SEEDLING ORCHIDS. 31 



brought me the other day by a gentleman, and no two of them 

 were exactly alike. The same may be said of the new Phalce- 

 nopsis Schilleriana. I have only seen five plants of this in 

 bloom, and all of them differed in colour, shape of leaf, and 

 flower; all were, however, handsome. In a wild state varieties 

 appear to be unlimited, crossed, and recrossed, as they doubtless 

 are, by insects. Who, for instance, would have thought, a few 

 years ago, of receiving so splendid an importation as Phalce- 

 nopsis Schilleriana, beautiful not only in blossom but in 

 foliage 1 I have heard that there exists a scarlet Phalsenopsis ! 

 Let us hope yet to receive it : what a contrast it would make 

 with the white and mauve coloured kinds now in cultivation. 

 In this country Mr. Dominy has succeeded in raising some 

 pretty varieties of Cattleya, Calanthe, Goodyera, &c. I trust 

 he may persevere in the good work, and produce us something 

 new in other genera ; many kinds seed freely if the flowers 

 are set, producing many seeds in a pod. When ripe the seed 

 should be sown ; but it requires great care, as it is not so easy 

 to raise as that of many other kinds of plants ; some of the 

 kinds are a long time in germinating : I have known Orchid 

 seeds to lie twelve months before they made their appearance. 

 To watch their progress when up is, however, highly interesting 

 first, the formation of pseudo-bulbs, then their advancement 

 towards flowering, are processes full of pleasure yielding 

 anxiety. The best place to sow is on the top of an Orchid 

 pot, where the seeds will not get disturbed ; let the peat be 

 in a rough state : do not cover the seed, but give a little water 

 with a fine rosed-pot, just to settle it in the peat; some rough 

 blocks of wood on which another plant is growing afford a 

 capital situation to sow upon : they should always be kept a 

 little moist ; and of such as are sown on pots in the same way, 

 when the plants are strong enough, pot them off into separate 

 pots, or place them on blocks in material already recom- 

 mended ; in potting and taking them up care must be taken 

 not to break the roots ; by hybridising the finer kinds you are 



