July  16,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
47 
Book  Notice. 
“Orchids,  their  Culture  and  Management.' 
Phaius  X  Chapman!  superbus. 
This  is  a  hybrid  from  P.  Phoebe  and  P.  Humboldti,  and  was 
^staged  by  Norman  C.  Cookson,  Esq.  (gardener,  Mr.  H.  J.  Chap¬ 
man),  at  the  Royal  Horticultiu'al  Society’s  show  on  June  9,  when 
a  first-class  certificate  was  accorded.  Another  form,  not  so  good, 
and  named  simply  P.  x  Chapmani,  received  an  A.M,  at  the 
Temple  Show.  The  one  here  figured,  from  a  drawing  by  Mr. 
Shayler,  has  a  purple*  lip  with  a  brownish-orange  suffusion  on 
■either  side  of  the  column.  The  sepals  and  petals  are  purplish 
mauve.  Mr.  Chapman  is  very  keen  on  Phaiuses,  and  has  a  fine 
set  of  hybrids  advancing. 
The  Week’s  Cultural  Notes. 
Since  the  fir.st  introduction  and  the  general  culture  of 
Orchids,  many  book.s  have  been  published  concerning  the.so 
‘‘foreign  weeds  with  barbarous  binomials,”  some  appealing  to 
the  botani.st  only,  others  written  for  the  cultivator,  amateur  and 
professional,  and  others  again  for  both  botanist  and  horticul¬ 
turist.  It  is  not  too  inu'ch  to  say  that  there  are  few  other 
books  within  the  reach  of  the  English  reader  which  will  tell  him 
so  much,  and  tell  it  so  well  and  clearly,  of  the  best  methods 
of  forming  and  managing  a  collection  of  Orchids  in  the  best 
and  most  up-to-date  manner  than  this  book,  which  is  a  new 
edition  of  Watson’s  “  Orchids,”  revised  and  in  the  main  re¬ 
written  by  Mr.  H.  J.  Chapman. 
For  the  horticulturiist  Mr.  Chapman  has  done  good  work 
here.  He  is  well  known  as  a  skilful  grower  and  hybridist  of 
Orchids,  and  he  has  placed  at  the  dispoisal  of  his  fellows  the 
knowledge  and  experience  laboriously  gained  by  observation 
and  experiment  during  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  centui"y.  No 
one  who  has  any  knowledge  of  the*  collections  of  Orchids  which 
are  and  have  been  in  his  charge  can  doubt  that  he  possesses  the 
secrets  of  success  ;  no*  one  who  studies  this  book  can  doubt  that 
he  is  willing  to  share  them  with  his  readers. 
As  in  the  original  edition,  the  main  portion  of  the  work  i.s 
occupied  with  accounts  of  all  the  genera,  species,  varieties,  and 
hybrids  which  are  likely  to  be  met  with  in  any  collection,  and 
these  accounts  are  so  full,  so  much  fuller  than  in  the  fir.st 
edition  of  the  book,  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  an  Orchid 
in  cultivation,  even  a  botanical  curiosity,  which  is  not  here 
dealt  with.  They  are  arranged  in  alphabetical  order.  In  all 
cases  are  given,  first,  a  general  account  of  the  genus,  YJ^h 
origin  of  the  generic  name,  generally  the  conditions  under  which 
the  plants  grow  in  their 
native  homes,  and  then  the 
conditions  under  which 
they  do  best  in  our  Orchid 
houses.  This  is  followed 
by  a  description  of  the 
various  species  in  cultiva¬ 
tion,  and  where  any  par¬ 
ticular  species  requires  dif¬ 
ferent  treatment  from  the 
others  it  is  carefully  noted. 
An  excellent  feature  is 
that  the  name  of  the 
sponsor  of  each  species  i.s 
given,  and  all  the  synonyms 
are  recorded.  Looking  at 
the  confusion  which  exists 
amongst  horticulturists 
with  respect  to  specific  and 
even  generic  names  (of 
Orchids  especially),  this  is 
a  feature  which  will  be 
specially  valued  by  those 
who  like  to  call  things  by 
their  right  names,  as  well 
as  by  those  who  sometimes 
buy  a  plant  under  one 
name,  only  to  find  out,  too 
late,  that  they  already 
have  it  under  another. 
