4 ORCHIDS. 
or sphagnum, have been substituted, with, as a rule, 
excellent results. 
' In potting Orchids, we must see that the pots are perfectly 
clean; and a greater amount of drainage material is 
necessary than is used for the majority of plants, because, 
as they require more frequent watering, there must be 
provided drainage sufficient to carry it away quickly. 
Unless this provision is made, the material about the 
roots of the plants rots or becomes sour, and the plants 
sicken in consequence. For soil, take equal parts of living 
sphagnum moss and fibrous peat—that is, peat from which 
nearly or quite all the fine particles have been beaten. 
The mixture should be pressed tolerably firm, but not hard, 
and it should be built up into a small cone, the apex of 
which may be about an inch, or, in larger specimens, two 
inches above the rim of the pot; and upon this the plant 
should sit, for, if buried below, the chances are that the 
eyes which spring from the base of the pseudo-bulbs will 
decay, and great injury to the plants will thus result. We 
have heard amateurs assert that this is a fashion adopted 
by Orchid-growers simply to be different from their neigh- 
bours. This system, however, really has its advantages, 
for it allows the water to fall away from the young growths 
more rapidly, although the roots reap the full benefit of 
its presence. 
Plants with few cr no roots at the time of potting should 
be firmly secured by means of stakes or wire pegs. The 
growing point or lead of an Orchid should be kept on a 
level with the surface; the back part of the plants is not 
of so much importance. If baskets are used, they should 
be of the kind made specially for Orchids. The bottom 
should be covered with pieces of crock and charcoal, and 
the compost pressed in as already advised. Ordinary pots 
or pans will answer for the cultivation of Orchids very 
