CULTURE. 1g 
pelled to undergo before they are established in gardens 
here, render their treatment on first arrival of considerable 
importance. Thousands of plants are sold weekly, at the 
auction-rooms and elsewhere, which are either immediately 
killed, or irrecoverably weakened by wrong treatment at 
the outset. As a rule, the roots of newly-imported plants 
are all dead, and few, if any, leaves remain on such as 
Odontoglossums, Dendrobiums, &c., although the pseudo- 
bulbs may be sound enough. 
In selecting plants from a fresh importation, one or two 
important points should be remembered. These are: First, 
that the last-matured pseudo-bulb is healthy and uninjured, 
and bears at its base a sound eye (the latter is the inci- 
pient new growth, or lead, on whose proper development 
everything depends); secondly, that the plant has as much 
foliage as possible—the larger the specimen, the more 
leads it should have; and if the pseudo-bulbs are numerous 
and plump, the rhizomes sound, and the eyes perfect, 
nothing more need be desired. It is always better to 
begin with strong, promising plants than with scrappy 
bits, nine-tenths of which, in the hands of the amateur, 
would come to nothing. Cattleyas, Lzelias, and other 
plants of similar habit, should have good green leaves 
upon them if successfully imported. Phalaenopsis, Cypri- 
pediums, Aérides, Vandas, Masdevallias, and all other genera 
in which there is no pseudo-bulb, or a very weak one, 
should arrive with healthy leaves if they are to do any 
good. 
To begin with, the plants should be carefully examined, 
and all dead roots, pseudo-bulbs, leaves, &c., cut away. A 
sharp knife should be used, and the operator must be 
watchful, lest in removing dead parts he at the same time 
break or cut away eyes or living roots. Too much care 
cannot be taken over this part of the work. The remain- 
