386 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [MARCH, 1922. 
AN AMATEUR’S EXPERIENCE. 
By JOSEPHINE WALKER. 
JT gave me great pleasure to see my fellow amateur’s article in print. 
Mr. Harold Wigan’s conditions appear to be the exact opposite of ours, 
and I shall be very interested indeed to hear how he fares, particularly with 
his Dendrobiums, because we fell badly in trying to grow them in the same 
house as the Lzelias and Cypripediums, even with a south aspect. I should 
feel very much inclined, provided they are Indian, to try them in the 
cucumber house, when they start their growths, and let them have the heat 
and moisture to make fine bulbs. 
I think the crocking of pots is, like many more Orchid theories, just 
interpreted according to the fancy of the particular person. As far as we 
are concerned, our practice with Leelias, Lzeliocattleyas, Cypripediums, and 
‘Cymbidiums is one good hollow crock over the hole in the bottom of the 
pot, and over that a layer of sphagnum moss. When we turn them out for 
repotting the roots are invariably nestled close around the bottom of the 
pot in a circle, in fact, some of the Cypripediums and Cymbidiums have 
their roots through the bottom and into the damp ashes on which they 
stand. We always ram a fairly thick wad of living sphagnum around the 
top, inside of the pot. The Cypripediums and Cymbidiums seem to love 
this moss. 
We turned out two plants of Cymbidium Tracyanum ; they were in 12in. 
pots, with bulbs the size of a big man’s fist, and as the pots were good ones, 
‘we were loth to break them. The consequence was we left a good many of 
the roots clinging to the inside, but that will not matter. They really were 
on sight, you could not see soil in any place on the outside, it was simply a 
solid network of fleshy roots about the size of a lead pencil. We had a 
small port-wine cask sawn in two, the outside was painted, and a few holes 
were burnt in the bottom of each half. Into these we put the Cymbidiums, 
Usibg the same sort of soil in which they had flourished, without any 
disturbance of the roots, and they look very happy. The compost is 
composed of three parts good fibrous loam, broken up to walnut size, and 
one part broken up peat and smallstuff that has been rejected from the 
potting of the Lelias, etc. We then top-dressed the surface with about two 
inches of living sphagnum moss. They seem to love this. If their quarters are 
oe and the sun cannot get at them, you will see in the summer the roots 
growing through this to the surface, and often striking up with their tips in 
ee All the Cymbidium family love us. I think because we keep them 
juarters and do not let the sun get directly on them. Except when 
they are in spike, we deluge them with water, and always spray them over- 
head with the hose-pipe, 
