416 GENERAL REVIEW. 



ally lost their leading growth. The same remark applies to 

 Camarotis a beautiful, though neglected, old Orchid and to 

 the Angr&cums. Thunia alba and T. Bensonice are very easily 

 multiplied by cutting up the old pseudo- bulbs into pieces, 

 3 to 4 inches long, and treating them as recommended for 

 Dendrobiums. Phalcenopsis often produce lateral breaks, 

 and occasionally young plants on the flower - stems. P. 

 Luddemanniana frequently does this ; while Cypripediums 

 Masdevallias, Disas, and most other Orchids, are readily multi- 

 plied by division after the plants have attained to a good size. 

 Calanthes are very easy to propagate, for if an old bulb has its 

 top broken off, it will often produce two or three young plants 

 round the fracture, or the old flowering-bulbs may be cut into 

 lengths and inserted in white sand; and thus treated, every 

 piece will produce buds and roots, while the base should be 

 left to develop itself as usual. The delicate little Pldone 

 humilis propagates itself very freely, producing numerous little 

 bulbils on the apex of its old decaying pseudo-bulbs. These 

 fall off and root freely into the living sphagnum on the pot- 

 tops. The preceding methods are those generally adopted in 

 the nursery trade, and are equally applicable to private estab- 

 lishments. 



There is nothing particularly difficult in the mere mechanical 

 operation of fertilising Orchids ; for, in the generality of cases, 

 the pollen has only to be applied to the stigma in order to 

 induce fruitfulness. It may, however, be as well to note that 

 both the pollen and stigma vary in structure and general con- 

 formation from those of most other plants. The pollen-masses 

 are of a waxy consistence, and may be reached by removing 

 the little cap (anther) at the end of the column. The stigma, 

 or stigmatic surface as it is generally called, lies immediately 

 beneath the apex of the column, and is often of considerable 

 size. Any small point, such as that of a quill toothpick, may 

 be used to remove the pollen, and to place it in a stigmatic 

 cavity. The pollen-masses of some genera are furnished with 

 a viscid or gummy disc, which readily adheres to the point 

 used. Those, however, of some Orchids, such as Cattleyas, 

 and especially Dendrobiums, will not readily do so; but to 

 obviate any little difficulty this may occasion, insert your tooth- 

 pick into the stigmatic cavity, when it will become coated with 

 the viscid matter or mucus therein contained, and to which 

 the pollen-masses will readily adhere, no matter how dry and 

 glossy they may be. In a few hours after the flower is fer- 

 tilised, it commences to wither, and an interesting change 

 takes place with regard to the stigmatic cavity. This cavity 



