mismanagement in their cultivation, the nature of which is 

 not understood. Some very valuable hints relating to this 

 matter have been given by Sir John Herschell, in a commu- 

 nication published in the Proceedings of the Horticultural 

 Society^ vol. 1, p. 5Q ; among which the following relates to 

 the subject of this notice, which was flowered by that dis- 

 tinguished individual, by whose permission the accompanying 

 figure was made. 



*' I have never found this in the sandy flats about the 

 Cape. My roots were all taken from clay, baked by the sun 

 nearly to the consistence of a brick, at ' De Koch's,' a place 

 about 40 miles east of Cape Town, in the district of ' Hot- 

 tentot's Holland.' They were then in flower, rather past 

 their maximum. Nevertheless they grew well enough in the 

 peaty-sand of which my garden consisted, and to admiration 

 in a fine black sand enriched with vegetable matter, from the 

 shrubby hills in the neighbourhood. Plenty of water and 

 moderate temperature while leafing, diminished supply of wet 

 and increased heat as the flower rises, and total dryness with 

 heat, when all is withered, seem to be the conditions." 



Practically the cultivation of Cape Orchidacese has always 

 been found extremely difficult in this country. The best 

 method of cultivating the present species is to plant it out in 

 a pit, with a south aspect fully exposed to the sun's rays at all 

 seasons of the year. The pit must be well drained, and the 

 soil should consist of peat well mixed with sand and leaf 

 mould. A great deal of harm may be done by injudicious 

 watering. When it is not growing it should be kept perfectly 

 dry ; as soon as it begins to push through the soil a little 

 water may be given, not amongst the leaves, for this will pro- 

 bably injure them, but round the tubers ; this may be gra- 

 dually increased as the plant grows, until the flower-stem 

 makes its appearance, when water must be discontinued. 

 Heat and light are now the agents which will perfect the 

 flower, and ripen the tubers for the following year. 



When propagation is attempted it must be done when the 

 tubers are ripe, and the plant in a state of inaction. 



Those who have not pits to grow this plant in, may be 

 equally successful by cultivating it in pots, if the above sug- 

 gestions are attended to. 



