G-i THE GARDENER. [Eed. 



lata, and I have a few of C. Veitcliii, and a splendid variety it is. 

 The system I pursue in the cultivation of them is most simple, and 

 as successful as it is simple, which may be judged when I say I have 

 No. 2 pots with from 20 to 25 spikes, and have 70 flowers to a spike, 

 and some of the spikes are upwards of 3 feet long. Now, to com- 

 mence, you must have some well-matured bulbs, and about the 1st of 

 February I get a good clean piece of friable loam, which has been kept 

 just sufficient time in a dry airy shed to kill vegetation ; this I pull 

 into pieces about the size of hen's eggs, and add one-third good dry 

 cow-dung that has been kept dry sufficiently long to kill all traces of 

 worms. I find this to be a most excellent way of keeping both dung 

 and soil free from worms. The other third is composed of charcoal, 

 broken small, so that it will pass through a J-inch sieve or riddle, sil- 

 ver-sand, and a handful of half-decomposed leaf -soil. This is all well 

 mixed together, and with clean pots, thoroughly dry, you are ready 

 for potting ; and be sure and see that they are thoroughly crocked. 

 This is too often left to a lad in the shed, who throws them in any- 

 how. No labour can be better spent than seeing this most carefully 

 done ; and place a good piece of moss over the crock, about J an inch 

 in thickness, then press it down well. Select the roughest part of the 

 compost, and place over the moss ; then half -fill, and give the compost 

 a good ramming — the soil and dung you cannot make too firm ; then 

 fill up and repeat the pressing. Place your bulbs about 4 inches apart 

 all over your pot. I put as many as from twenty to thirty into some. 

 Let the bulb be about one-third in the soil ; make them firm so that 

 they will not get knocked about. Give water most sparingly until 

 you see signs of roots and foliage, which will be very soon. Put them 

 into any house in which you can command a temperature of 75° by day 

 and 65^ at night. Then give them an abundance of water, and keep 

 them constantly well syringed and watered up to the time they com- 

 mence to show signs of maturing their leaves ; then gradually with- 

 hold water, and remove them into a much lower temperature — 45° to 

 50° at night is quite high enough — and you will be rewarded most 

 amply by one of the most beautiful winter-blooming Orchids in a most 

 creditable condition. When they commence to bloom, little water is 

 required ; but the soil must not be allowed to become dusty dry. Any 

 person possessing a cucumber-house, pine pit or stove, may grow them 

 to the greatest perfection. T. Speed. 



The Gardens, Chatsworth. 



[Any remarks Mr Speed can find it convenient to favour us with about the 

 spring-blooming varieties, we are sure will be most acceptable to the readers of 

 the 'Gardener.' His commendation of these winter varieties of Culanthe is 

 quite within their merits. We have some very indifferent spikes before us 

 which were cut three weeks ago, and are now quite fresh and charming. — Ed.] 



