78 OKCHID-GRO'^\rEK's MANUAL. 



spring van with a cover on the top. In placing the plants 

 in the van, we always put some hay between pots, to keep 

 them firm and prevent their rubbing against each other ; 

 this, moreover, helps to retain the warmth in the pots by 

 preventing draughts from reaching them, and thus the roots 

 are not subjected to any great check through change of 

 temperature. 



An opportunity occurs here to remark upon the paucity of 

 Orchids at our great London exhibitions of the present day, as 

 compared with those of former jears. It is true several of 

 the large contributors are dead, and their collections are 

 dispersed ; some fcAv have relinquished their culture, and 

 others have removed to a distance, but there still remains 

 ample material in the numerous rich collections in the 

 vicinity of the metropolis to again furnish a glorious bank of 

 flowers, such as formerly greeted the eye at the Chiswick and 

 Regent's Park Gardens on Exhibition days ; and we are fully 

 persuaded it is only from the want of encouragement in the 

 matter of prizes, that we do not now see these gorgeous displays 

 at our London shows. That such is the case, we have only 

 to turn for proof to the great Whit-week show at Manchester. 

 There the prizes are good, and not only do the cultivators in 

 the immediate vicinity bring their plants, but others from a 

 considerable distance can be seen staging their productions 

 for competition against the celebrated growers of "Cottono- 

 polis " ; indeed, the display made in 1870 we never saw 

 surpassed, if equalled, at any show. This may be readily 

 imagined when it is stated that a double row of these plants 

 alone extended a distance of over three hundred feet, and 

 amongst them were many of the grandest Lcelias, Cattleyas, 

 Yandas, Trichopilias, Odontoglossums, and a host of others, 

 we have ever beheld. Some may contend from these facts 

 that the love of gain is the chief motive power. This would 



