PLEIONE. 425 
Orchids. They are very successfully grown at Kew, where 
they are treated as follows: Immediately after the flowers 
fade, the soil is shaken from the pseudo-bulbs, and the 
old roots trimmed to a length of about 2in., care being 
taken not to injure the new roots, which by this time are 
pushing from the base of the new growth. P. lagenaria, 
P, maculata, and P. precox, are usually in their new pots 
by the first week in December. The pseudo-bulbs are 
planted about 2in. apart, in pans about rft. in diameter, 
which are three-parts filled with drainage; the compost 
used is equal parts of very fibrous peat and loam, with 
a sprinkling of chopped sphagnum and silver sand. 
When planting, it is usual to commence at one side of 
the pan, placing the pseudo-bulbs on the top of the soil, 
and fixing them firmly by means of the old roots. When 
finished, the soil is about rin. higher in the middle 
than the rim of the pan. The plants are then placed 
on a shelf in a cool house, and not watered until the 
leaves are well developed and the new roots have pene- 
trated well into the soil. It is most important that this 
point is carefully observed, as Pleiones, like Calanthes, 
may be ruined by once giving them water before they are 
in a fit condition to receive it. About the beginning 
of April the plants are placed in an intermediate tempera- 
ture, close to the roof, in a light, moist house; here 
they are freely watered, receiving also a dose of weak 
liquid manure twice a week. When the leaves are mature, 
the plants are again placed in a cool house, where the 
pseudo-bulbs rapidly develop and ripen, and the leaves 
finally turn yellow and fall off. No water is given after 
this until the new growth begins again, and even then it 
is unnecessary unless the soil has become quite baked and 
hard. The species multiply themselves by means of offset 
bulbs, or, rather, one old pseudo-bulb will sometimes develop 
