for  a  display  on  the  plants.  When 
the  flower  has  reached  perfection  it  is  removed,  and  the  plant  is 
relieved  of  the  strain  of  sustaining  it.  Besides  this,  the  plants  are  not 
stood  about  in  draughty  rooms,  or  kept  in  an  unnaturally  dry 
atmosphere,  in  order  to  conserve  the  blossoms,  all  of  which  is 
detrimental  to  them. 
While  almost  all  Orchids  are  more  or  less  useful  for  cutting,  there 
are  some  that  are  better  than  others ;  those  mentioned  below  are  all 
good,  and  if  a  few  plants  of  all  are  grown  there  will  not  be  a  week  in 
the  year  when  none  are  in  flower.  In  the  dead  of  winter  we  have  the 
deciduous  Calanthes.  In  this  section  the  hybridists  have  given  us 
some  grand  blossoms,  larger  and  richer  in  colour  than  the  older 
well-known  forms,  but  these,  of  course,  are  not  all  of  them  plentiful 
enough  to  be  grown  in  quantity.  The  old  hybrid  C.  Yeitchi  is  a  host 
in  itself,  and  should  be  grown  in  company  with  C.  vesiita,  both  the 
red  and  yellow-eyed  forms.  The  variety  gigantea  flowers  later  than 
the  type,  and  is  more  nearly  evergreen,  while  the  true  evergreen 
species,  such  as  C.  veratrifolia,  though  not  so  useful  as  the  deciduous 
ones,  often  flower  in  early  autumn,  at  a  time  Orchids  are  scarce. 
Of  Cypripediums  there  is  an  endless  variety,  both  of  species  and 
hybrids,  and  any  attempt  to  pick  out  the  most  useful  would  be 
misleading.  The  Old  World  sorts,  such  as  the  insigne  and  barbatum 
groups,  produce  perhaps  the  largest  number  of  blossoms,  but  those  of 
the  South  American  tropics  are  often  brighter  in  colour  and  keep  up  a 
longer  display.  Coelogyne  cristata  is  one  of  the  very  finest  of  all 
Orchids  for  cutting  and  thriving  well  in  a  cool  house,  and  of  very  easy 
culture  when  established.  The  long  graceful  racemes  are  most 
beautiful  for  dress  sprays,  the  pure  white  of  the  flowers  being  well 
shown  up  by  the  dense  yellow  of  the  centre  of  the  lip. 
There  are  those  Dendrobiums  that  seem  to  stand  out  prominently 
as  Orchids  for  cutting.  I).  nobile — perhaps  the  most  useful  of  all — 
that  flowers  in  spring  ;  D.  Dearei,  a  charming  white  flowering  species, 
that  is  usually  at  its  best  in  late  summer;  and  D.  Pnalaenopsis,  the 
grand  autumn  and  winter  flowering  Moth  Dendrobium.  But  these 
are  by  no  means  all  the  good  things  this  favourite  genus  contains. 
Quite  a  large  number  of  the 
hybrids,  such  as  D.  Ainsworthi,  D. 
splendidissimum,  and  others,  are 
every  year  becoming  cheaper.  The 
deciduous  species  are  best  repre¬ 
sented  by  D.  crassinode,  D.  Wardi- 
anum,  D.  Bensoniae,  D.  Boxalli, 
D.  Pissardi,  and  D.  Devonianum,  a 
grand  half-dozen,  while  of  ever¬ 
green  sorts  D.  thyrsiflorum,  D. 
chrysotoxum,  D.  fimbriatum,  D. 
densiflorum,  and  D.  Farmeri  are 
showy  and  useful. 
All  the  better  known  labiata 
Cattleyas  should  be  included, 
beginning  with  the  old  autumn 
flowering  spec  es,  and  following  in 
their  order  through  C.  Trianae, 
C.  Percivaliana,  G.  Warneri,  C. 
Lawrenceana,  G.  Mendeli,  C. 
Mossiae,  C.  gigas.  C.  Dowiana,  and 
C.  Gaskelliana.  There  is  not  a  poor 
oue  in  the  list,  and  by  its  aid  the 
whole  year  will  be  graced  by,  their 
lovely  flowers.  Laelias  are  not  less 
beautiful  than  their  congeners  just 
named.  All  the  Mexican  species 
are  excellent,  especially  L.  anceps 
L.  autumnalis,  and  the  fiae  L. 
majalis,  the  Mayflower.  In  the 
Brazilian  set  we  have  the  gorgeous 
L.  purpurata,  L.  elegans,  the  refined 
L.  crispa,  and  those  pretty  orange 
scarlet  flowers  L.  cinnabarina  and 
L.  harpophylla. 
Bright  golden  yellows  abound  in 
Oncidiums,  of  which  such  gems 
as  0.  ampliatum,  0.  tigrinum,  0. 
Marshallianum,  0.  varicosum,  and 
O.  crispum  need  only  be  mentioned. 
Their  one  fault  is  that  they  are  too 
free  flowering,  and  the  production 
and  maintenance  of  the  grand  spikes 
is  too  often  the  cause  of  their  col¬ 
lapse.  Nearly  related  is  the  lovely 
Miltonia  vexillaria,  which  will  soon  be  delighting  us  with  its  bright 
blossoms,  and  this  leads  up  to  the  sister  genus  Odontoglossum,  than 
which  there  is  no  more  beautiful  one  in  the  whole  family,  or  one  that 
contains  such  a  large  percentage  of  good  things.  So  far  I  have  not 
even  mentioned  the  favourites  of  many  skilled  growers,  the  Phalae- 
nopsis,  or  the  stately  Yandas,  Aerides,  and  Saccolabiums.  Masdevallias, 
agtin,  are  very  showy  and  bright,  and  those  who  may  wish  to  further 
extend  the  list  will  find  many  good  things  among  the  Phaius, 
Cymbidiums,  Lycastes,  and  Brassias. — H.  R.  R. 
Epidendrum  x  Clarissa  superba. 
What  Our  Neighbours  Think.  —  Oar  contemporary,  “  Le 
Monitear  d’  Horticulture,”  in  a  recent  issue,  refers  to  the  theft  of 
Odontoglossum  Pesoatorei  Veitchi  at  the  Drill  Hall  on  March  ^12th, 
and  brings  to  notice  the  loss  of  Orohids  that  M.  J ules  Hye  of  Ghent 
sustained  at  the  Temple  Show  three  years  ago.  Our  Parisian  friends 
jokingly  suggest  that  Continental  growers  of  Orohids,  intending  to  exhibit 
at  London  shows,  should  only  send  imitations  (/ac -simile)  of  their  rarities! 
