

ON THE CULTURE OF ORCHIDEOUS PLANTS. 6 



pot, or into the soil. The best plan with this genus is to treat in 

 the manner I observed at Wentworth, when I visited that place in 

 1834, viz. : — A pot was filled with square pieces of peat mixed 

 with broken potsherds to the height of* the rim, then the squares 

 of peat and pots were piled upwards to the height of several inches 

 above the top of the pot, and the outer piles of peat were secured 

 by means of thin splices of wood being fixed on the pot, and the 

 squares of peat thrust upon them. I observed that as the plants 

 advanced in growth, the peat piles were increased tier upon tier, 

 so that some of the oldest plants were raised near a foot high. I 

 have since adopted the same plan, and found it to answer admira- 

 bly. As the flower-stem arises from the surface of the roots, it 

 sometimes happens that it will push out, not at the surface, but at 

 the side of the pile of soil ; and when no further obstruction is 

 encountered, the flowers will shew themselves very gracefully 

 down the sides. In potting this genus, it is, therefore, necessary, 

 in order that the flower-stems may push unobstructedly, to pot them 

 in the first instance, in an elevated manner as described, and to 

 increase the pile of peat and broken pots as circumstances require. 



The plant being thus raised, the soil is more liable to become 

 dry, and additional care is therefore requisite, in properly attend- 

 ing to the watering. 



The following kinds are what I possess, and all have bloomed 

 with me : — 



1. Stanhopea eburnea. The flowers are of a pretty white, spot- 

 ted and blotted with a crimson -purple. Each flower is about two 

 inches across ; they are fragrant. The plant is a native of Rio 

 Janeiro. It merits a place in every collection. 



2. S. grandiflora. Synonym, Ceratochilus grandiflora. (Bot. 

 Cab. 1414.) The flowers are of a beautiful white, from two to 

 three inches across, very handsome and fragrant. The plant is a 

 native of Trinidad, West Indies. It merits a place in every col- 

 lection. 



3. 5. insignis. Synonym, Epidendrum grandiflorum. The 

 flowers are large, four inches across, and very beautiful. The 

 labellum is white, spotted and blotched with dark red. The colour 

 of the other parts of the flower is a sulphur -yellow, spotted with 

 dark red. They are very fragrant. The plant is a native of 

 Trinidad. It merits a place in every collection. 



