r>0 THE GARDENER. [Fei;. 



twelve in a row — and all large, and plump, and fresh, and as niuch 

 alike as thirty-six bullets all cast in the same mould. It was a sight 

 to charm the heart of any one who can distinguish an Orchid bulb 

 from an Onion, and the care and delight with which they were 

 unpacked and placed in those mossy-surfaced pans before alluded to 

 would have pleased the kind donor exceedingly. The plant, either 

 in growth or flower, will always be to us a living and beautiful sou- 

 venir. This is so, indeed, with a large proportion of our plants, 

 especially the Orchids. That morsel of Coelogyne Lemoniana, for 

 example, with its plump pseudo-bulbs, rivalling hens' eggs in size and 

 smoothness, is to us a reminder of one of nature's born gardeners, and 

 one of the most genial of men — a Christian who lives his Christianity 

 instead of talking of it. Cypripedium Maulei, just opening out its 

 wonderfully spotted upper sepal, is another souvenir to us — a souvenir 

 of one whom we can respect by reputation as well as by name. Look 

 wherever we may, these kind gifts of brother gardeners present them- 

 selves to our notice, and enliven our daily duties with thoughts of 

 others rather than of ourselves. But I must stay this preachment, 

 and return to the Pleiones. I have chosen the present time to write 

 of these plants because now is the time they require especial attention ; 

 and if they are not in the possession of those desirous of having them, 

 now is a good time to obtain them. 



In nearly all collections they will have been repotted some weeks 

 ago : if it has been overlooked, however, now is the time to repot or 

 top-dress such as require it. As a compost we use fibrous peat, 

 chopped living sphagnum, and about a fourth of fibrous loam. Some 

 growers rub up dried horse-droppings or cow-manure in the compost, 

 but in the case of Pleiones we prefer to give any essential manurial 

 stimulant at the time it is most needed, — that is, about May or June, 

 when light is abundant, and the leaves and roots are in full action. As 

 a liquid stimulant for these and other sub-terrestrial Orchids, we use a 

 weak and clear solution of cow-manure and soot, so made that the 

 water is but slightly discoloured. Just "whuskyan' water" colour, 

 as an observant friend once told me on seeing it used. 



At the present time the rootlets are being protruded from the 

 warty base of the young growths, and neither manure nor over-much 

 root moisture is good for them — indeed, on the contrary, likely to be 

 hurtful. A temperature of 50'' at night to 65° in the day-time, with 

 plenty of air, suits them admirably ; and our own practice is to grow 

 them in shallow Orchid-pans suspended beneath the roof of an inter- 

 mediate house. A Cattleya-house suits them well, — so also an ordi- 

 nary plant -stove, if not kept too close and hot, or too much over- 

 shadowed by creepers on the roof. A vinery, where forcing is being 

 commenced, and which is not lower than 50° at night, will be an ad- 

 mirable place for them ; or failing these, even a shelf near the light in 

 a warm greenhouse or conservatory may be utilised for them. As I 



