374 THE NURSERY-MANUAL 



lings. After sterilization, the jars should be allowed to stand for a 

 few days. Those in which molds develop should be discarded. The 

 sterile jars may then be inoculated with the root-fungus from the 

 species of orchid to which the seed-plant belongs. For this purpose, 

 portions of infected roots should be cut into small pieces with a 

 sterile knife and scattered over the sphagnum seed-bed. Great 

 care should be observed at all times to avoid the introduction of 

 foreign spores from the air. It should also be borne in mind that 

 only the covered roots contain the fungus, and that generally only 

 the soft tissues from -J to 1 inch back from the root-tip are most 

 abundantly infected. As soon as the root-fungus has grown through 

 the sphagnum, the seeds should be sown in the jars. In the col- 

 lection and handling of the seeds, all possible precaution should be 

 taken to prevent contamination." Recent experience does not 

 confirm the necessity of the fungus in all cases, but the aseptic 

 and controlled methods of germination are good. 



Division. The paphiopedilums (greenhouse cypripediums) af- 

 ford an example of the way in which division may be employed. The 

 soil is shaken from the roots and by the aid of a sharp knife the plant 

 is severed into as many pieces as are required. It is always advisable 

 to leave one or more leading growths to each portion. This method 

 may be practiced for the increase of phaius, masdevallia, sobralia, 

 ada, the evergreen section of calanthe, and all of similar habit. In 

 nearly all those kinds in which the pseudobulbs are united by a 

 procumbent rhizome, such as occurs in cattleyas, the process is 

 slower. It seems to be natural for these plants to continue year after 

 year, producing a single growth from the old pseudobulb. To 

 obtain additional " leads," the rhizomes should be cut through in 

 early spring, two or three pseudobulbs being reserved to each piece. 

 A bud will then push from the base of each pseudobulb nearest the 

 division, and a new lead is formed. The pieces should not be sepa- 

 rated until this is well established, and three years may sometimes 

 be required. Lselia, catasetum, coelogyne, lycaste, cymbidium, 

 zygopetalum, odontoglossum, oncidium, miltonia, and the like, are 

 treated in this manner. Fig. 51. 



Cuttings. This method is available for those kinds with long 

 jointed stems, like dendrobium and epidendrum. Just before the 

 plants begin to grow, say in February, the old pseudobulbs are cut 

 up into lengths, and laid on a moist warm surface, such as a pan 

 of moss in a propagating-frame. Young offshoots will shortly 

 appear at the nodes, and when large enough are potted off with the 



