October  23,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
375 
Laelio-Cattleya  x  Cooksoniae. 
The  parentage  of  this  hybrid  was  Cattleya  labiata  and  L.-c.  x 
Clive  and  it  is  a  handsome  and  massive  flower.  The  sepals  are 
rosy  lilac  and  the  petals  the  same.  The  rich  velvety  lip  is  bright 
purple  or  crimson-purple,  deepening  towards  the  contoituous, 
indented  marginal  parts.  The  flower  seen  at  the  Royal  HoDi- 
cultural  Society’s  meeting  in  the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street  West¬ 
minster,  on  September  3,  was  strong  and  substantial  in  its 
composition,  denoting  careful  culture  Norman  G.  Cookson, 
Esq 1  (gardener,  Mr.  H.  J.  Chapman),  Oakwood,  Wylam-on-Tyne, 
was  the  exhibitor,  and  was  accorded  a  First  Class  Ceitificate. 
Our  illustration  is  from  a  drawing  by  Mr.  Geo.  Shayler. 
Dendrobiums:  Their  Growth  and  Culture. 
( Concluded  from  page  351.) 
D.  Parishi  is  a  Moulmein  species,  sent  home  by  the  late 
Rev.  C.  Parish,  whose  name  it  commemorates.  It  is  an  ug  y 
grower,  but  produces  very  pretty  rose-purple  blossoms,  and 
thrives’ with  the  deciduous  section.  ,  ,  .. 
D.  Phalaenopsis  is  the  finest  of  the  Australian  group,  and 
almost  as  freely  distributed  as  D.  nobile.  Numberless  varieties 
of  this  sunerb  species  exist,  the  colour  varying  from  pure  white 
to  the  deepest  crimson  purple.  D.  Pierardi  is  a  cheap  but  very 
effective  species,  producing  an  immense  number  of  its  pale  rosy- 
manvebossoms  ill  spring6  In  large  baskets  the  pendp  stems 
have  a  delightful  effect,  especially  when  backed  up  by  Sree“ 
Palms  or  Ferns,  as  when  in  flower  it  is  destitute  ot  foliage.  It 
is  a  verv  widely  distributed  plant,  naturally  growing  wild  in 
Moulmein  India,  and  the  Sikkim  Himalayas,  D.  primulinum 
has  stout  stems  and  pale  mauve  flowers,  and  is  worthy  a  place 
among  the  deciduous  species. 
D  speeiosum  is  a  large  growing  evergreen 
plant,  producing  large  dense  racemes  of  white 
flowers  with  a  creamy  suffusion  and  purple  spots. 
To  flower  it  successfully,  it  should  have  a  few 
weeks  in  the  open  air  in  autumn  after  the  growths 
are  made  up,  and  be  kept  well  on  the  dry  side 
in  winter.  Its  variety  Bancroftianum  is  Smaller, 
but  bears  more  graceful  flowers.  The  vane  y 
Hilli  is  taller  in  growth  than  the  type  and  bears 
paler  tinted  flowers. 
D.  superbiens  is  a  showy  species  from  the 
islands  about  the  Torres  Straits,  bearing  ter mma l 
and  side  racemes  of  bright  crimson-purple  flowers 
in  the  autumn,  and  requiring  similar  treatment 
to  D.  Phalaenopsis.  D.  superbum  is  a  long 
stemmed  deciduous  species,  very  variable  m 
colouring,  the  type  having  magenta  purple 
flowers  It  is  a  native  of  the  Philippines,  D. 
taurinum,  D.  stratiotes,  and  I),  strebloceras  form 
almost  a  distinct  section  of  the  genus,  the  peculiar 
twisted  segments  being  different  from  anything 
else  in  it.  These  plants  are  difficult  to  establish 
and  grow,  and  never  attain  anything  approaching 
their  full  size  in  this  country.  , 
D.  thyrsiflorum  is  one  of  the  finest  ot  the 
evergreen  sort,  producing  lovely  racemes  of  milk- 
white  flowers,  with  a  bright  yellow  lip.  Fine 
well-flowered  specimens  of  this  noble  Orchid  are 
splendid  for  conservatory  decoration  or  for  dis¬ 
play  in  the  flowering  house.  It  is  one  of  the 
best  known,  having  been  introduced  from  Moul- 
mein  in  1864  by  Messrs.  Hugh  Low  and  Co.  D. 
tortile  is  a  little  like  D.  nobile,  pale  rose  in  colour 
on  the  outer  segments,  the  lip  yellowish,  with  a 
purple  blotch.  It  flowers  in  June. 
