November, 1921.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 149 
CULTURAL NOTES. 
By H. G. Alexander, Orchid Grower to Lt.-Col. Sir George Holford, K.C.V.O , 
Westonbirt. 
71UTUMN Flowering Cattleyas and L.eliocattleyas.— Through- 
J I out the autumn we have members of the beautiful species and hybrids 
of the former genus and the bigeneric Laelio-Cattleyas and Brasso-Cattleyas, 
forming the chief attraction of the Orchid houses. These are, unques¬ 
tionably, the most showy and desirable Orchids for this season, and a good 
stock of plants, with their wide range of colouring, is of the greatest value 
in maintaining a display of flowers. The spikes when cut are charming for 
all kinds of decorative purposes, and seen under artificial light there is 
nothing to surpass the gebrgeous colours of the showiest varieties. Many 
of these are now in their full beauty, and the quality of the flowers bears 
remarkable evidence of the great benefit the plants have derived from 
the extraordinary amount of sunlight and heat during this record year. The 
blooms of some of the Catteya family possess exceptional lasting qualities, 
and Orchid growers know that to leave them on the plants until they 
completely fade means ruin to many specimens. The ill-effect of allowing 
flowers to remain on for a longer time than is good for the plants is not 
always apparent immediately, but it will almost certainly be seen the 
following season in the unsatisfactory growth of the plants and the inferior 
flower-spikes. The Cattleya family produces flowers more freely than many 
other kinds of Orchids, and even plants with quite weakly growth will often 
send up flower-spikes. The removal of the flower-spikes will greatly assist 
a plant in regaining its lost vigour. On the other hand, the removal of the 
spikes from healthy specimens will often result in mischief by causing the 
plants to grow out of season. Rotting of the new pseudo-bulbs sometimes 
occurs shortly after the cutting of the flower-spikes from these autumn and 
early winter flowering kinds, particularly Cattleya aurea and its hybrids. 
Precaution should be taken to prevent this by cutting the scape clean out 
from the base as soon as the blooms are over. A little powdered charcoal 
placed on top of the cut surface will help to dry up any moisture and often 
prevent rotting. The resting period of the members of this section 
commences soon after the plants cease flowering, and the majority will 
remain dormant till next spring. Naturally the water supply must be 
somewhat diminished, but to dry these plants, 'or other pseudo-bulbous 
Orchids, severely, directly the growth apparently ceases, means depriving the 
pseudo-bulbs of a certain amount of substance that will be needed later on. 
Therefore, gradual diminution in watering should be practised, and as long 
as the roots are sufficiently active to take up moisture this should be 
judiciously supplied. Careful attention paid to these matters now will be 
