JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January 6, 1870. 



,f »v,« rVrdonn in Anril 1868 There being at that season of "It will thus be seen that a period of more than nine months 

 to ye« no stookB in 'a condition for grafting, the cuttings - 

 •were preserved with bnt slightly impaired vitality until the 

 following August, when they were grafted. 



elajised from the time they were cut from the trees ; never- 

 theless, 66 Apples, 72 Pears, 24 Figs, 5 Vines, and 8 Plums, 

 have been saved of this consignment." 



The order to which Orchids belong undoubtedly contains the 

 gems of the floral world, and this class of plants, which a few 

 years ago were comparatively unknown, have now become 

 familiar to all lovers of horticulture ; the immense quantities 

 which have been imported during the last few years, and the 



WINTER-FLOWERING ORCHIDS.— No. 1. 



useful for winter decoration. The flowers are borne upon erect 

 spikes, each spike having from twenty to fifty or more flowers, 

 each flower measuring some 3 inches in diameter. The sepals 

 and petals are pure white and of considerable substance ; lip of 

 the same colour, but stained and streaked at the base with 

 rosy pink. The leaves are thick and fleshy, from 6 to 12 inches 



/- 



consequent reduction in their prices, having brought them within 



the reach of most amateur,. Another advantage which has been in length, and oblong in shape deep bronzy green on the 

 w;,,«Tl i iv, m "these -real importations is a better acquaintance ; upper side, sometimes stained with purple below. The moth- 

 ^Whnh^itVni.dre.i'.iireinVntsof the plants, which has led to j like flowers of this plant retain their beauties unimpaired for 

 r,r,e.re J,,., ,vstem 'if cultivation; and the temperature of a ! manv weeks if water in any form is kept from them, but if 

 house devoted to the denizens of the mountain regions of Peru i they are suffered to get wet they soon become spotted and inl- 

 and New Grenada is really en- 

 joyable, even by the most deli- 

 cate constitutions. Under these j 

 circumstances it is no wonder 

 that the popularity of Orchids 

 has increased. ^ 

 Taking the above facts into . ,jf- ■ 

 consideration, it occurred to me .^L.'*'. / 

 that a few remarks upon those Jt iffllA 

 kinds which bloom during the <* WjB 

 dreary winter months may be 

 acceptable to many of the readers 

 of the Journal who may be only 

 beginning the cultivation of 



this elegant and most interest- ^ ""■-'/, if./v^£^' ~~-^>"i - ~..- 

 ing class of plant-; rind let tn<- j. f ' /. ,' ■> 

 earnestly recommend the-! win ' \-jv«, '; 



have not hitherto attempted the 

 , ultuiv.it' I lull'.] - I'-.r w in*' I-!"- - 

 coration to commence forthwith. p*^ 6 **^" 

 Orchids are now most reason- / 



able in price ; they are easily ; 



managed, and occupy but little 



room ; whilst the chaste beauty <i_ 



of their flowers, combined with 

 the length of time which they re- 

 tain their full beauty, and the eccentric forms which most of them 

 display, gives them a charm which no other flowers possess. My 

 purpose, then, in these remarks will be to briefly describe those 

 kinds which are most suitable for winter blooming, giving such 

 cultural directions as I have found ensure success, and in doing 

 so I must certainly commence with the queen of Orchids, Pha- 



I^NOPSIS. 



The name is derived from phalaina, a moth, from the resem- 

 blance of the flowers of the first known species to such an insect, 

 whence has come the name by which the plants are sometimes 

 called — " Indian Moth riant." The kinds of Phalajnopsis are 

 all East Indian plants, the finest being natives of the Philippines, 

 Java, Borneo, Sumatra, and probably several other islands, 

 where they grow upon the branches of the forest trees ; a few 

 species are found upon the mainland, but, singular to relate, 

 nearly all those hitherto sent have been small-flowered kin&s. 

 As these plants inhabit the islands in the Indian seas they cannot, 

 of course, be grown with us in the same temperature as those 

 from the cool regions of South America ; therefore to succeed 

 with the plants the temperature during the summer months 

 should range from 70° to 80°, and an abundant supply of water 

 should be poured upon and under the stages and on the paths of 

 the house, to create humidity in the atmosphere. During the 

 winter far less water must be used, and the temperature should 

 range from about 65° to 70° with fire heat. Opinions vary much 

 respecting the best way of growing these plants. I have suc- 

 ceeded well, and consequently regard it as the best plan, by 

 having them planted in small baskets, and suspended from the 

 roof of the house, allowing some 12 or 18 inches between the 

 glass and the leaves. The materials used for potting should be 

 sweet, growing sphagnum moss and plenty of charcoal. Water 

 should be applied to the roots moderately, but if the atmosphere 

 is well charged with moisture they will not require much from 

 the syringe. 



Phal.exopsis amabilis. — This beautiful species, of which 

 the accompanying is a representation, produces its lovely flowers 

 at almost all seasons but if properly managed it is especially 



sightly. Phahenopsis 

 amabilis can be had 

 in bloom all the sum- 

 mer, instead of win- 

 ter, if required at that 

 season, and then it 

 becomes a valuable 

 plant for pubKc ex- 

 hibition. I, however, 

 prefer it during win- 

 ter, and the system I 

 adopt to effect this is 

 never to allow a flow- 

 er-spike to grow until 

 towards the end of 

 summer, when the 

 plant has nearly ma- 

 tured its growth. By 

 this method its whole 

 strength is given to 

 the development of 

 leaves, which are cor- 

 respondingly larger, 

 and in my opinion the healthy dark green leaves enhance con- 

 siderably the beauty of its flowers. It is found near Manilla. 



Phal.exopsis grandiflora. — Another superb species, the 

 flowers of which resemble the preceding in the purity of their 

 sepals and petals, but the lip is stained with yellow towards the 

 base, and the individual flowers are much larger. When grown 

 for summer flowering it is invaluable for the exhibition table ; 

 but I treat it in the same way as P. amabilis, and enjoy its chaste 

 beauty much more during January, February, and March than 

 later in the season. In growth this plant differs from the kind 

 previously named in the more acuminate leaves, which are of a 

 bright light green, and its constitution is more robust. It is a 

 native of Java. 



Phal^enopsis grandiflora var. avrea. — This, though some- 