D.  Wardianum  is  a  well  known  and  beautiful 
sort,  without  which  no  collection  is  complete. 
The  flowers  have  ivory-white  sepals  and  petals, 
tipped  with  magenta,  the  lip  having  a  yellow 
area  about  the  base,  with  two  eyes  like  blotches 
of  maroon.  The  varieties  differ  a  good  deal  in 
size  and  substance,  but  I  have  never  seen  a  form 
that  is  not  worth  growing.  It  succeeds  with  the 
other  deciduous  species.  So  far  I  have  not  men¬ 
tioned  any  of"  the  hybrids  now  so  plentiful  in  this  genus,  but 
as  this  note  is  already  overlong,  I  hope,  with  the  Editor’s 
permission,  to  touch  on  these  briefly  on  a  future  occasion, — 
II.  R.  R 
The  Week's  Cultural  Notes. 
The  Pleiones,  or  Indian  Crocuses,  are  very  pretty  and  bright 
when  in  flower,  and  as  the  earlier  species  are  now  opening,  it  is 
time  to  draw  attention  to  them.  Directly  the  flowers  are  past 
the  plants  begin  to  grow  and  root.  Or  perhaps  it  would  be 
more  correct  to  say  that  the  formation  of  the  flower  is  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  the  growing  season.  At  all  events,  root  action  imme¬ 
diately  follows,  and  unless  these  are  to  be  checked,  repotting 
must  follow  close  on  the  heels  of  flowering.  They  are  grown  in 
a  variety  of  ways,  but  the  usual  mode  is  in  small,  flattish  pans 
holding  from  a  dozen  to  twenty  bulbs. 
The  compost  may  consist  of  equal  part  peat  and  loam  fibre, 
a  little  chopped  sphagnum,  and  a  sprinkling  of  finely  broken 
crocks.  Near  the  drainage  place  a  layer  of  l-ouodi  moss,  cover¬ 
ing  this  again  with  a  thin  layer  of  compost.  Then  pull  the  old 
plants  to  pieces,  laying  ail  the  new  pseudo-bulbs  together,  and 
removing  all  but  a  few  of  the  old  dead  roots.  Plant  them 
evenly  all  over  the  surface  of  the  pan,  rounding  the  compost  a 
little,  and  allowing  the  base  of  the  new  bulb  to  just  enter  the 
compost.  The  few  old  roots  left  will  serve  to  steady  the  plant 
in  position  until  new  ones  form. 
Beyond  a  single  watering  to  settle  the  new  soil  about  the 
roots  it  is  not  wise  to  moisten  Pleiones  after  repotting  until  root 
action  is  free.  Then  a  gradual  increase  is  necessary,  a  large 
amount  being  required  in  the  growing  season,  and  a  very  moist 
atmosphere.  Other  dwarf  cool  house  Orchids  advancing  for 
flower,  such  as  Sophronitis  grandiflora,  should  be  kept  just 
moist,  an  excess  of  moisture  or  dryness  just  now  being  un¬ 
desirable.  When  cold  winds  are  blowing  very  little  ventilation 
will  be  needed,  but  during  damp,  mild  weather  keep  plenty  of 
air  on,  and  just  warm  the  pipes  to  keep  it  moving. 
When  Miltonia  spectabilis  and  nearly  allied  kinds  have  been 
grown  in  the  cool  house  during  the  summer,  it  will  be  wise  to 
remove  them  now  to  slightly  warmer  quarters.  If  none  are  at 
command,  keep  them  well  on  the  dry  side,  and  out  of  the  reach 
of  draughts  all  through  the  winter.  The  yellowish  tinge  seen 
in  the  foliage  of  these  Orchids  seems  quite  natural  to  them, 
even  healthy  plants  carrying  it.  More,  perhaps,  than  any  other 
Orchids,  they  like  an  equable  moist  and  mild  temperature  the 
whole  year  through,  and  in  winter  sufficient  root  moisture  to 
keep  the  pseudo-bulbs  plump. 
Laslio  =  Cattleya  Cooksoniae. 
An  early  opportunity  should  be  taken  to  perform  the  usual 
winter  cleaning  cf  the  houses.  The  woodwork  and  stagings 
may  be  repaired  and  fresh  gravel  or  material  used  in  place  cf  the 
old.— H.  R.  R. 
