July  17,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
49 
Miltonia  vexlllaria  Yar.  gigantea. 
It  cannot  be  cn  account  of  its  size  that  the  variety  we 
figure  from  a  drawing  by  Mr.  Geo.  Shayler  receives  its  name, 
for  there  are  other  forms  of  M.  vexillaria  much  larger.  This 
variety  was  shown  at  the  Holland  Park  Shew  on  June  24  and  25, 
where  a  first-class  certificate  was  awarded.  Sir  Frederick 
Wigan,  Bart,  (grower,  Mr.  W.  H.  Young),  Clare  Lawn,  East 
Sheen,  was  the  exhibitor  of  it.  The  variety  is  of  a  pleasing 
rose-purple  colour,  and  not  unattractive  in  form.  Though 
Miltcnias  are  showy  in  a  group  they  are  not  individually  pretty. 
The  Week’s  Cultural  Notes. 
I  have  received  several  communications  lately  respecting 
placing  Orchids  out  of  doors  during  the  summer  months.  This 
is  a  phase  of  their  culture  that  needs  a  good  deal  of  considera¬ 
tion.  for  not  only  do  species  vary  considerably  in  their  likes 
and  dislikes  in  this  respect,  but  t lie  position  cf  the  garden  has 
Miltonia  vexillaria  var.  gigantea. 
much  to  do  with  the  success  or  the  reverse  of  the  operation. 
The  Anguloas,  for  instance,  are  just  now  finishing  up  their 
growth,  and  when  this  is  complete  they  are  AvithouT  a  doubt 
all  the  better  for  a  few  weeks  in  the  open  air  to  consolidate  the 
growth. 
I  had  a  fine  collection  of  these  in  a  Wiltshire  garden  that 
Avas  loAv-lying  and  near  the  Avater.  They  Avere  placed  outside 
every  year  about  this  time  to  their  decided  advantage,  placed 
in  the  full  sun,  and  Avatered  at  the  roots.  I  took  the  same 
plants  Avith  me  to  a  higher  and  drier  locality  and  again  placed 
them' outside,  only  to  bring  them  in  again  a  feAV  days  later  with 
scorched  and  burnt  foliage.  After  this  I  had  to  be  content  with 
placing  them  in  a  cool,  shady  frame.  This  circumstance,  then, 
will  shoAv  that  discretion  must  be  used,  and  that  Avhat  is  right 
under  some  circumstances  and  in  some  places  may  be  quite 
wrong  in  others. 
That  beautiful  Mexican  species  Laelia  majalis  should  always 
be  put  out  of  doors  after  the  growth  is  complete,  its  hard, 
leathery  foliage  standing  exposure  to  the  sun  much  better  than 
that  of  many  others,  Avliile  flowers  are  alAA'ays  produced  Avith 
greater  freedom  than  Avhen  the  plants  are  ahvays  kept  inside. 
Many  others  of  the  Mexican  section  are  also  benefited  by 
exposure,  L.  anceps,  L.  autumnalis,  L.  purpuracea,  and  many 
more.  But  in  the  case  of  the  above  noted  species,  the  May 
flower,  as  it  is  termed,  it  is  quite  imperative  that  it  has  a  feAV 
Aveeks  in  the  open  air. 
The  majority  of  the  Dendrobiums,  again,  are  greatly 
benefited  by  being  placed  outside  after  their  groAvths  are  fully 
developed.  But  it  must  be  after,  not  before,  or  the  growths 
Avill  suffer.  Should  the  pseudo-bulbs  or  stems  be  so  late  in 
growth  that  they  are  still  unripe  at  the  end  of  August,  then 
they  Avill  be  much  better  kept  in,  for  after  this  there  Avill  be  a 
danger  of  frost.  Still,  these  could  be  placed  in  a  sunny  frame 
kept  Avide  open  by  day  in  fine  Aveather  and  closed  at  night. 
Thunias,  again,  many  of  the  Epidendrums,  Oncidiums,  and 
others  may  bo  similarly  treated ;  but  the  exposure  must  be 
gradual,  and  looked  upon  at  first  in  the  light  of  an  experiment. 
— H.  R.  R. 
Cymbidium  rhodocheilum. 
For  many  years  past  there  has  been  talk  in  Orchid  circles 
of  a  scarlet-lipped  Cymbidium  which  greAv  somewhere  in  the 
swamps  of  Madagascar,  and  which  had  cost  the  lives  of  more 
than  one  intrepid  collector  in  search  cf  it.  When  in  June,  1892, 
a  plant  under  the  name  of  Cymbidium  Loise  Chanvieri  was 
shown  in  London,  and  secured  a  botanical  certificate,  it  Avas 
mistakenly  thought  the  “scarlet”  Cymbidium  had  arrived.  It 
had  been  discovered  by  Leon  Humblot,  in  Madagascar,  but 
there  AAas  nothing  scarlet  Avhatever  about  its  flowers.  These 
Avere  of  a  yelloAvish  green,  Avith  black  spots  on  the  petals  and 
blotches  of  a  similar  colour  on  the  three-lobed,  wrinkled  lip, 
the  Avhole  floAver  reminding  one  forcibly  of  Coelogyne  pandurata 
CAving  to  the  peculiarity  of  its  colouring  and  markings. 
