AXD THEIR MANAGEMENT. 25 



Treatment after Fertilisation. 



Cattle_\-as and C\-pripediums, from nine to fifteen months 

 elapse before the seed-vessels are mature, a period indicated 

 by the bursting of the pod. The longer the seed-pod 

 remains on the plants, the greater are the possibilities of 

 procuring good seeds. As soon as it is disco\-ered that 

 the seed-pods are bursting, they should be carefull)- tied up 

 in tissue-paper, so that the seed, should it drop, may be 

 secured. It generally takes a considerable time for the 

 outer portions of the seed-pods to become dr\-, especialh- 

 if allowed to remain on the plants. It is advisable, 

 therefore, to remove them from the plants, and place them 

 under such favourable conditions as ma)' facilitate the 

 ripening process. The seed will be ready for sowing as 

 soon as it can easil)- be shaken out of the pod. 



Methods of Sowing Seed. 



The old system of sowing the seed of Orchids on an 

 established plant of the same famil_\-, is one that is most 

 satisfactory in such cases as Cypripcdiuvi, P/iains, and, 

 others of this section ; but there are others — sa>' where 

 the plants require a season of rest — in which it would be 

 exceedingly undesirable to sow seed, for it would mean 

 the sacrifice of the old plant if the requirements of the 

 seedlings are to be supplied. 



As there are other means of raising plants from seed, 

 it is not advisable to sow Cattleyas and their allies, or 

 Dendrobiums, on the plants of their respective genera. 

 Another method of sowing seed is to procure a piece 

 of pitch-pine, bruise it well, and either suspend it in 

 a moist position as a raft or place small pieces in pans, 

 first soaking the material in water, and then sowing 

 the seed while wet. Rough-sawn pieces of white deal, 

 such as would be cut from the sawing asunder of a 

 scaffold-pole, is a most suitable surface on which to sow 

 the seed ; but for this system it is necessary that the 

 conditions should be fairly hot and a high state of 

 humidity be maintained at all times. The blocks should 

 be fitted into pans and suspended near the roof-glass. 



One of the best systems we have found for the raising 

 of Cattleya seedlings is to use shallow pans containing 

 about one-third their depth of clean, broken crocks, the 



