March  24,  19C4. 
JGURJSAL  CF  IlOBTIOULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
2-17 
Well-flowered  Ccelogyiies. 
At  The  Orchard,  Hamilton,  N.B.,  the  residence  of  .  Alston 
Dykes,  Esq.,  the  display  of  plants  of  this  beautiful  orchid  is  very 
fine.  I  referred  in  these  columns  two  years  ago  to  a  similar  show 
of  these  large,  well-flowered  plants,  but  the  display  of  this  year 
has  bv  a  long  way  exceeded  any  previous  record.  The  variety 
is  C.  cristata  maxima.  Mr.  MacM'illan,  the  gardener,  exhibited 
one  of  the  plants  at  the  latest  meeting  of  the  gardeners’  associa¬ 
tion  here.  It  was  covered  with  over  100  blooms,  and  in  the 
highest  state  of  health  and  robustness  of  foliage  (see  illustration). 
At^  my  request  Mr.  MacMillan  very  kindly  consented  to  get  it 
photographed  specially  for  the  Journal,  whose  readers,  I  have  no 
doubt,  will  be  much  interested  in  such  a  prodigy.  The  huge 
specimen  was  justly  pronounced  by  the  manj^  gardeners  present 
to  be  tlie  finest  they  ever  had  seen. 
It  may  be  seen  from  the  photograph  that  it  is  indeed  a  superb 
plant,  without  a  single  tip  of  the  foliage  decayed.  The  photo¬ 
graph  will  also  show  that  the  individual  blooms  are  very  large, 
when  their  numbers  are  considered.  Only  one  who  saw  the  collec¬ 
tion  of  such  plants  can  form  an  idea  of  the  splendour  they  pre¬ 
sented  when  ranged  along  the  side  of  the  conservatory.  I  may- 
add  that  Mr.  MacMillan  is  president  of  the  gardenevs’  association, 
and,  being  a  great  admirer  of  the  Journal  for  many-  years,  is  ever 
on  the  alert  to  read  selections  for  the  benefit  of  the  meeting 
from  its  pages. — D.  C. 
Cultural  Notes.  « 
Baskets  have  long  been  favourite  receptacles  for  growing 
orchids  in,  and  although  not  so  much  used,  perhaps,  as  formerly, 
they  are  indispen¬ 
sable  to  a  mixed  col¬ 
lection.  We  seldom 
see  the  large  baskets, 
made  of  hazel  rod.s  or 
other  lasting  wood, 
2ft  or  more  across, 
that  were  used  for 
the  cultivation  of 
large  heavy  Vandas 
or  Aerides  a  couple  of 
decades  ago.  They 
had  a  fine  appear¬ 
ance,  and  the  i^lants 
did  remarkably  well 
in  them,  but  they 
were  apt  to  harbour 
insects,  and  did  not 
last  long  enough  in 
the  moist  heat  of  an 
orchid  house,  so  large 
pots  have  taken  their 
place. 
The  well-known 
teak  basket,  in  its 
various  sizes,  is  a 
capital  receptacle  for 
all  orchids  of  slender 
growth  and  pendant 
spikes  of  flower. 
Burlingtonias,  Coelo- 
gynes,  Dendrobiums 
of  the  Pierardi  and 
Devonianum  class, 
Odontoglossum  citi’cs - 
mum,  Masdevallias 
Ghimgera  and  Back- 
housiana,  small  An- 
grtecums  and  Phalm- 
nopses  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  that  may  be  so  grown,  while 
the  basket  is  often  used  to  bring  weak  or  unhealthy  specimens 
back  to  a  vigorous  condition.  Owing  to  the  freedom  with  which 
air  enters  the  compost,  the  roots  dry  regularlyq  and  the  plants 
rapidly  improve  in  health. 
The  wire  basket  is  not  so  much  used  as  the  wooden  article, 
but  it  is  excellent  for  orchids  that  inish  their  spikes  down  through 
the  compost  instead  of  upwards.  Stanhopeas  and  Acinetas  are 
the  most  generally  known  of  these.  AVire  baskets  should  be  veiy 
stoutly  made,  those  patterns  having  ,a  wide  top  and  narrowing 
below  being  most  suitable,  as  they  allow  a  free  passage  for  the 
flower  spikes.  Large  lumps  of  burnt  clayq  or  ballast,  as  it  is 
termed,  is  superior  to  crocks  for  la.ving  in  the  bottom  of  these, 
especially-  for  baskets  having  a  large  mesh,  as,  owing  to  their 
.size,  they  cannot  slip  through,  while  the  make-up  is.  of  course, 
lighter  when  these  are  used. 
