1?78.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



297 



using precaution not to bruise the e3-es at the 

 base of the bulbs. Lay them in a shady place to 

 <lry off. Some persons then put them in a warm, 

 phady place, on some moss, until they show 

 signs of growth, which will not be long if the 

 bulbs are in good condition. I prefer however, 

 to pot them as soon as they are clean and dry. 

 Many kinds emit roots before they do their 

 leaves, which roots are extremel}' tender, and 

 apt to be broken oflf in potting. I use clean new 

 pots, and only large enough to hold the bulbs. I 

 never try to start two or more in the same pot, as 

 they may turn out different varieties. If speci- 

 noens are wanted, it is better to put the plants in 

 a large pot or basket after they have been estab. 

 lished a year or so. These small pots only need 

 a little drainjLgc,and fresh sphagnum moss is the 

 best material to use for Orchids, that I have 

 found in this country. After they are potted, the 

 first requisite to start them into growth is heat. 

 Heat is the first motor in all vegetation. If your 

 fires are still going, they should be put near th e 

 heat, and slightly moistened with a fine syringe. 

 It is good to tlirow a newspaper or some light 

 covering over the plants, when the sun sliines on 

 them, as it dries up the moisture too fast. A 

 little moisture is beneficial. After they are 

 srarted and the j'oung roots begin to come, they 

 need constant care. A good supply of sphagnum 

 moss should always be on hand, and if the roots 

 make their appearance outside of the pots, they 

 should be covered carefully with clean, fresh moss. 

 If you do not, snails, sow-bugs, roaches and even 

 mice will be quick to discover and eat the j'oung 

 roots. There may be houses where none of 

 these torments exist, but I have never seen one. 

 As the plants grow they will require more water, 

 which should be given with a small pot, in place 

 of the syringe, as the latter is apt to leave water 

 in the young growth, which will rot some 

 kinds very quickly. After they have made their 

 growth they should be placed near the glass, and 

 where they can get some air and sunlight, this 

 will mature the growth and help the bulbs to 

 ripen. Some varieties make two growths with 

 me in a year. This will be learned by practice. 

 !Xfany that are called cool Orcliids, or interme- 

 diate, if kept in the hot-house in the winter, Avitli 

 an average temperature of 05° will make a sec- 

 ond growth, and make good liulbs if kept with- 

 in eighteen inches or so of the glass. This is a 

 good way to hurry up the growth of small plants. 

 When yoiu" plants get too strong for the small 

 pots in which they were first placed, and you 



wish to re-pot, if you find that they will not 

 knock out very easily, you may be sure the roots 

 have taken hold of the inside of the pot. Break 

 the pot gently, with a small hammer, and let the 

 pieces of crockery that the roots have listened 

 on, go into the other pot. The pot only costs 

 two or thi'ee cents. 



All pots and crocks should be perfectly clean , 

 and if old pots are used, they should be washed 

 and either placed on a warm flue, or in the sun to 

 dry, otherwise the germs of the Litchens, &c., 

 will come into growth, as soon as placed in a 

 damp house. In potting I use the hardest burnt 

 pots that I can get, even if they are a little black 

 I prefer them. They do not generate filth as 

 fast as the soft yellow pots. At one time I 

 used pots with holes in the sides. I find that the 

 holes only serve as hiding places for slugs, sow- 

 bugs, &c. ^Noticing that one of my finest Cattle- 

 yas, was doing badly, I concluded to re-pot it. 

 It was in an eight-inch perforated pot. On 

 knocking it out, I found a colony of slugs in the 

 di-ainage, and every root eaten off. The plant 

 has not recovered, though this was more than a 

 year ago. I think there cannot be too many holes 

 in the bottom of Orchid pots, and the bottoms 

 should be concave. The moss about Orcliids 

 should be allowed to get dr}'-, once every day or 

 two. In the Summer I water late in the after- 

 noon, wliich keeps the plants moist until 9 to 

 10, A. M., next day, at which time I thoroughly 

 wet the floors. In "Winter I water early in the 

 morning, so as to dry up a little by night, and 

 never water indiscriminately. If a plant appears 

 moist I do not give it any water. I grow small 

 Ferns, Selaginellas. Achimenes,Avith the Orchid*;. 

 They will always show needof water by flagging-, 

 long before the Orchids can possibh' suffer. As 

 Orchids out of bloom are not generally very at- 

 tractive small Ferns add to their appearance. 

 You can always cut ofi" the strong fronds. Achi- 

 menes bulbs will remain dormant in the moss all 

 ! the Winter, at the very time that most Orchids 

 arc resting. When the culture of Orchids in tliis 

 country is better understood, I think they will 

 become great favorites with amateurs who do 

 ! not keep a gardener. Next to Cacti, which are 

 ! the donkeys of the vegetable world, I think 

 I Orchids need less care after they are well estab- 

 I lished than any class of plants that I have culti- 

 ' vated. 



' IhavoalargeplantofCattleyaForbesii. It is in 

 1 abasket made of yellow locust,Robinia, it has hung 

 ! from a rafter in my Camellia house for five years. 



