POTTING EPIPHYTAL ORCHIDS. 17 



tion. The months of February and March are very suitable 

 for potting some of them — that is after the resting season. 

 Those that do not require potting should be top-dressed with 

 good fibrous peat and moss, the old soil being removed from 

 the surface without breaking the roots of the plants. This 

 operation affords the means of getting rid of many insects 

 which harbour in the old soil. The pots should be thoroughly 

 cleansed from the mould, moss, and dirt too often seen 

 covering those in which Orchids are growing. Previously to 

 potting the plants they should not receive any water for four 

 or five days. Some species should be potted at a somewhat 

 later period, viz., just as they begin to grow. All the species 

 of Phajiis, Calanthe, Dendrohium, Stanhopea, Cyrtojwdium, 

 Brassia, Miltonia, Sobralia, Bletia, Oncidimn, and many 

 others, require this treatment; whilst those oi LcBlia, Cattleya, 

 Saccolahiuvi, Aerides, Vanda, and similar plants, should be 

 potted just before the commencement of their growing 

 season. 



The chief point to be attended to in all potting is that the 

 pots should be well drained, the best material for drainage 

 being potsherds or charcoal. Before potting, be particular to 

 have the pots perfectly clean and dry, inside and out, and 

 the broken potsherds should be washed. After this is done, 

 select a pot in accordance with the size of the plant, but do 

 not give too much pot room. Some plants require shifting 

 once a year, while it may not be necessary to shift others 

 oftener than once in two or three years ; but if a plant 

 becomes sickly or soddened with wet, the best way to bring it 

 back into a healthy state is to turn it out of the pot or 

 basket, and wash the roots carefully with some clean tepid 

 water, cutting off such of them as are dead ; and then to 

 re-pot it, not giving it much water till it begins to make 

 fresh roots. The best pots are those in ordinary use. Some 



