March  3,  1904.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  179 
special  merit  in  the  use  of  the  article.  It  is  possible  that  the 
conditions  of  culture  on  the  different  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  and 
the  different  methods  of  watering  which  are  followed  on 
account  of  different  climatic  conditions,  will  account  for  these 
var5'ing  reports.  On  the  admission  of  those  who  advocate  the 
use  of  leaf  mould  here,  drainage  has  to  be  specially  provided  for 
and  even  sterilising  by  steam.  From  a  purely  practical  stand¬ 
point,  therefore,  is  the  game  worth  tlie  candle?  Is  there  any 
necessity  of  making  a  new  orchid  culture  for  the  sole  purpose 
of  saying  that  we  can  grow  orchids  in  leaf  mould? 
Novelties  and  Rarities. 
Coloured  Freesias. 
Freesia  Armstrongi  (mauve  pink),  and  F.  kewensis  (lilac 
pink  with  light  orange  yellow  tube),  are  flowering  in  the  Cape 
House,  Kew.  The  latter  is  a  hybrid. 
Metrostigma  axillaris. 
This  has  foliage  and  habit  like  a  Gardenia,  and  its  clusters 
of  fragrant  white  flowers  remind  one  of  Orange  blossom.  Plants 
of  it  are  in  the  warm  Begonia  house  at  Kew. 
Episcia  cupreata. 
This  is  an  ornamental-leaved  plant  of  pendant  growth, 
grown  in  oaskets  in  the  stove  at  Kew.  The  nearly  orbicular, 
deeply  ribbed  succulent  foliage  has  a  beautiful  rose-metallic 
Cypripedium  Thompsoni. 
This  beautiful  Cypripedium  is  the  result  of  crossing 
C.  villosum  with  C.  calypso.  The  dorsal  sepal  which 
recurves  towards  the  base  has  a  background  of  white 
suffused  with  purple,  with  a  darker  purple  central  line 
running  from  the  base  to  the  apex,  the  measurement 
being  2|in  across  the  broadest  part.  The  petals,  which  are  of 
a  greenish-brown,  measure  5|in  from  tip  to  tip.  The  pouch 
is  of  the  same  colour.  On  the  whole,  tlie  flower  is  well  balanced, 
and  is  one  of  the  best  hybrids  yet  raised.  The  cultural  details 
are  the  same  as  above  mentioned. — W.  H.  P. 
Botanising  in  Kashmir. — Kashmir  is  situated  in  the  north¬ 
west  corner  of  the  Himalaya,  with  Afghanistan  to  the  west, 
Turke.stan  on  the  north,  and  Tibet  to  the  south-east.  Travellers 
on  entering  the  land  are  reciuired  to  pay  a  toll.  There  is 
nothing  tropical  about  the  vegetation  of  Kashmir.  The  forests 
produced  a  variety  of  timber,  including  the  Maple,  the  Poplar, 
the  Willow,  the  Elm,  the  Indian  Horse  Chestnut,  the  Himalayan 
Blue  Pine,  the  Himalayan  Silver  Fir,  and  others.  Thorny 
shrubs  occupied  greater  prominence  than  in  Britain.  Kashmir 
did  not  receive  the  monsoon  rains  of  India,  but  it  had  a  con¬ 
siderable  rainfall  all  the  year  round.  In  describing  the  country 
a  former  commissioner  had  said  that  looking  to  the  north  one 
saw  a  sea  of  mountains,  broken  into  white  crested  waves, 
hastening  in  wild  confusion  to  the  great  promontory.  In 
order  to  botanise  in  the  high  ground  it  was  necessary  to  camp 
out,  but  if  any  length  of  time  was  spent  in  the  valleys  boating 
was  very  preferable  to  camping. 
Cypripedium  aureum  virginale. 
Cypripedium  Culture. — Cypripedium  aureum  virginale  is  a 
cross  between  C.  Leeannm  and  C.  villosum,  and  consequently 
a  Cypripedium  of  fairly  easy  culture.  It  flowered  at  Chardwar 
last  year,  but  the  flowers  were  not  so  large  as  the  one  figured 
owing  to  lack  of  vigour.  To  get  large  flowers  on  Cypripediums 
it  is  necessary  to  get  fine  healthy  foliage,  and  this 
can  only  be  got  by  constant  attention  to  the  root 
action.  In  my  opinion,  an  ideal  compost  for  Cypri¬ 
pediums,  except  perhaps  the  niveum,  hellatulum;,^  and 
Godefroyse  section,  is  equal  parts  of  loam,  peat,  and 
sphagnum  moss  freely  intermixed  with  finely  broken 
crocks  and  coarse  silver  sand.  When  repotting  I 
always  have  a  pot  of  each  of  the  above  by  1113^  side, 
and  mix  this  with  the  compost  as  I  pot  the  plants. 