The  neAA^  Cymbidium,  however,  iioav  under  notice  is  a  quite 
distinct  plant.  It  has  been  named  C.  rhodocheilum  by  Mr. 
Rolfe,  of  KeAv,  and  iioav  that  it  has  floAvered  for  the  first  time 
in  cultivation  in  that  establishment  it  is  unanimously  admitted 
to  be  one  of  the  most  remarkable  Cymbidiums  in  cultivation. 
It  has  oblong,  conical  pseudo-bulbs,  more  or  less .  compressed 
and  about  Gin  in  length.  The  leathery  leaves  are  2ft  to  2^ft 
long,  not.  more  than  an  inch  bread,  channelled  down  the  front, 
and  strongly  keeled  behind.  The  flower  spike  springs  from  the 
base  of  the  neAV  and  leafy  pseudo-bulb,  and  is  2ft  or  more  high. 
It  stands  quite  erect,  and  carries  about  twenty  floAvers.  Only 
about  eight  or  nine  of  these,  hoAvever,  are  open  at  the  same 
time,  and  the  still  unopened  buds  are  remarkable  for  the 
exudation  of  large  drops  of  crystalline  nectar  at  the  base. 
The  floAver  itself  is  about  Tin  across,  with  oblong,  lance- 
shaped  petals  of  a  soft  and  pleasing  yelloAvish  green  Avithout  any 
spots.  The  petals  stand  more  or  less  erect,  but  are  broader. 
They  have  the  same  ground  colour  as  the  sepals,  but  are  heavily 
blotched  and  dotted  AA'itli  black  all  over  the  surface,  the  blotches 
being  thicker  in  the  centre.  The  lip,  liOA\rever,  is  the  remark¬ 
able  feature  of  the  floAver.  It  is  very  large  in  proportion  to  the 
other  segments,  and  has  an  extraordinary  spreading  front  lobe, 
broadly  obcordate  in  outline,  and  of  a  rich  and  pleasing  rosy-red 
colour,  with  deeper  veins  radiating  from  the  centre  to  the 
margins.  The  side  lobes  at  the  base  stand  erect,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  bright  yelloAV  disc,  with  purple  Avarts,  Avhile  at  the 
very  base  is  a  raised  semi-circular  callus  of  shining  ivory  Avhite, 
somewhat  similar  to  the  boss  in  the  flower  of  Cycnoches 
chlorocliilon. 
Cymbidium  rhodocheilum  was  introduced  from  Madagascar 
by  a  Belgian  collector  named  Warpur,  in  the  year  TSSHtv  One 
or  two  plants  Avere  sent  to  KeAv.  One  has  now  floAvered  there, 
and  enabled  me  to  furnish  this  description  and  explanation.  A 
feAV  other  plants  Avere  put  into  commerce,  but  so  far  they  have 
not  floAArered,  although  they  are  doing  well.  In  its  native  state 
this  Cvmbidium  is  invariably  found  groAving  on  masses  of  Stag’s- 
horn  Fern,  Platycerium  Madagascariense.  It  seems  to  delight 
in  plenty  of  peat  and  a  very  humid  atmosphere,  but  not  too 
much  water.  Judging  by  the  Kew  specimen,  it  is  an  easy  plant 
to  groAV  if  one  has  just  the  right  kind  of  house,  and  it  is  a  great 
pity  that  only  a  feAA-  plants  of  it  are  knoAyn. — W. 
[A  very  good  illustration  of  the  species  accompanies  these 
notes  in  the  “American  Florist”  of  June  28.] 
- - »  I - 
Tomatoes  Under  Glass. 
LATE  CROPS. — The  early-raised  plants  trained  up  the  roof 
of  a  light,  Avell-ventilated,  properly  heated  house,  now  nearly 
cleared  of  their  first  heavy  crops,  may  be  made  to  produce  ripe 
fruit  in  abundance  next  autumn  and  winter.  Remove  much  of 
the  old  foliage,  alloAV  shoots  to  form  on  the  main  stems,  and 
reserve  a  portion  of  these  for  laying  in  and  cropping.  If  plentiful 
stop  these  growths  a  joint  beyond  where  a,  cluster  of  fruit  is 
set,  but  if  somewhat  scarce,  especially  in  the  case  of  basal 
groAvths,  alloAV  them  to  extend,  and  train  Avith  a  view  to'  having 
the  roof  thinly  covered  with  fruiting  growths.  Closely  remove 
all  superfluous  side  shoots.  The  plants,  whether  rooting  in  pots, 
boxes,  or  ridges  of  soil,  should  have  some  of  the  latter  removed 
from  the  roots,  and  a  top-dressing  of  fresh  fibrous  loam  and 
manure  applied  at  once.  A  free  course  of  air,  warm  and  drv,  is  a 
good  antidote  for  diseases  of  a  fungoid  nature  that  infect  from 
the  atmosphere. 