Examples  in  plenty  can 
*be  called  to  mind  by  any 
lover  of  Orchids.  It  is  well 
to  understand,  under  the 
authority  of  Mr.  Rolfe, 
that  the  plant  we  know  by 
I  the  name  of  Phaius  Warpuri  is  really  P.  tuberculosus,  and  the 
j  plant  we  commonly  call  P.  tuberculosus  should  be  named  P.  sunu- 
lans ;  also  that  the  Phaius  which  we  all  call,  or  have  called, 
’  derianus.  is  but  a  variety  of  P.  Wallichi,  and  the  <?4itor  might 
have  added  that  both  the  latter  are  but  local  forms  of  that  old 
favourite,  P.  grandifolius.  This  is  but  instancing  a  small  corner 
of  one  genus.  Throughout  the  book  the  same  good  work  is  con¬ 
sistently  done,  and  it  must  have  been  done  at  the  cost  of  great 
patience  and  much  research.  ,  -.onn  n,  i  -  j 
Since  the  date  of  the  first  edition  of  the  book,  1890,  (Jrchid 
hybrids  of  merit  and  of  no  merit,  have  enormously  increased  in 
number’.  Mr.  Watson  described  thirty-four  hybrid  Clypripe- 
diu'ins;  Mr.  Chapman  gives  a  list  of  over  900,  with  the  names  of 
♦  New  edition,  revised  and  enlarged,  by  II.  .T,  Chapman,  member  of  the 
Orchid  and  .Scientific  Committees  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society.  L.  Upcott 
Gill. 
Phaius  X  Chapmani  superbus. 
Oncidium  Lanceanum,  now  coming  into  flower,  is  a  very 
charming  species,  but  unfortunately  few  growers  have  the  knack 
of  managing  it  successfully.  The  plant  has  no  pseudo-bulbs,  but 
consists  of  loose,  leathery  spotted  leaves  rising  directly  from  a 
•stout  rhizome.  I  have  found  it  .fust  as  necessary  to  get  these 
leaves  properly  consolidated  as  it  is  to  riperc  the  bulbs  on  plants 
that  carry  them,  and  much  of  the  dreaded  spot  that  attacks 
O.  Lanceanum  may  be  prevented  by  this  simple  means. 
It  may  seem  a  very  unimportant  matter,  but  there  is  no  doubt 
than  an  hour’s  drying  both  of  the  roots  and  leaves  every  day 
rvould  conduce  much  to  the  well-being  of  these  warm  house 
Oncidiums.  If  they  are  suspended  keep  the  syringe  away  from 
them  when  damping,  and 
as  far  as  possible,  without 
injury  to  other  plants, 
allow  the  atmosphere  of 
the  house  to  be  warm  and 
dry  for  an  hour  or  so.  Then, 
when  closing  the  house,  do 
:so  with  very  ample  mois¬ 
ture,  syringing  the  plants 
•overhead,  and  damping  well 
.about  the  pots,  baskets, 
stages,  and  all  dry  places. 
The  heat  will  probably  run 
up  very  high,  but  no  harm 
will  come  to  the  plants  if 
the  blinds  are  drawn  up  and 
the  sun  allowed  to  shine 
full  upon  them,  for  the 
moisture  rising  and  settling 
on  the  glass  forms  a  film 
that  breaks  its  rays  a  little 
when  the  ventilators  are 
closed. 
Unlike  some  Oncidiums, 
O.  Lanceanum  usually 
carries  its  flowers  easily 
until  they  fade,  though  in 
the  case  of  plants  not  fully 
established  or  out  of  health 
it  may  be  well  to  remove 
the  spikes  after  about  a 
week’s  inflorescence,  and 
they  will  then  last  well  in 
water.  Another  species  re¬ 
quiring  as  much  heat  and 
even  more  light  is  O. 
Jonesianuni.  This  is  a  block  plant,  thriving  best  on  rough 
pieces  of  cork  or  Apple  wood,  with  only  a  little  sphagnum  about 
the  base  of  the  pseudo-bulbs.  These  latter  are  very  diminutive 
affairs,  and  appear  at  the  first  glance  to  he  only  a  continuation 
of  the  rushlike  foliage.  The  flowers  of  this  species  must  not  be 
allowed  to  remain  too  long  on  the  plants. 
With  the  great  heat  just  now,  it  becomes  difficult  to  main¬ 
tain  a  sufficiently  low  temperature  in  the  cool  house. 
Garden  mats  placed  on  the  glass  instead  of  the  usual  blinds,  and 
kept  wet,  are  a  great  help,  while  ample  ventilation  night  and 
day  is  necessary.  Light  syringing  overhead  and  constant  damp¬ 
ing  of  the  floors  and  stages  is  very  refreshing  to  the  plants,  but 
heavy  .syringing  should  in  all  cases  be  avoided.  Disas  advancing 
for  flower  must  be  kept  very  moist  at  the  root,  and  the  stems  and 
leaves  mu.st  be  frequently  sponged  to  keep  them  free  of  aphis. 
A  light  fumigation  just  before  the  flowers  open  is  always  an 
advantage. — H.  R.  R. 