Water  should  he  given  sparingly  to  newl3’-potted 
Cypripediums  until  the  roots  have  found  their  way  into 
the  new  soil.  At  this  period  the  moss  ivill  often  look 
dry  on  the  top,  while  underneath  the  compost  will 
contain  enough  moisture  to  last  the  plant  for  probably 
two  days,  and  if  watered  injudiciously  the  loss  of  roots 
will  be  the  result ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  plants  must 
never  be  allowed  to  get  too  dry. 
.The  temperature  should  never  get  below  GOdeg  F. 
by  night,  and  should  lie  kept  as  near  Codeg  F.  by  day 
as  po.ssible  with  artificial  heat,  allowing  a  rise  of  5deg 
sun  heat.  Ventilation  is  a  matter  of  great  importance. 
Our  bottom  ventilators,  which  are  close  to  the  hot- 
water  pipes,  are  never  absolutely  closed,  but  air  is 
admitted  more  freely  when  opportunity  affords  ;  even 
at  this  time  of  the  3mar  I  admit  air  by  the  top  venti¬ 
lators  when  the  conditions  outside  are  favourable, 
taking  care_  to  avoid  cold  draughts,  as  this  is  one  of 
the  greatest  enemies  to  orchid  culture. 
C.vpripediums  are  undoubtedly  moisture-loving 
plants,  and  frequent  syringing  between  the  pots  is 
very  necessary.  At  this  time  of  the  year  perhaps 
twice  a  da3"  will  suffice,  but  this  depends  upon  the  con¬ 
ditions  of  the  house  in  which  the  plants  are  growing. 
If  the  atmosphere  is  kept  too  dry  thrip  and  red  spider 
will  soon  attack  the  plants,  and  do  a  great  deal  of 
damage.  This,  however,  can  easily  he  avoided  1)3’ 
carr3’ing  out  the  above  directions  and  fumigating  at 
lea.st  once  a  fortnight  with  XL  All  vaporiser. — 
W.  H.  Page. 
Cypripedium  aureum  Virginale. 
lustre  over  the  brownish-green  body  colour.  The  plant  is 
gesneraceous,  and  enjo3^s  heat,  moisture,  and  a  fair  amount  of 
shade. 
A  New  Acalypha. 
Acalypha  Hamiltoniana  (Chantrier,  1903)  is  a  very  beautifid 
foliage  plant,  seemingly  new  to  our  gardens.  A  single  plant 
in  an  Sin  pot  i.s  in  the  stove  at  Kew.  It  has  an  erect,  woody 
stem,  with  lateral  branches  bearing  abundance  of  half-drooping 
leaves.  These  are  of  variou.?  shapes  and  sizes,  according  to 
their  position  at  the  apex,  or  lower  on  the  branches.  Some  aro 
long  and  narrow  (lin  broad),  but  the  fully  developed  ones  are 
generally  of  the  Acalypha  shape  (A.  musaica,  say),  but  with 
greatly  drawn  out  (acuminate)  apices.  The  body  of  the  leaves 
is  smooth,  and  of  a  moderately  light  green  colour;  but  the 
edges  are  pale  creamy  yellow.  I  he  edges  bear  characteristic, 
fairly  regular  rows  of  obtuse,  tooth-like  growths.  The.se  are  all 
yellow,  and  together  with  the  graceful,  slightly  drooping  habit 
combine  to  constitute  one  of  the  finest  new  additions  to  tlie' 
tropical  plants  of  our  gardens. 
Three  New  Shasta  Daisies. 
Luther  Burbank,  Santa  Bosa,  Cal.,  is  offering  this  year 
three  new  Shasta  Daisies,  named  respectively  Alaska,  Califoinia, 
and  Westralia.  These  are  selections  of  the  original  Shasta, 
combining  all  the  good  characteristics  of  that  popular  plant  with 
iiicreased'’vigour  and  perpetual  blooming  qualities. 
