THE ORCHID REVIEW. 149 
WartTERING.—It will scarcely be possible now, generally speaking, to go 
far wrong in the matter of watering at the root. Much larger supplies are 
of course necessary than in winter. A pretty safe-guide to follow is to allow 
the surface compost to assume a whitish appearance, denoting, that the 
under part is also getting dry, and then to give a good watering with a 
spouted pot. One can quickly learn if the compost is in a sound and well 
drained condition by the frequency of waterings required. If it is all right, 
it is not long before it gets dry, but if the reverse is the case, it presents a 
dead or soddened appearance and remains a long while before getting dry. 
Top-DRESSING.—I strongly advise where re-potting is not necessary that 
each plant should be top-dressed with clean, living sphagnum moss. The top 
layer of old compost should be carefully removed from between the roots, by 
the aid of a pointed stick, and replaced with a layer of new, sweet material 
placed on rather lightly. This not only smartens the appearance of the 
plants very much, but it also loosens the moss so that the air and water can 
have freer access to the under roots. The new compost laid round the 
plants seems also to greatly assist growths, the new roots certainly enter it 
very approvingly. It is scarcely necessary to use peat for top-dressing pur- 
poses unless the plants are of large size, when some may be used with the — 
moss. This work of top-dressing and repotting will keep us busy for some 
time to come, it being the best possible time for so doing. Always 
remember to well shade a newly-potted plant, and to moisten its surround- 
ings, surface compost, and foliage, with the syringe occasionally, so that an 
undue loss of foliage or of shrivelling may be avoided. It will then soon 
become re-established and take the uniform treatment. 
CooL-LOVING SpECIES.—Many growers adopt the plan—and a good 
one—of wintering many of their Orchids in the Intermediate or Cattleya 
house, and removing them for the summer months to the Cool or Odonto- 
glossum house. Such removals may. now take place with propriety, for it 
is well known that such plants as Cattleyas, Lzlias, intermediate-growing 
Dendrobiums, Schomburgkias, Acinetas, Ccelogynes, Leptotes bicolor, 
Miltonias, and various members of the Oncidium and Odontoglossum — Out 
families can withstand and enjoy a large amount of sun heat, when © 
growing, which is not so beneficial to some other genera and individual © 
species generally associated with the intermediate house, such as the 
Sophronites, Maxillarias, Masdevallias, Lycastes, Oncidiums, Odonto- 
glossums, Cymbidiums, and Anguloas. A few instances may be mentioned 
where the above system has a happy effect on species which, if left 
in one house, either cool or warm, the whole year round, are liable to 
give trouble, Oncidium unguiculatum and tigrinum, O. Phalenopsis, 
OQ. Marshallianum, O. hastatum, O. Gardneri, O. Forbesii, O. 
dasytyle, .O. curtum, O. crispum, O. concolor, and O. cheirophorum. 
