THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



NOTES ON LTCASTES. 



[HE beautiful Lycasie Slcinneri is specially adapted to the 

 requirements of amateurs, for it succeeds, and grows, 

 and flowers freely under ordinary good management, 

 does not require a very high temperature, and blooms 

 during winter and spring. It is indeed one of the best 

 known of cool orchids, as well as one of the cheapest. There arc 

 several varieties of this beautiful species, and that known as Z. 

 Skinneri cdha is the most distinct and expensive. There are in 

 addition to L. Skinneri several pretty species, w^hich, although not 

 so valuable, are well worth growing. There is L. aromatica, which 

 blooms in May, with lovely yellow flowers, which are most deli- 

 ciously fragrant. One good-sized plant of this kind is sufiicieut to 

 perfume a large house. Another good kind is L. cruenta, which 

 flowers two months earlier than the preceding, with yellow and 

 crimson flowers. L. Deppei is also worth growing ; it has a pretty 

 vellow flower, with a brown lip, and is in perfection in June. i. 

 Laivrenceana is really splendid, and should be in every collection. 



A most suitable temperature iu which to gro.v Lycastes is 

 from 55° to 65" through February and March, which will start 

 them beautifully, and then as the days lengtheu, and the principal 

 atmospheric warmth is derived from the sun, a i-ise to 75^^ or SC^ 

 will keep them growing vigorouslj-, and enable tliein to complete 

 their growth early, so that the young bulbs will be well ripened, 

 and able to stand a low temperature of from 45° to 50*^ through the 

 winter. When the season's growth is about finished, and the plants 

 are gradually declining to rest, they should have all the light they 

 can conveniently be exposed to without the sun actually scorching: 

 ihem. I might mention here that it is very difiicult to keep them 

 iu a low temperature through the winter, unless the young bulbs 

 are thoroughly matured ; tlie iuiportance of this cannot possibly be 

 overrated, as a great deal, if not everything, depends upon this a& 

 to whether the plants bloom profusely or not the following season. 



There will be no difEculty in growing Lycastes in a mixture oi' 

 equal parts of sphagnum and rough fibry peat, combined with plenty 

 (jf drainage to allow free egress for the water, which should not be 

 administered in too great abundance, even when the plant is in full 

 growth, and not more than is t-ufiicieut to keep the bulbs froni 

 shrivelling when it is at rest. Some of them have large fleshy 

 bulbs, which are exceedingly liable to decay at the base if kept toa 

 wet at any time, particularly through the winter. To guard against 

 this as much as possible, the plants should be potted so that the 

 base of the bulb stands three or four inches above the rim of the 

 pot, varying it according to the size of the plant. All the species 

 are propngated by division, which is best efi'ected in the sjiring, after 

 the young growths have pushed about an inch or so in length. !Hut 

 amateurs who purchase medium-sized plants will have no occasion 

 for dividing them lor some years hence, as the best effects are pro- 

 duced by specimens of a rather large size. J. W. 



January. 



