proverbially hard to flower. This is almost certainly due to the fact that 
the temperature in which they are grown does not suit them. I would cer- 
tainly recommend any grower who has had a plant of Warscewiczii for a period 
of two or three years and has not succeeded in flowering it to move it into the 
coolest (not the shadiest) part of his glasshouse or bushhouse. I will endeavour, 
in the list of species following, to set out the plants which require warmth and 
those which like coolness in their surroundings, 
PROTECTION FROM PESTS. 
Cattleyas are subject to attack by scale, thrips, red-spider, slugs, orchid-beetle, 
cockroach and other pests. They should be carefully watched and prompt meas- 
ures should be taken should any of the abovementioned pests appear. A careful 
washing with an emulsion of soap and nicotine sulphate from time to time will 
act as a deterrent to scale, thrips and red-spider. For slugs and orchid-beetle direct 
action is necessary. I have also noticed occasionally that the large black locust is 
not averse to nibbling a Cattleya leaf, and on three occasions I have captured the 
black orange-bug on these plants, but whether the last named visitors sought a 
meal or not, I did not wait to ascertain, but dealt very firmly with them without 
delay—in fact, I never wait to examine the credentials of any beetle, insect, moth 
or grub that I find among orchids. 
Everyone who has grown orchids has noticed the fascination exercised by these 
plants over ants. This strange alliance is not confined to plants grown in private 
collections, but is usual with orchids growing in their natural state. It has been 
remarked again and again in the journals of orchid collectors that almost invar- 
iably associated with a clump of epiphytical orchids is an ant’s nest. 
Particularly is this the case with Cattleyas, Oncidiums, Catasetums, and Cory- 
anthes. The reason for this is generally ascribed to the fact that cockroaches are 
very partial to orchid roots and to the young growths, as an appetising food, and 
the ants are very partial to cockroaches for the same reason. The orchid, by pro- 
viding a harbourage for the ants in its wide-spreading root system, thus protects 
itself against its inveterate enemy, the cockroach. I do not worry too much at the 
prevalence of ants in my plants, as I know that they will assist in keeping other pests 
away. The only annoyance they give is that they have a habit of carrying a small 
black and white scale which they deposit on the stems and leaves of orchids for 
some purpose of their own. This particular scale does not do much harm to plants, 
and in any case is easily removed either by a touch of the finger, or by applying a 
camel hair brush, dipped in Methylated Spirits. If the ants become too thick a few 
traps will reduce their numbers by a million or so very quickly. The immersion 
of the pots and baskets in water for some minutes will also destroy large numbers 
of them. 
There are about 90 distinct species of the genus Cattleya, and these have about 400 
defined and accepted varieties. I do not purpose listing all these, but will confine 
my attentions to the better known and more usually grown species and to those 
which most generally have been used as the parents of the hybrids most of us 
grow. 
56 
