Orchid Culture. 26/ 



ORCHID CULTURE. — IV. 



By John G. Barker, Cambridge, Mass. 



Orchids on Blocks. — Many of the rarest and loveliest of orchids do 

 not do well in pots or baskets. In their native habitats they are found 

 grow^ing in the branches of trees, with their roots clinging to the 

 branches, or hanging in the air, from which they draw their nutriment. 

 This mode of natural growth can only be imitated by placing such 

 plants on logs of wood. Experience has proved that hard wood is the 

 best. I use apple or oak ; but the bark should be stripped oft', the ob- 

 jection to leaving the bark on being, that when it decays, wood-lice and 

 other insects secrete themselves behind it, and at night they will eat the 

 young roots and flower-stems of the plants. The way to fasten these 

 on the blocks is by copper wire. Have some nails, — copper tacks are 

 best, — and some copper wire, — lead wire is preferable, if it can be 

 got, — with some green sphagnum moss; place some moss on the 

 block, and then the plant on the moss, and over the plant some more 

 moss ; then wind the wire around the log, holding on to the plant at 

 the same time with one hand ; but be careful not to draw the wire too 

 tightly on the plant ; and when it is done, trim off the loose ends of the 

 moss neatly with a pair of scissors, and with a wire placed at one 

 end of the block to suspend it by, the job is done. The size of the 

 block must be regulated by the size of the plant ; and when very large 

 blocks ai'e required, the weight of the block may be lessened by split- 

 ting it in two. 



Wateritig. — Plants in pots or baskets, when newly potted, and just 

 commencing a new growth, putting forth new roots and shoots, must 

 be very carefully watered, and then only around the edges of the pots 

 or baskets, and the plants not wet at all. For this purpose a small pot 

 with a long spout attached, without a rose, will be the best, then you have 

 complete control of the quantity to be given each plant. Orchids 

 must not be watered indiscriminately ; they must be watched closely, 

 and only watered as they require it. At the base of each of the new 

 pseudo bulbs will be found a sheath, which, holding water, will have a 

 tendency to rot the new shoot, more especially when the weather is 

 dull. The sheaths may be carefully torn open, so as to let the water 

 escape ; but as the pseudo bulbs increase in size, these sheaths will decay, 

 and may be removed altogether, and the plants can then be watered 

 more copiously. When they have attained to their full size, water 



