ORCHIDS: HOW TO GROW THEM SUCCESSFULLY. 121 



damping off of the foliage, but it is a plant which really requires but 

 little water at any time of the year, more especially during the winter 

 months, and when it is applied see that the foliage is kept dry or the 

 water frequently lodges in the axils of the leaf and causes damping. 

 In order to prevent this, dip the pot up to the crown of the plant (not 

 over) in a bucket of water, which is better than the ordinary method of 

 watering. 



It is not easy to draw a hard and fast rule as to how often the 

 plants should be watered, and growers must be guided by the size of 

 the pot and the quantity of material it contains, as well as the 

 position the plant occupies, for if light and airy the compost becomes 

 dry more readily than if shaded and close ; and although the surface of 

 the soil may appear to be dry the plants may still not require water, 

 owing to the retention of moisture in the chalk andaoil. This species 

 flowers during the spring and summer months and is always admired. 



Good established plants should be purchased at from 5s. to 7s. 6d. 

 for strong flowering sized plants, and as this species is more readily 

 established than many others of the same genus, newly imported plants 

 may be purchased with good results. 



DENDHOBIUM NOBILE. From Assam. 



The Dendrobiums are a beautiful and useful family of plants, easy 

 of cultivation, some requiring more warmth throughout the year than 

 others, but for the majority of them it is indispensable they should have 

 a high temperature and moist atmosphere during the summer months, 

 whilst throughout the winter a cool and rather dry atmosphere is 

 needed to give the plants the necessary rest in order to produce good 

 flowers and growth next season. D. nobile belongs to the latter group. 

 "When repotting becomes necessary, use good fibrous peat with an equal 

 proportion of sphagnum and a little charcoal mixed together, and the 

 pots or baskets half filled with crocks and charcoal, always repotting 

 just after the flowering season is over. All the old compost should be 

 cleaned away from the roots, which should be carefully handled, when 

 replacing the plant in the new pot or basket, securing the growths by a 

 few neat sticks thrust into the compost, which should be made 

 moderately firm. A good position in the Warm house on the south 

 side, where there is plenty of light, is most suitable at first, watering 

 carefully, and keeping the compost only moderately moist until the 

 roots show signs of activity, then water more freely, for careless 

 watering at this stage often causes a loss of new growth by damping. 



As the summer advances the plants gain strength, if not checked 

 by excessive drought or too low a temperature, or failure to keep them 

 clear from red spider or thrip ; and the new growth develops into a 

 pseudobulb, and when it is seen to taper off and the last leaf appears at 

 the apex the new bulb will have ceased growing. This species, 



