O82. 
wel as in Belgium generally, a love for Orchids which now bids fair to become 
at least as far-reaching as it is in England. os 
The director of the company is Monsieur Lucien LinpeN, his father retaining 
control only over the collecting and introducing OH wists The nursery ty 
very extensive; it is entirely devoted to the cultivation of in-door plants, and is 
planned in such a manner as to afford the Be possible conditions ies the 
healthy growth of the plants and at the same time the most enjoyable Shows 
room ” for visitors. From the entrance to the stoke-holes, everything in the 
establishment is in most admirable order, so that whether the visitor is inspecting 
the gigantic Palms and Tree Ferns in the corridors, the tropical Orchids or the 
admirably fitted workshop in which packing, cleaning, potting, etc., are per- 
formed, he cannot help being struck by the excellent order and cleanliness 
which prevail everywhere in this well-organized establishment. The nursery 
is a gigantic drawing-room, for it teems with beautiful objects which may be 
inspected with perfect ease and enjoyment. In my opinion, this nursery is one of 
the very best of the many attractions which the beautiful town of Brussels offers 
to visitors. 
So much for L’HorticuLturE INTERNATIONALE as an exhibition. The attrac- 
tions for cultivators of exotic plants are, at least, as great as those of any other 
nursery known to me. The collection of Orchids is very extensive. All the best 
garden kinds are grown in enormous numbers and grown wonderfully well. 
Odontoglossums, Masdevallias, Cattleyas, Laelias, Vandas, Aérides, Dendro- 
biums—these are represented by thousands of plants, and all so full of vigor 
that one can scarcely refrain from purchasing. The houses are all very large, 
some exceptionally so. They are lightly built, with stages running close to and 
parallel with the roofglass; the floor is of fluted tiles, and beneath the stages 
there are open tanks of soft water. The material used for shading is thin lath- 
blinds, so constructed as to allow the rays of sunshine to reach the plants 
directly, but never to shine on any one point long enough to burn. The compost 
used for almost every one of the Orchids is a mixture of finely chopped 
sphagnum, and chopped peat formed of the roots of Polypodium, not the Brake 
Fern commonly used in England. Water is supplied much more liberally than 
one usually sees, even for Orchids, some of the plants, such as Odontoglossums 
and Vandas, being liberally syringed overhead several times a week, even in 
spring. These are the conditions and material, so far as I could discover, which 
produce such marvelous results in this nursery. There remain still the skill and 
judgment of the cultivator. Monsieur Linven is his own grower, but he knows 
the wisdom of having a large staff of permanent assistants. Very few of the men 
employed by him are what are termed journeymen. 
I must not overlook one ver 
y important item in the cultural arrangements 
of Monsieur Linpen, namely, 
the use of tobacco to keep down insect pests, 
(To be continued on p. 8.) 
ev 
