a block of wood, in a hanging basket, or treated as a pot plant, but we prefer 
basket culture before any other; these should be well drained, and the plant not 
encumbered with too much soil about its roots, which should consist of good brown 
upland peat fibre and sphagnum moss. This species, when its pseudobulbs are made 
up, should be gradually dried off, at which time it may be removed into a cooler 
but sunny house, and when its leaves are all off the stems it may be moved 
into its winter quarters, keeping it dry but not shrivelling it, until the flower buds 
begin to show, when more heat and moisture will be necessary. 
A New Orcum Por.—A friend has sent us a sample of a new patent Pot, 
not specially as an Orchid pot, but which, to our mind, is a grand acquisition for 
these plants, and upon seeing it one is led to only wonder that pot-makers have never 
thought of it before. There is nothing objectionable in its appearance. The pot is: 
made of the same material as other pots; the difference lies only in its bottom, 
which is turned up into a cone like the bottom of a port-wine bottle, and this 
is cut into narrow slits, so that the water has full egress and is carried away, 
leaving nothing behind to cause a stale or soured state, which is so injurious to 
Orchid life, or, indeed, to any other kind of plant. We do not know if any parti- 
cular name has been given to the pot, but we shall doubtless know more of it 
later on. There is one thing about ‘it and its system of drainage—it will 
entirely obviate the necessity of small pots being turned upside down on _ the 
inside of the pot which is to contain the plant, and hence the extra weight is 
entirely done away with, there being nothing further to do but to fill im all 
round the inverted cone with ballast or burnt earth. This is said to be a 
first-class drainage material to use for this purpose, inasmuch as it absorbs a great 
quantity of moisture, and it gives it off to the roots in a gradual manner. We 
would recommend this material to anyone using the ordinary pots. This new pot 
has been sent to us by a friend not simply for Orchids, but for use in the 
ordinary greenhouse, and we have but little doubt that we shall find it answer in a 
marked degree. As an Orchid pot, however, we think it will excel anything we have 
ever seen, and we heartily commend it to the notice of all interested in growing 
Orchids. —W. H. G. 
