22 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [JANUARY, 1922. 
in keeping the foliage in a healthy condition. Less water at the roots will 
be needed, and the atmosphere should not be too moist during the flowering 
period, or spotting of the blooms may result. 
Dead Skin on Cattleya Bulbs.— When cleaning my Cattleyas, I am 
often at a loss to know whether the whitish skin-like sheath on the bulbs 
should be removed. During the growing season this is, of course, soft and 
green, but on the completion of the bulb it assumes a dead-like nature.” 
In days gone by, when almost all the Cattleyas were imported plants, 
much trouble was experienced in dealing successfully with the insects that 
had taken shelter beneath this outside skin, consequently it was generally 
found best to remove it, especially on the older bulbs of the plant. To-day, 
nearly all Cattleyas are the result of seedlings raised under clean conditions, 
and until they reach the flowering stage there is rarely any necessity to 
wash the bulbs. But as the plants get older, and possess back bulbs that 
are somewhat shrivelled, there is an increasing opportunity for scale and 
other insect pests to find a habitation. An examination will then often 
show the need of removing the old dried up outer skin, which becomes 
more detrimental than otherwise to the plant’s healthy existence. 
Damping Down the Cattleya House.—* As my Cattleyas are not now 
growing, should I continue to damp down the house ? ”’—Whenever extra 
firing is used there is bound to be an increased dryness of the interior of the 
house, and to remedy this unfavourable condition water must be distributed 
in places where it will be evaporated and produce a moist atmosphere. As: 
the temperature rises in the early part of the day, so it will be necessary to 
syringe in between the pots and to distribute water on the ground beneath 
the staging. In most modern houses the heat from the pipes is prevented 
from having direct access to the plants by a covering of sheet iron or tiles 
covered with porous material, such as coke, and this, when charged with 
water, greatly assists in maintaiuing the required moist state of the 
atmosphere. Towards the end of the day, when a falling temperature 
causes some of the atmospheric moisture to be condensed in the form of 
dew it is rarely necessary to again damp down the house. 
ict ipilipcig aii S 
THE AMATEUR’S PacE.—From an amateur grower’s point of view, the 
article by Mr. J. M. Black on confusing the Amateur Orchid Grower, and 
the Amateur’s Page will, Iam sure, tend to clear up many matters of culture 
on which the various books on Orchids give such confused and often totally 
different directions. Next to watering, I feel that the subject of potting and 
potting materials would be of great help. As one who has wrested with the 
various tough fibres on the market, which seem to need an extra strong 
chaff-cutter to cut them up, Ihave great sympathy with any amateur who 
tries to use them for the first time.—]. FREDERICK Pupp, Devizes. ) 
Sa i i i NN a a lt 
PE ee eye ee ee eae ae 
