416 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVI. 



though still containing moisture. From the top of each bulb grow two 

 lance-shaped leaves which last for three or four years. The flower stalk 

 begins to show in February from below the last-formed pseudobulb. 

 The normal number of flowers in the wild plant is five, though six are 

 occasionally found. They measure about three inches across, are pure 

 milk-white with beautifully waved, petals and sepals, and have a yellow 

 stain on the lip and its crests. 



It is a pity to cut these lovely flowers, for they soon fade : if required 

 for table decoration, it is better to include the stem with two or three 

 pseudobulbs and roots complete, for the latter can easily be hidden in 

 moss, and under these conditions the flower will remain perfect for three 

 or four weeks with a little ordinary care ; and when it shows signs of 

 fading, the plant can be wired on to the bark of a shady tree, with the 

 certainty that it will grow and. thrive and flower again next year. 



Nest to growing these orchids on shady trees or rocks, the most 

 effective way is to plant them in a large shallow wooden tub which is 

 easily made out of the bottom of a cask. This tub must be well drained 

 with large holes cut in the bottom, and it should be raised, off the ground 

 to prevent any chance of the drainage holes becoming filled up with soil. 

 It should be filled with lumps of charcoal of all sizes, pieces ofbroken pots 

 or brick, bits of fibrous wood, a few dead leaves, and a little sand the 

 mixture should quite fill the tub and be higher in the centre. Then the 

 plants (having had all useless old stems, pseudobulbs, and roots cut off) are 

 laid on, and their roots covered over with moss, the whole being secured 

 with copper wire. Such tubs should be looked to every year, for these 

 orchids grow fast, and overcrowding only leads to much deterioration. 



Water should be given very sparingly when the plants show signs of 

 flowering, and in increasing and finally large quantities during the season 

 of growth, at the end of which it should be gradually diminished and then 

 entirely stopped. On no account should water be given to any orchid 

 (except in very small quantities) during the season of rest, for by doing 

 so either the plant will be forced into fresh growth at an unnatural season, 

 or, should the flowering season be near, it will be found that this causes 

 the newly formed flower buds to shrivel up and drop off — to " damp off ' 

 as it is technically termed. The only exception that should be made to 

 this rule is in the case of a weakly plant which it is necessary to force 

 into strong growth, but in this case no flowers can be looked for until 

 the following year. 



