28 ORCHIDS : now to ghow them successfully. 



POTTING AND BASKETING. 



It is essential that this work should be most carefully done. 

 The best compost in which to grow Orchids is the very best fibrous 

 Orchid peat and sphagnum moss in about equal proportions, adding 

 about one and a-half gallons of broken charcoal to two bushels of 

 sphagnum and peat — the latter should be broken into pieces about 

 the size of a hen's egg by the fingers, and if the moss is long it 

 should be chopped once or twice. This forms the best compost 

 known for the majority of Orchids, although many varieties require 

 more peat than sphagnum, and in some cases a little sweet fibrous 

 loam may be added to advantage. Having prepared and mixed the 

 compost, the plant, if an established one, should be turned out of the 

 pot and every particle of crock and old material cleaned away from 

 the roots, bearing in mind that it is a very bad practice to insert the 

 old ball of roots into a new pot, as is customary with other plants, 

 such as ferns, «S:c. The removal of the old compost and crocks is best 

 accomplished by means of a pointed stick ; all dead roots, pseudo 

 bulbs, or old stems useless to the plant, having been carefully cut 

 away, a clean pot should be close at hand, and of the right size, to 

 receive the plant. In repotting Orchids it is not always necessaiy 

 to give them a larger pot, as one of the same size as that in which 

 it has been grown often suits it better. It is a great mistake to 

 overpot Orchids. A good idea of the size required can be gained 

 by selecting one large enough for the plant when two more 

 growths are added to the leading pseudo bulbs before reaching 

 the side of the pot. The roots of Orchids should not be unduly 

 disturbed, provided the plants have been recently potted and in 

 good material, as many may remain two, or even three years, 

 without disturbance, needing only top dressings and the renevv^al 

 of supporting sticks. When, however, repotting is necessary, and 

 that is when the compost becomes too much decayed and in a sour 

 condition, or the leading pseudo bulbs are growing over the rim 

 of the pot, or from any other cause, then the repotting should be 

 done carefully and well. Supposing, for instance, we are about to 

 repot Cattleyas. In the first place, take the plant out of the old 

 pot as carefully as possible, clearing away all worn out soil, &c., as 

 already directed ; avoid, if possible, breaking any roots, and have 

 a clean pot ready, about half full of clean broken crocks and 

 small lumps of charcoal, to form effective di'ainage, so that water 



