290 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



Borneo, and Java, it is possible to expose them to too great a heat, 

 and to supply them too liberally with moisture. Some failures have 

 occurred through keeping them too dry and in too low a tempera- 

 ture, but few that have come under my notice can be attributed to 

 this cause, nor are they likely to be numerous, for immediately the 

 heat or the moisture is insufficient, they cease to make much pro- 

 gress, and they at once receive attention, and in the majority of in- 

 stances are placed under conditions more favourable to a vigorous 

 growth. But it is not so when the heat and moisture are in excess 

 of their requirements, for the effects at first are misleading. They 

 make rapid progress, and although the leaves are not so well 

 developed as regards colour and size, the inexperienced cultivator 

 indulges in the belief that the progress they are making is most 

 satisfactory. By-and-by, the plants begin to show signs of decay, 

 and in a very short time they die one by one, until, in many cases, 

 the whole collection has perished. Sometimes failures occur through 

 their being kept in the same pots until the mixture in which they 

 are growing has become sour, and altogether unfitted to the healthy 

 development of the roots. 



The Aiisectochili are mostly of dwarf growth, ranging from two 

 to six inches in height, and may be described as perennial herbs. 

 They have a thick fleshy stem, from the base of which the roots 

 directly proceed, without any intermediate bulb, as in the case of the 

 majority of orchids, and they are therefore more susceptible to injury 

 I'rom an excess or an insufficiency of moisture than the oncids or 

 ihe decdrobes. The pots must be perfectly clean, and rather small 

 in proportion to the size of the plants. For a small example, con- 

 sisting of a single stem, a thumb pot or a small sixty, according as 

 the species is a spare or a robust growth, will be quite large 

 enough. For specimens, the pots must be proportionate, and when 

 of a large size, such as those I produced when in charge of the late 

 Mr. Ellis's collection at Hoddesdon, deep pans may be employed 

 ^vith advantage, as they afibrd sufficient room for the development 

 of tlie plant without presenting such an ungainly appearance as the 

 ordinary pots of an equal diameter. As showing the size to which 

 these comparatively humble plants may be grown, I would mention 

 tlie fact that some of our specimens completely filled the large pans 

 known as "No 2's." The pots must be filled to rather more 

 t!ian one-third of their depth with crocks of a medium size. When 

 the plants have been turned out of the pots, remove from about the 

 1 oots all the old material, or as much of it as can be taken away 

 without injuring them. They should then be Carefully repotted, 

 aud the base of the plant kept rather high, so that the material at 

 tlie centre of the pot is slightly higher than the rim. 



A mixture of sphagnum moss, crocks, and sand, is usually 

 recommended, but I greatly prefer one consisting of partly decayed 

 leaves, crocks, aud sand, as in this the foliage attains a larger size, 

 and the colouring is much richer. The leaves must be only partly 

 decayed, not rotted to a powder, and the crocks, which must be 

 broken quite small, and the sand must be added in liberal pro- 

 portions. They should, in fact, be equal in quantity to the leaves. 



