152 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
Lelia, infested with that pernicious scale which collects in the axils of the 
leaves, or on the pseudobulbs under the dry skin, and all round the tender 
dormant eyes? How quickly this scale, if allowed to congregate in force, 
will attack and ruin the constitution of the strongest plants, and make them 
an easy prey to other deteriorating influences, should never be lost sight of. 
Newly imported Orchids are luckily quite free from this scale, and gener- 
ally for a few years are so robust as to defy its ravages. But beware! It 
may come in time, and it is when they have been under cultivation for a 
few years and no attention paid to cleanliness that trouble in this direction 
begins. The best safeguards are good cultivation, which tends to maintain 
health and vigour, and a frequent and diligent search for the pest, so as to 
prevent it from once getting established, for if it does so surely will the 
plants suffer. The best method for cleaning infested plants which I have 
yet discovered is painting them over by means of a small pallet brush with 
a solution of Murray’s Electric Insecticide, using four to five parts of water 
to one of the mixture. 
I have previously said that newly imported Orchids are generally clean, 
and in many instances free growing, and very easy of culture as compared 
with old established ones. The better the culture, and the freer they are 
kept from insect pests the longer will they remain in such vigorous health. 
It is plain, therefore, that much depends upon the pains taken by the 
cultivator from the outset to keep the plants under his charge in the best 
possible condition. I have also pointed out that judicious repotting is 
another means of gaining this end, and no better time than the present 
could be selected for a few more words on the subject, as so much repotting 
will be necessary during this and next month. It is a well-known fact that 
Orchids do experience a check, more or less, however carefully the operation 
may be performed. In the case of strong healthy plants it is scarcely per- 
ceptible, but with those which have got into a weak state, the check received 
is often of a very serious nature. With such plants a whole year will fre- 
quently elapse before any decided improvement is noticeable, and, indeed, 
they may not even then fully recover unless kept quite free from the scale 
before mentioned and other pests, which attack weakly plants far more than 
those which are strong and healthy. Therefore I say avoid this most 
undesirable check by repotting in good time, and I emphasise the point, 
because beginners are sometimes reluctant to risk disturbing the roots as 
long as a plant appears healthy, preferring as they think to leave well alone. 
But if the plants are not taken in hand until unmistakable signs of 
suffering are visible, repotting will not immediately set things right again, 
as is often thought. Such plants will surely look worse before they look 
better, in spite of the very best of treatment, for the remedy was applied too 
late. An anxious time follows, shrivelling sets in, and perhaps a few leaves 
are lost, and altogether they present an uncomfortable appearance. But 
o- 
