459 
November.  19,  1903.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
sepals  aud  petals,  and  scooped-shaped  lip  of  a  deep  magenta  j 
purple.  _  Only  six  plants  were  found,originally,  and  of  these  only 
one'  arriyed.in  a'.lmng  , state,  and  the  plant  now  offered  is'said 
to  bet;  the- ■.only  one  left.  For  f anther .  particulars- of  this  rare 
and  beautiful  Dendrobe. see  “  Orcliid  Album,”  Vol.  .6,' plate  252. 
Received  a  F.C,C..''atdhe  R.H.S.  Bought  from  the  '“vSelwood” 
collection,  but  originally'came-from  Messrs.  B.  S.  Wil!iams,ahd 
)Son. 
Odontoglossum  ceispuji  Ashwoethianuw. 
This  superb  Odontoglossum  is  remarkable  for  its  deep  rosy- 
purple  colour  and  its  large,  almost  unbroken  blotches  on  its 
segments,  which  extend  almost  to  the  edge  of  its  sepals  and  to 
within  about  l-32nd  of  an  inch  from  the  edge  of  its  petals.  The 
whole  flower  is  so  densely  coloured  that  it)  may  be  justly 
described  as  a  .self-coloured  crispum,  the  colour  running  through 
to  the  back  of  the  flower.  The  flower  is  large,  sepals  and  petals 
broad,  with  toothed  or  crisped  margins;  the  lip  is  large  and 
well  shaped,  Avhite,  blotched  with  a  lighter  colour  than  its  seg¬ 
ments.  It  is  in  the  same  section  as  O.  crispum  Baroness  Schroder, 
and  0.  crispum  Franz  Masreel.  Received  an  unanimous  F.C.C. 
at  the  R.H.S.,  AiDidl  18,  1899,  where  it  was  exhibited,  bearing 
a  fine  spike  of  six  flowers,  which  has  been  faithfully  painted  by 
“  Macfarlane.”  Illustrated  in  Lindenia,  Part  64-65,  Mav-June, 
1896. 
- <.0.) - - 
independent  decorators  might,  and  probably  would,  carry  out 
the  work  according  to  different  designs  and  in- a  very  different 
manner,  and  one  or  the  other  might  best  please  the  fancy  of 
different  person.s,  so  that  the  question  of  merit  might  be 
variously  decided;  yet  each  might  be  equally  correct  from  an 
artistic  standpoint.  Then,  conceding  equal  artistic  merit  to 
each,  keeping  qualities  being  also  equal,  he  is  the  best  master 
of  his  art  who  has  achieved  the  result  with  the  least  expendi¬ 
ture'.— W.  J.  S. 
Notes  on  Bulbous  Plauts. 
New  liilium,  Mrs  T.  Roosevelt. 
The  Mrs.  Theodore  Roosevelt  ”  is  the  name  of  a  new  Lily 
which  has  been  hybridised  by  Joseph  Tailby,  or  Wellesley,  and 
received  a  silver  medal  from  the  Massachusetts  Horticultural 
Society  a.s  being  the'  finest  novelty  in  the  way  of  decorative 
plants  ever  hybridised  in  the  Fnited  States.  The  ’new  Lily 
(reports  the  “Globe”)  is  about  2ft  high,  and  resembles  a  sub¬ 
tropical  plant,  having  large,  dark  green,  silvery  spotted  leaves, 
and  tall  primrose  yellow  spathes.  It  is  strong  and  hai'dy,  lives 
out  of  doors,  and  is  able  to  reproduce  itself  from  seed. 
Hyacinths  for  Baskets. 
The  Art  of  Decorating, 
The  following  appeared  in  the  “  American  Florist  ”  :  It  is  a 
very  exasperating  circumstance  when  a  florist,  employed  to 
execute  a  piece  of  decorating,  is  compelled  to  discard  a  wealth 
of  beautiful  and  appropriate  material  that  he  may  have;  at  hand 
and  could  make  use  of  with  profit  as  well  as  credit,  and  to  ran¬ 
sack  the  market  for  .something  less  apirrcpriate,  just  because 
the  madam  has  set  her  mind  upon  it  ;  but  this  is  an  experience 
that  every  florist  must  repeatedly'  undergo,  for  crotchety  and 
arbitrary  people  are  found  everywhere,  and  especially  among  the 
opulent  classes,  with  whom  a  florist’s  services  are  most  in  de¬ 
mand.  On  the  other  hand,  we  have  occasionally  the  customer 
who  comes  with  implicit  confidence  in  cur  ability  to  serve  him 
well,  and  who  unhesitat¬ 
ingly  i)laces  the  hall  or 
suite  of  apartments  at 
our  disposal,  with  full 
liberty  to  go  ahead  and 
make  a  nice  job  of  it. 
In  such  a  case  it  is  a 
fortunate  responsibility 
that  devolves  upon  the 
florist,  and  he  should  be 
able  to  fulfil  hi.s  commis¬ 
sion  in  such  a  maniner 
that  it  shall  leave  no  op¬ 
portunity  for  criticism 
on  the  part  of  people  of 
refined  taste. 
