THE MOST USEFUL ORCHIDS 25 



out as well as possible and more sphagnum added, this being 

 worked among the roots and filled in to the top of the basket. If 

 peat fibre is used it should be mixed with the sphagnum. When 

 pots are used, as is necessary for the stronger growers, the drainage 

 material should occupy two-thirds of their depth, the peat and 

 sphagnum being then worked among and around the roots and 

 the whole finished off with a surfacing of fresh sphagnum. 



When re-potting becomes necessary the roots must be care- 

 fully detached from the basket or pot by the aid of a sharp knife, 

 and the operation is the more easily performed if the receptacles 

 are soaked in tepid water for an hour or two previously. The 

 roots should be washed quite clean and all decaying or dead parts 

 of root and stem should be removed before the plant is placed in 

 its new pot or basket. All newly potted Orchids need a little 

 extra shading for a few weeks. 



The Angrxcums have white, greenish-white, or green flowers, 

 and though many of them are chastely beautiful, and the elongated 

 spur of the lip makes them all interesting, it cannot be said that 

 the genus occupies a high position if efi^ectiveness aud usefulness 

 are the points of consideration. An amateur starting to grow 

 Orchids, and with somewhat limited means and accommodation, 

 may very well leave Angrazcums out of his consideration ; but 

 where there are the means and where a representative collection is 

 the aim, rather than a rigid selection of the most useful and showy 

 genera, then many of the Angrxcums should be grown, and it 

 must be stated that there are few nobler plants than a finely 

 flowered specimen of A. sesquipedale, and few more graceful ones 

 than A. caudatum and A. pellucidum. 



But if we adhere to the most recent nomenclature we lose all 

 these three from the genus Angrascum, for the first named is 

 now Mystacidium sesquipedale, and the others are respectively 



