July  31,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
97 
Cattleya  x  Wavriniana,  Wigan’s  variety. 
One  of  the  most  lovely  hybrid  Orchids  we  have  seen,  having 
the  parentage  of  C.  Warscewiczi  x  C.  granulosa.  Sir  Frederick 
Wigan,  Bart,  (grower,  Mr.  W.  H.  Young),  of  Clare  Lawn,  East 
Sheen,  Surrey,  staged,  and  received  a  First  Class  Certificate  for, 
the  variety  which  lie  has  appended  his  name  to,  and  which  we 
figure  on  this  page,  from  a  drawing  by  Mr.  Geo.  Shayler.  The 
lip  is  yellowish  at  the  base  but  deep  rich  purple  in  the  front  and 
main  area ;  the  segments,  which  are  beautifully  turned  and 
curvingly  formed,  are  of  a  salmon-mauve  tint. 
The  Week's  Cultural  Notes. 
It  is  a  far  cry  yet  to  winter  and  its  troubles  relative  to 
Orchid  growing,  yet  a  few  thoughts  apropos  are  necessary. 
Everyone  with  a  few  years’  experience  knows  how  annoying  it  is 
to  find  the  leaves  falling  from  fine  specimens  of  the  distichous 
leaved  section,  such  as  Aerides,  Saccolabium,  Vanda,  and 
Phalsenopsis,  and  now  is  the  time  ;  to  prevent  this  as  far  as 
possible.  In  nearly  all  cases  it  is  the  badly  developed  foliage 
that  falls.  Plants  not  properly  consolidated  are.  far  more  likely 
to  suffer  than  are  those  with  firm,  well  developed  leaves. 
This  hardening  process  cannot  be  carried  out  all  at  once,  nor 
can  the  plants  be  exposed  suddenly  to  sun  and  air,  as  in  the  case 
of  Dendrobiums.  They  must  be  grown  throughout  in  a  clear 
light,  with  plentiful  air  currents,  but  screened  sufficiently  from 
sun  to  prevent  scorching.  The  difference  between  specimens  so 
treated  a  id  others  rushed  on  in  heat  and  shade  is  very  marked; 
the  latter  not  possessing  the  stamina  necessary  to  carry  the 
plants  safely  through  the  checks  inseparable  from  our  dull,  sunless 
winters.  The  grower  who  at  this  time  of  year  lowers  his  blinds 
early  in  the  morning,  and  leaves  them  down  until  the  evening, 
no  matter  what  the  weather,  has  no  chance  against  those  who 
watch  the  weather  and  manipulate  the  shading  accordingly. 
I  am  not  advocating  a  system  of  running  to  the  blinds  every 
time  a  cloud  passes  the  sun,  but  due  watchfulness  and  care  are 
essential.  I  may  be  treading  on  rather  dangerous  ground  in 
advising  anything  approaching  atmospheric  dryness ;  but  I 
believe,  and  have  proved,  that  an  hour  or  so  of  drying  about  the 
middle  of  the  day  is  quite  as  necessary  to  the  well  being  of  these 
Orchids  as  the  moisture  supplies  in  the  evening.  One  helps  to 
consolidate  the  tissues  of  the  plant,  while  the  other  helps  to 
replenish  the  wasted  energies  of  the  plant  after  the  heat  of  the 
day. 
Extremes  in  either  case  are  to  be  avoided,  and  the  habits  and 
likings  of  individual  species  considered.  No  one  would  think  of 
treating  a  Phalsenopsis  of  the  amabilis  and  similar  type  exactly 
as  they  would  a  stout  growing  Aerides  odoratum  or  Vanda  suavis. 
The  sensitive  foliage  of  the  former  would  be  seriously  injured  by 
the  amount  of  sunshine  and  absence  of  atmospheric  moisture 
that  would  be  quite  right  and  proper  with  the  latter  more  bulky 
plants.  On  the  other  hand,  it  would  be  wrong  to  give  the  heavy 
syringings  and  douches  of  water  in  the  evening  to  the  Moth 
Orchid  that  the  Vandas  and  Aerides  delight  in.  With  the 
Saccolabium  a  middle  course  would  have  to  be  steered,  as  the 
foliage  is  not  so  sensitive  on  the  one  hand  as  that  of  the  Moth 
Orchid,  or  so  vigorous  as  that  of  the  plants  with  which  I  have 
compared  them. — H.  R.  R. 
