WINTER-FLOWERING PLANTS. 101 



light possible; for that reason I advise, for all such work, 

 the style known as the three-quarter span, shown in, fig- 

 ure 58. 



ORCHID CULTURE. 



The t.iste for cultivating Orchids is rapidly increasing. 

 Every season dozens of amateurs already possessing green- 

 houses begin the culture of Orchids. To be successful, 

 careful attention and some knowledge of the subject by 

 actual practice are necessary; but as most of our gardeners 

 are such as have had European training, nearly all that 

 are proficient iu their business have a knowledge of 

 Orchid culture. It is about the only part of floriculture 

 that I have had no actual practice in, so that I am 

 glad to avail myself of the experience of one of the most 

 successful Orchid growers in this or any other country, 

 Mr. Wm. Gray of Albany, who kindly has written the 

 following brief instructions : 



The best twelve well-known kinds are, Cattleya Tria- 

 nice, Dendrobium nobile, Dendrobium Wardianum, Lcdia 

 anceps, Ccelogyne cristata, Lycaste Skinneri, Odonto- 

 glossum Alexandra, Odontoglossum Pescatorei, Cypripe- 

 dium insigne, Phaius Wallichii, Calanthe Veitchii, Ca- 

 lanthe vestita. The next twelve are Cattleya Mossice, 

 Ccelogyne ocellata, Cypripedium Spicerianum, Cypripe- 

 dium villosum, Dendrobium crassinode, Phaius grandi- 

 folius, Phalcenopsis amabilis, Phalcenopsis Schilleriana, 

 Phalcenopsis Stuartiana, Vanda ccerulea, Vanda San- 

 deriana, Zygopetalum Mackayi. (For descriptions, see 

 Orchid Catalogues.) 



Of these the best suited for growing in pots are Cati- 

 leyas, Dendrobiums, and Odontoglossums, all of which do 

 well in coarse chopped peat, pots nearly filled with crocks ; 

 Ccelogyne and Lycaste, coarse, sandy peat, with chopped, 

 half-decayed leaves; Cypripediums, Phaius, and Zygo- 