These  are  the  occasions 
which  mean  the  upbuild¬ 
ing  or  the  downfall  of  a 
florist’s  prestige.  If  he 
does  not  rise  to  the  occa¬ 
sion,  and  is  not  capable 
of  taking  full  advantage 
of  his  opportunity,  or  is 
negligent  in  it,  then  he 
proves  himself  unfit  for 
the  position  he  assumes, 
and  he  need  feel  no  sur¬ 
prise  when  he  sees  a  com¬ 
petitor  out.stripping  him 
in  his  own  territory.  The 
character  of  the  apart¬ 
ments  to  be  adorned, 
the  known  tastes  of  the 
hosts  or  their  guests,  the 
liatiire  of  the  occasion, 
all  are  important  factors 
influencing^  the  decorator 
in  the  choice  of  the  ma¬ 
terial  used  and  the 
manner  of  its  application.  Yet,,  with  all  the.se  and  other  minor 
limitations,  it  remains  true  that  the  man  who  under.stands  his 
bu.sine.ss  can  adapt  himself  to  the  times  and  circumstances  as 
to  the  material  at  hand,  and  make  prominent  use  of  that  most 
easily  available,  and  still  score  a  pronounced  success  in  his 
work ;  for  consistenc.y  and  harmony,  not  the  material  used,  are 
the  potential  characteristics  of  the  work  of  the  true  artist. 
Given  the  same  room,  under  identical  conditions,  two  or  more 
Oncidium  pumilum. 
Our  rather  stiff  friend,  the  Hyacinth,  can  be  made  usefid  in 
baskets.  vY'e  tried  it  last  winter  for'  the  first  tiine,  a.nd  I  was 
perfectl,y  delighted  with  the  result.  Instead  of  growing  the 
Hjmeinth  in  the  old  conventional  way,  it  can  now  be  made  to 
curve  its  spike  in  a  most  graceful  manner  if  arranged  to  grow  in 
form  of  a  hanging  basket.  The  method  of  culture  is  so  simple 
that  even  the  most  inexperienced  amate^ur  can  easily  manage 
it.  First  make  up  a  ball  of  fresh,  sphagnum  moss  about  8in  in 
diameter,  into  which  insead  the  Hyacinth  bulbs  all  round,  bind¬ 
ing  them  in  with  string  and  more  mo.ss  so  that  only  their  points 
are  visible.  Then  run  a.  wire  through  by  which  the  ball  can  be 
suspended  in  greenhou-se  or  sitting-room  window.  No  more 
attention  will  be  required  except  to  dip  the  ball  in  water  about 
once  a  fortnight.  Such  hanging  ba.skets  can  be  effectivel.v  made 
with  named  or  bedding  Hyacinths,  and  also  with  Roman 
Hyacinths.  Thci  open 
wirework  baskets  which 
are  sold  can  be  filled  in 
the  .same  way.  Tlie  spikes, 
the  points  of  which  are 
turned  downwards,  try, 
of  course,  to  turn  to  the 
light  and  curve  upward 
more  and  more,  .so  that 
when  the  flowers  are  in 
bloom,  the  lower  spikes, 
growing  from  the  bottom 
and  the  sides  of  the  ball, 
all  hold  their  flowers  up 
to  the  light.  You  cannot 
imagine  how  pretty  these 
balls  are,  both  when  the 
flowers  are  all  of  the  same 
colour,  ill  graduated 
shades,  or  mixed  tints. 
— B. 
Brodiaeas. 
The  genus  Brodisea 
contains  over  twenty- 
three,  hardy  species.  The 
flowers,  which  for  the 
mo.st  part  are  produced 
after  the  leaves  and  sup¬ 
ported  on  slender  stalks, 
are  white  or  blue.  Being 
easily  cultivated,  many  of 
them  are  worthy  of  a 
place  in  a  flower  border. 
B.  uniflora  is  a  spring 
blooming  species,  and  is 
perhaps  the  best  known. 
But  such  .species  as  capi- 
tata  and  grandiflora,  both 
with  blue  forms,  and  B. 
lactea,  a  milky  white 
form,  may  also  be  added.  B.  coccinea  is  now  included  in  the 
genus  Brevoortia,  under  the  name  of  Ida  Maia  ;  whilst  volubilis, 
a  curious  and  handsome  plant,  whose  stalk  assumes  a  spiral 
form  climbing  10ft  to  15ft,  is  now  called  Stropholinon  calitor- 
nicuiii.  Mhth  the  exception  of  Milla  biflora,  all  the  species  of 
Milla  are  now  consigned  to  the  genus  Brodisea.  M.  bitloia  is  a 
beautiful  half-hardy  Mexican  species,  bearing  pure  wdiite  star- 
shaped  flowers  of  waxy  texture.  D.  McG. 
C.  t'ob’es. 
