40 



THE GARDENER'S MONT J//. ) 



[^FrhriKiry, 



tion ; but now a inoro raticmal sysioni is ailoplrd 

 we hear of woiuleiful success. Of course in this 

 climate we ean never expect tlie same success 

 with a few of the very delicate specimens. For 

 example, I have never seen a presentable 

 plant of Odontoglossum Alexandrre in thi.s 

 country. I do not refer to the miserable little 

 plants char<red at cataloyued price (and a good 

 price at that), but to extra large plants pur- 

 chased at also an extra large price from Euro- 

 pean nurserymen by a few of our wealthy 

 growers. I do not despair of heing able to grow 

 this if I could obtain some respectable plant 

 from its native country, and begin with them 

 before they had been spoiled in two inch pots 

 in Europe. 



Most of the cool house Orchids are plants 

 with small bulbs, and although many are found 

 in large masses, the greed of the collectors and 

 agents induce them to tear this into little bits, 

 forgetting that any one having a knowledge of 

 plants would rather pay $10 for a large mass 

 than SI for a small piece. For that reason I 

 have often placed from twelve to thirty of these 

 so-called plants together to make one. Of course 

 buyers should not expect to purchase such 

 masses at the same price they would pay for the 

 little bits called plants sent from Europe. I 

 heard recently of one comparatively common 

 Odontoglossum purchased in Europe and made 

 up with these small pieces for which the 

 moderate price of 25 guineas Avas paid. I 

 should have liked to get the same number of 

 dollars for such a plant, and when twenty 

 per cent, duty and freight was added, the price 

 would be tolerable good for the seller, and 

 rather high for the buyer. I may mention it is 

 quite a waste of time and money to attempt 

 growing very small plants of this class, for they 

 all require keeping moist at all times, and little 

 bits in pots are drowned and on blocks wasted. 



I may also mention it is little use for amateurs 

 to invest in freshly imported plants, unless they 

 are well posted in their treatment, and have lots 

 of spare time to continually look after them ; for 

 the plants are usually in very poor condition, so 

 that it is a chance under good treatment if they 

 Avill grow; most frequently from importing at the 

 budding season, delay in transportation, &c , 

 the growth is made and delays in the boxes, and if 

 another growth pushes it is usually much weaker, 

 and probably produced at the wrong season. 

 But I must give a list of a few specimens which 

 I have proved do well in a cool house, just 



niruliuning thai I triecra lew lirst as an experi- 

 ment in the Camellia house. Tliis is a large span- 

 roof house 120 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 10' 



1 feet high, well ventilated on both sides of the 



i top, and one side under the side shade. In Sum- 

 mer, of course, the house is veiy Avarm in hot 



I weather, although generally cooler than outside. 



I the roof being whitewashed and the floor damp, 



I with air day and night. In Winter when most 

 of these give cutting flowers, we ventilate most 



1 days if the house will not go below 40°, and keep 

 it from 40° to 45° with fire heat ; of course no shad- 



I ing is required in the Winter. The first species I 

 tried were Ltelia anceps, Lailia acuminata, Cat- 

 tleya citrina, Odontoglossum Rossi, 0. Cervaen- 

 tesii, O. Alexandne, O. Turleagi. leopardicum 



i (this last flowers better in a little more heat)- 

 Oncidium pelicanum, 0. Filipae, and Oncidium 



' tigrinum. This grows well, .but flowers better in 



\ a little more heat. 



I have since added a few more La;lias, which; 

 are growing and showing flower fine, and I think 

 will be as satisfactory as the others ; also, Odon- 

 toglossum, Eossii major, which I consider the 

 most satisfactory of all. I have had one plant in 

 flower for more three months ; I have also- 

 Odontoglossum grande in splendid flow-er, and! 

 all the plants are growing Avell, although the 

 first growth was killed in transit* O. corda- 

 tum with the best growth I have seen in this 

 variety, and showing flow^er. 0. nebulosumandai 

 species of Odontoglossum sold for citros]uum,l)ut 

 is probably maculatuin , which we sliall soon see as^ 

 it is showing flower, Odontoglossum Medusae., 

 a new species, the flower having the scent 

 of water lilies. These were in such poor- 



I condition when received that I should' not 



[ have been surprised if the plants had died,, 

 but I have dozens of fine 3'oung shoots, 

 and lots of flower stems. Some have been in 



I flower for months. This is a gem, and only costs 



I in Europe two guineas for the ordinaiy sized, 

 plants. I need not mention that Disa grandir- 

 flora is quite at home in this house. I had 

 eight flowers on several stems last j'ear, but this- 

 is a rather diflicult subject to manage in this dry 

 climate, it being a native of Table Mountain.. 

 Cape of Good Hope, where the air is always 

 saturated with moisture, so that thrip and red; 

 spider required constant watching ; but there are 

 few growers in England that do it well. I have 

 grown it outside here in the Summer, but it wa.^-. 

 then more trouble to keep clean than when 

 inside. 



