360 THE GARDENER. [Aug. 



tboronglily ripe and dormant. They (the tubers) should be carefully 

 packed in moist earth or sphagnum during transit, and must be potted 

 off as soon as received at home. The soil best suited for their re- 

 quirements is strong fibrous loam, with a mixture of leaf-mould and 

 coarse sand ; other species, as many of the Ophrys and Cypripediums, 

 affect a chalky soil, or lumps of limestone m.ay be broken and mixed 

 with the fibrous or turfy compost. The pots should be well drained, 

 and the soil pressed firmly around the tubers, after which plunge the 

 pots in ashes, sand, or cocoa-nut fibre, in a cold frame, where they may 

 remain all winter ; all the attention they will require is to keep the 

 soil moderately moist, nothing being more injurious than to let them 

 get dust-dry. In a state of nature all bulbs and tubers get a copious 

 supply of water during the winter season, or while they are at rest ; 

 and I have often thought that the reason many cultivators fail in 

 growing these plants is, because they dry them off during the winter 

 months. The pots should be protected during heavy rains and severe 

 frosts, either by having the glazed lights drawn on, or an oil-cloth 

 spread over the pit or frame in which they are plunged. The fore- 

 going instructions may be followed out in the case of rare or delicate 

 Continental species ; but many of the British and American species may 

 be planted out in the rock-garden or herbaceous border, and will in 

 most cases be found to succeed to perfection. One of the most beauti- 

 ful of all hardy terrestial species, Cypripedium spectabile, grows vigor- 

 ously planted out in a peat-bed on a cool clay bottom ; while our only 

 Eritish species, C. calceolus, grows best in a chalky loam, fully ex- 

 posed to the east, but sheltered from the mid-day sun. In Messrs 

 Backhouse & Son's nurseries at York, these two beautiful species 

 grow vigorously and flower profusely every summer, along with many 

 species of Orchis and other Continental Orchids. When these plants 

 are grown outside, select a partially shaded spot well furnished with 

 other herbaceous plants, and plant the tubers 5 or 6 inches below the 

 surface ; they will find their way through in due time, and will not 

 suffer from the vicissitudes of the weather as they would if planted 

 just below the surface of the ground. The contiguity of other herba- 

 ceous plants prevents undue evaporation from the soil in which they 

 are planted. During winter a mulching of short litter, leaves, or man- 

 ure, will protect them both from frost and cold rains. I sincerely 

 hope these beautiful plants will meet with every encouragement in our 

 gardens, for amongst terrestrial Orchids there are many species not 

 yet introduced to our collections that will bear comparison with the 

 choicest Epiphyte in point of beauty and fragrance. At the same time 

 they may be grown without the unpleasant heat and extra labour re- 

 quired by tropical species from hot countries. I wish your correspon- 



