again last season, kindly sent it to us for depicting in the AtBum. We recently 
saw the plant, which was looking in the best possible order, and we ha 
much pleasure in recording the fact that Mr. Young’s plants are in the very best 
of health and condition. 
This plant belongs to the Lasrara section of the Cattleya family; it is an 
evergreen, of strong growth, with clavate stems, and large, oblong, deep green leaves. 
The flowers appear soon after growth is completed in the autumn, and remain 
some few weeks in full perfection if they are kept from sprinklings from the: 
syringe, or from damp of any kind. It grows naturally near Frontino, in the 
company of Cattleya gigas, and several apparent hybrid forms have appeared from 
amongst the plants imported from that neighbourhood; the best of these are C. Hardyana 
and C. Massaiana, see Orcumy ALBUM, vol. v., t. 231 and vol. viii, t. 362. 
Several plants having similar markings have from time to time appeared, but none can 
equal C. Hardyana in the richness of colour or in the undulations of its crisp 
lip. C. Dowiana awrea requires to be kept dry and cool immediately after its: 
growth is completed, and it should not be allowed to stand in strong heat until growth 
starts again, as we recently observed had been the case with one grower of these plants, 
who had half made growths in the middle of winter. Such growths never can flower, 
and by such treatment it gets the character of being a shy bloomer, but which it 
does not deserve if the plant is carefully handled in the autumn and the winter 
growth is avoided. It enjoys an abundance of sun and light, and to obtain this 
we grow it in a basket, so that it may be hung up near the roof-glass, the basket 
being thoroughly well drained. The soil should be good fibrous peat and a little chopped 
sphagnum moss, mixing a few medium-sized nodules of charcoal with the soil during 
potting for the purpose of keeping it open; during the growing season it is a 
plant which likes a liberal supply. of water, hence the necessity of providing ample 
drainage, for although Cattleyas like water, they cannot long survive or keep in a 
healthy condition if it remains in a stagnant state about their roots. 
Propagation may be effected by division and by cutting through the woody 
rhizome, but this we advise growers to be cautious about doing, because more 
value is attached to a fine plant all of one piece than of several small plants which 
have been obtained by propagation; and these small plants so obtained oftentimes 
do not flower for years, as they cannot obtain the nourishment they had when on 
the old plant. 
v pa ai eri cae oC 
