30 ORCHIDS 



Potting Seedlings. 



■defer potting up the plants until they are sufficiently 

 large to be con\eniently handled. The size of the pots 

 used depends on the vigorousness of the plants being dealt 

 with. There are pots about an inch in diameter that 

 are most suitable for seedling Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, and 

 such-like. Cypripediums, which are stronger rooting and 

 of more \igorous constitution, may be treated more 

 liberally as regards pot-room. We find it best to plunge 

 the tiny pots into pans of peat, which are then suspended 

 close up to the roof-glass. The pots are about half filled 

 with clean, finel)'-broken crocks, the potting compost con- 

 sisting of finely-chopped peat roots and sphagnum in 

 about equal proportions, and a little rough sand or broken 

 charcoal may be added with ad\'antage. After potting, the 

 plants are thoroughly watered before being placed in their 

 permanent position, when ever\- encouragement is gi\'en to 

 induce them to grow freel)'. 



As the plants advance, considerably more room will be 

 annuall}' required. It is not advisable, when the plants 

 have become attached to the receptacle, to turn them out 

 of the pots at the period when repotting is required, 

 especiall)' when dealing with Cattleyas in the early 

 stages. Far better is it to remove all decayed and 

 undesirable material, replacing the same with clean drainage. 

 Next procure a pot or pan of the desired size, and 

 place the plant with the pot attached to the roots 

 into it , after filling in with liberal drainage, cover the 

 remaining surface with the potting material, which should 

 become coarser as the plant reaches maturity. As soon 

 as the plants have passed out of the small stage, they 

 are best placed in close proximity to the roof-glass. This 

 may be done by means of a shelf suspended from the 

 rafters. Especially is this desirable with Cattlej-a seed- 

 lings during the dullest months of the year. As the 

 illustrations fFigs. 8 and 9, pp. 28 and 29) show, the 

 plants, under favourable circumstances, make considerable 

 advance after the first two years, and they may then 

 be more liberally treated. One of the principal 



things to endeavour to prevent, as far as possible, is 

 premature growth. If a plant commences a secondary 

 growth immediately after, or perhaps before, the preceding 

 growth reaches maturity, the chances are that a growth 



