5G6 THE GARDENER. [Die. 



started when cut back) are sufficiently grown, the plants are shaken out 

 and potted in 5-inch pots. These cannot be too firmly potted. Loam, 

 fresh, flaky, and dry cow manure, with bone-meal ad'^'ed, suits them 

 admirably. Mrs S. Rundle, ]\rrs Dixon, Lady Hardinge, Prince of 

 "Wales, Venus, Her Majesty, are kinds easily grown, and seem to 

 succeed with ordinary attention. 



Primulas will be either in flower or growing freely. They will give 

 no trouble if grown in small pots, in a temperature of 50' to 55°, and 

 never allowed to become anything like dry. 



Calceolarias and Cinerarias like a cool damp medium, the latter 

 being susceptible to harm from a very slight frost. 



A friend writes to me taking exception to plaster of Paris as a 

 manurial agent. In our case it was used as a substitute for lime, and 

 was most likely mixed up in some other form by the manufacturer 

 who supplied the manure. Sulphate of lime is not so much esteemed 

 in this country as in France, where it is thought a good deal of. In 

 fact, like my friend, many consider its value as a manure a very pro- 

 blematical one. No doubt that ingredient may be left out, and also 

 the nitre, which is said to be a difficult material to obtain of manurial 

 value, and a mixture of sulphate of potash or muriate of potash, and 

 sulphate of ammonia substituted. R. P. Brotherston. 



POTTING MATERIAIi FOR ORCHIDS. 



A VARIETY of opinions have recently been advanced regarding what is 

 the best potting material for Orchids in general. Mr Bruce Finlay, of 

 the Manchester Botanic Gardens, has recently recommended, from his 

 own experience, that Cattleyas are likely to do best in crocks without 

 admixture of soil of any description. In reference to this suggestion, 

 other noted growers have maintained that some peat should be used 

 with the crocks. A writer in a contemporary lately recommended that 

 no peat should be used for the majority of Orchids, but only sphagnum 

 and potsherds and charcoal. No doubt, in the growth of a good many 

 genera, a happy mean between these rival systems has been found 

 most satisfactory. 



We believe, however, that, as a rule. Orchid-growers use much less 

 peat now than they did twenty years ago, and are more particular as to 

 the texture of what they do use. There is one point on which we believe 

 all are quite agreed, and that is, that the less peat there is in an 

 Orchid-pot unoccupied with roots, the more likely is the potful of 

 material to remain sweet and wholesome, and the plant itself healthy. 

 A few years ago a lot of Orchids came into our hands that had been 

 potted with a liberal admixture of peat, evidently without having the 

 finer portion separated from the fibre. On turning out the plants they 



