218 ON THE CULTIVATIO^f OF CYPRIPEDIUMS. 



The roots are planted very' near the surface, and a handful of 

 clean sand placed over the buds or crowns. On the sm-face of the 

 pans I plant live gi-owing moss, and grass round the edge. The 

 plants have the pots top-dressed once a-year, performing it as soon 

 as they have flowered, in doing which the grass is pulled out, and 

 small roots of it are again planted. If I wish to divide my plants 

 (which should very seldom be done), I do it at this season of the 

 year, whilst they are in a growing state, keeping them covered 

 with glass for a week or two, and well watered, if the weather is 

 warm and dry ; they scarcely feel the removal. 



During summer the pans are kept plunged in a situation where 

 they have the morning sun to shine upon them till ten o'clock. 



The same kind of preparation, and treatment in other respects, 

 I have practised \nth the American yellow-flowered species, \-iz. 

 Cypripedium pubescens, and C. parviflorum, with the exception 

 of the lime rubbish ; I have no doubt, however, it would also suit 

 these species, but have not tried it. 



C. spectabile, also a native of North America, requires a different 

 soil, viz. : — a baiTOwful of sandy peat earth ; half a ban'owful of 

 soft peat soil, with Sphagnum gi'owing amongst it ; the same 

 quantity of old straw thatch or leaf mould, and a similai- proportion 

 of sharp grey sand. The roots are planted as described above. 



When my plants are in a gio\ving state, I give all the species 

 abundance of water. C. spectabile particularly requires it. This 

 latter will not bear removal whilst in a gi-owing state, as the yellow- 

 flowered species do, \'iz. C. pubescens, C. parviflorum, C. humile. 

 C. arietinum should be gi-own in leaf mould and sand, as light 

 as possible, and be treated in other respects as the before-named 

 kinds. 



M}' reason for planting gr-ass round the edges of the pans is, 

 because I find the roots of Cvpripediums delight in nmning 

 amongst the roots of grass. This is very observable on examina- 

 tion, in the summer season, when I have uniformly foimd vigorous 

 white roots round the inside of the pans, which is a certain sign 

 of health, the best proof whereof is evinced in the vigour of the 

 plants. 



I never protect my Cypripediums from autumnal rains, as is 

 the practice of many cultivators of this tiil)e of plants. I find 

 that they do not in the slightest degree suffer from moisture, pro- 



