16 
Ol 
CULEURE OF CYMBIDIUM. 
Cymbidiums are among the Orchids which are called epiphytes, though in 
their mode of growth they are certainly more nearly allied to the terrestrial 
genera. There occur certainly, as explorers of the Himalayan jungles have disco- 
vered, among the branches of dead trees, or in the gaping cavities of old trunks, 
some species of Cymbidium having their leaves thick and hard, like leather. 
C. aloifolium, C. pendulum, and even C. sinense, which thrive well under these 
conditions. C. eburneum, also, is occasionally found growing as an epiphyte on 
the branches of large trees. But the species never offer under these conditions 
the vigorous aspect and prosperity which they present in places where their roots 
can procure a more abundant and more substantial nourishment. 
C. grandiflorum, longifolium, giganteum and Devonianum appear on the 
mountain sides at about 6,000 feet elevation, in situations analagous with the 
preceding, and on more than one occasion collectors have gathered them in the 
cavities of the trees, as in these kinds of pouches the seeds rest and germinate 
easily when thus sheltered from gusts of wind. But these trees, bathed with 
humidity, are usually covered with a thick coat of moss, which generally hides 
a depth of debris from dead leaves and decaying mosses. It is in this favourable 
compost that the roots of Cymbidium seek their nutriment, and very rarely are 
they found attached to the flanks of the trees. 
We conceive that differences in the habitat lead to considerable differences 
in the mode of vegetation of the plants. The species which grow near the ground 
are subjected to a temperature truly tropical, abundantly exposed to the rays 
of the sun, and living nearly always in a very dry atmosphere; the rains being 
feeble and not frequent. 
In the upper regions, on the contrary, the forests are much thicker, and the 
Cymbidiums much more in the shade. At the same time the evaporation of water 
is less rapid. The rainy season continues almost uninterruptedly from June to 
October, and this season over the mountains are nearly always enveloped in thick 
mist, which maintains around the plants an atmosphere saturated with humidity. 
The culture of Cymbidiums is not particularly difficult. Most of the failures 
experienced by certain amateurs arises from keeping them in too high a 
temperature. They should be potted in a compost, composed of substantial 
materials. 
Most Cymbidiums succeed perfectly in the Cattleya house, or in a well- 
ventilated warm house. They rapidly make strong specimens, which have a 
very decorative appearance, especially when the flower stems appear, and bend 
gracefully inflected above the leaves. These beautiful plants should be repotted, 
according to the rapidity of their growth, about every other year. 
Ue 
U 
Ue 
oo 