Orchids  of  Commercial  Value  * 
(Concluded  from  page  73.) 
The  flowers  of  Cattleya  are,  as  we  all  know,  large  and  very 
beautiful,  and  especially  C.  labiata  gives  us  an  abundance  of 
bloom  almost  the  year  round.  The  first  flowers  in  the  late 
summer  and  fall  are  all  of  the  type  labiata.  This  flower  is 
always  in  demand,  and  ought  to>  lie  grown  more  extensively 
than  it  is  to-day.  Next  comes  C.  Percivaliana,  with  a  smaller 
flower  than  the  preceding  one.  This  species  comes  in  just 
between  C.  labiata  and  C.  Trianse,  and  is  therefore  well  worth 
growing,  but  in  smaller  quantity.  C.  Triame  is  one  of  the  most 
useful,  and  I  think  one  of  the  most  extensively  grown  of  all 
the  Cattleyas.  With  very  little  forcing  it  will  bloom  from 
Christmas  to  the  middle  of  March,  or  even  later,  when  it  will 
be  succeeded  by  the  C.  Gaskel liana.  Next  in  turn  comes 
C.  Mendeli,  closely  followed  by  C.  Mossise.  When  the  two  last- 
*  Read  by  Robt.  Karlstroni  before  the  Hartford  (Conn.)  Florists’  Club,  January 
28.  1902. 
named  bloom  Orchid  flowers  do  not,  as  a  rule,  find,  as  ready  a 
sale,  and  it  is  therefore  well  to  grow  them  in  smaller  quantities. 
During  the  rest  of  the  year,  July  and  the  beginning  of  August, 
we  have  the  gigantic  C.  Warscewiczi  (gigas)  and  the  Eldorado. 
It  will  hereby  be  seen  that  it  is  possible  to  have  Cattleyas  in 
bloom  during  the  entire  year.  With  the  exception  of 
C.  Eldorado,  which  must  have  more  heat  and  moisture  than  the 
others,  they  can  all  be  grown  at  a  winter  temperature  of  oodeg 
to  GOdeg.  This  may  go  up  to  70deg  or  a  little  more  in  the  day¬ 
time,  but  necessitates,  of  course,  ventilation  in  clear  weather. 
It  is  necessary  to  employ  two  or  more  houses  for  this  culture, 
thereby  making  it  possible  to  force  on  or  hold  back  certain 
plants  for  certain  occasions,  and  also  to  prolong  the  blooming 
period  of  each  species. 
The  Dendrobiums  provide  us  many  beautiful  species  worthy 
of  general  culture  for  the  trade.  D.  formosum  and  D. 
Phalsencpsis  are  two  of  the  best  warm  house  species.  The  first 
named,  not  unlike  a  large  white  Cattleya,  blooms  during  the 
fore  part  of  winter.  The  other  one,  with  smaller,  white,  pink, 
or  rose-coloured  flowers  on  long  stems  in  rich  profusion,  blooms 
from  October  to  May.  It  pays  well  to  grow  these  two  varieties 
in  large  number.  Dendrobium  Wardianum  with  its  white, 
yellow,  brown,  and  rose-coloured  bunches  of  flowers,  and  Den¬ 
drobium  nobile,  with  rose-coloured  blossoms,  are  two  very 
distinct,  useful,  and  desirable  kinds.  They  need  very  nearly  the 
same  treatment — lots  of  heat  and  moisture  during  the  summer, 
and  a  cool  and  dry  place  during  their  resting  season  in  winter. 
Those  four  are  the  best  and  cheapest  for  commercial  purposes, 
although  there  are  lots  of  others  which  may  be  grown  with 
profit,  for  instance,  Dendrobiums  crepidatum,  crassinode, 
Devonianum,  densiflorum,  fimbriatum,  thyrsiflorum,  and  others. 
Vanda  coerulea  is  very  useful  for  winter  cutting,  producing 
long  branched  flower  stalks,  with  delicate  lavender-blue  flowers. 
Because  of  its  colour  it  is  very  valuable  for  commercial  purposes, 