Sphagnum  moss  enters  more  largel.v  than  peat  into  the  com¬ 
post  for  basket  plants.  It  is  more  to  the  liking  of  delicate 
rooting  plants,  and  has  no  earthy  particles  to  silt  through  and 
litter  up  the  paths.  In  suspending  tlie  baskets,  these  should 
never  depend  from  e.yes  screwed  into  the  rafters;  there  should 
always  be  a  rod  provided  running  from  end  to  end  of  the  house. 
This  prevents  drip  from  condensed  moisture  running  into  the 
plants.  Again,  they^  should  alway-s  be  hung  over  the  paths,  never 
over  other  plants,  or  when  they'  are  watered  the  drip  will  injure 
the  latter. — H.  R.  R. 
An  Orchid  Stud-book. 
The  editor  of  the  ’Orchid  Review”  writes; — “  AVe  enclose  a 
prospectus  of  the  ‘Orchid  Stud-Book,’  and  hope  you  will  give 
the  work  your  cordial  support.  AA'e  have  been  repeatedly  urged 
to  undertake  the  registration  of  orchid  hybrids,  but  coulcl  not  do 
it  without  digesting  the  existing  records,  and  that  has  been  a 
stupendous  task,  and  not  at  all  likely  to  be  undertaken  as  a 
commercial  speculation.  AA"e  intend  to  continue  the  registration 
month  by  month  in  the  ‘Review,’  but  want  whatever  support  we 
can  get  to  publish  the  work.  It  gives  the  hybrids  which  have 
been  figurecl  in  your  pages,  and  we  hope  y-ou  will  be  able  to  ask 
.your  readers  to  communicate  with  us.  AA'e  believe  the  work  will 
be  of  the  greatest  use  to  all  who  are  interested  in  these  plants. 
You  will  find  further  particulars  in  the  March  ‘  Review.’ — Editor, 
‘Orchid  Review,’  12,  Lawn  Crescent,  Kew  Gardens.” 
The  following  are  some  particulans  extracted  from  the  pro¬ 
spectus  above  alluded  to. — E».  J.  of  H.  :  — 
“  The  ‘  Orchid  Stud-Book,’  giving  the  names,  parentage,  and 
raisers  of  existing  orchid  hybrids,  with  references  to  descriptions 
and  figures,  with  numerous  illustrations.  By  R.  A.  Rolfe,  A.L.S., 
and  C.  C.  Hurst,  F.L.S.  (A  companion  volume  to  the  ‘Orchid 
Review.’)  This  work  has  been  compiled  with  the  object  of  pro¬ 
viding  a  list  of  existing  orchid  hybrids,  arranged  on  a  uniform 
sy'stem,  giving:  (1)  The  adopted  name;  (2)  the  parentage:  (3)  the 
original  publication, 
with  (4)  a  reference 
to  published  figures 
or  other  important 
additional  informa¬ 
tion  ;  (o)  the  raiser 
or  exhibitor ;  (6)  the 
date  of  aijpearance ; 
and  (7)  the  synonymy-. 
It  is  divided  into  two 
parts.  Part  I.  giving 
an  alphabetical  list 
of  parents,  with  the 
names  of  the  result¬ 
ing  hybrids,  and  Part 
II.  an  alphabetical 
list  of  hybrids  cn  the 
plan  above  men¬ 
tioned.  Hybrids  of 
identical  parentage 
which  have  I'eceivcd 
separate  names  are- 
treated  as  forms  of 
one,  and  as  synonyms 
cannot  be  arranged 
alphabetically  in  the 
body  of  the  work,  a)i 
index  of  them  is 
given,  by  which  their 
position  may  be  im¬ 
mediately  found. 
••  The  work  also 
aims  at  providing  a 
standard  of  nomen¬ 
clature  for  orchid 
hybrids,  as  well  as  a 
ready  means  of  ascer¬ 
taining  what  hybrids 
have  already  been 
raised,  and  for  these  reasons  it  is  hoped  that  it  will  be  widcl.v 
supported  by  those  interested  in  this  fa.scinating  branch  ol 
orchidology.  In  order  to  prevent  the  ^vork  from  becoming  out 
of  date,  it  is  intended  to  record  all  additions  as  they  appear  in 
monthly  supplements  in  the  ‘Orchid  Revit'w,’  and  these  would 
naturally  bo  incorporated  in  the  body  of  the  work  in  1  lie  event 
of  a  second  edition  being  called  for  at  a  future  period.  It  is 
hoped  that  this  work  will  prove  an  effective  means  of  checking 
the  rapidly  growing  confusion  in  the  nomenclature  of  hybrids, 
which  so  many  deplore,  and  which  we  believe  has  largely  arisen 
from  the  difficulty  of  ascertaining  what  hybrids  have  already  been 
raised.  It  is  specially  requested  that  all  intending  supporters 
will  fill  up  and  return'to  us  a  subscription  form.” 
Coelogyne  cristata,  with  400  flowers. 
