THE ORCHID REVIEW. 153 
under judicious treatment they sooner or later regain their strength, and 
again delight the eye by sending forth clean and healthy growth. 
We are now finishing off our Dendrobium house, by examining all the 
late sorts which have passed out of flower and repotting where necessary. 
Likewise the autumn and winter-flowering sorts, such as D. Phalznopsis, 
D. bigibbum, D. superbiens, D. formosum giganteum, &c. These are grown in 
small pans or baskets and suspended near to the glass in a light and warm 
place. After placing a few crocks for drainage at the bottom, we place the 
plants in position, and fill in loosely between the roots with a compost of 
live sphagnum moss and the best fibrous peat, always taking great care to 
secure the plant from swaying about when handled by tying the pseudo- 
bulbs to the suspending wires of the basket. Water is applied at this date 
pretty freely from the first, as Dendrobiums delight in a large supply when 
growing, and now that the season is getting well advanced, instances of the 
young breaks damping are very rare. 
There are some species of Dendrobium from the far east, which, though 
perhaps not beautiful, are yet decidedly pretty and interesting. I refer to 
such as D. veratrifolium (lineale), D. stratiotes, D. strebloceras, D. taurinum, 
D. D’Albertisii, &c. These species are very floriferous for a time, but they 
have a peculiarity of contracting a disease which appears most unexpectedly 
in the form of black streaks and blotches on the rhizome and pseudobulbs, 
both young and old. This disease is rendered all the more mysterious 
because the plants have previously grown so Juxuriantly, and increased in 
size year by year. They will appear to be in the best possible health, but 
suddenly they become attacked, and if not taken in hand at once and the 
diseased portions wholly removed, they quickly die. There are two possible 
causes that I can suggest; either the plants getting too wet and cold during 
winter, or the roots getting into a bad condition by the compost becoming 
sour. They should be grown as recommended for D. Phalenopsis. 
The Cool houses are specially inviting at this season, not only are the 
Odontoglossum crispums and the Masdevallias making a good show of 
bloom, but other cool growing Odontoglossums and Oncidiums are pushing 
forth new growth, which, if previous instructions have been observed and 
followed, should look sturdy and promising; a state of affairs equally 
delightful to the enthusiast as are the flowers themselves. Thanks to 
“ Richardson’s XL All vaporising insecticide” we are at last able to keep 
this class of Orchids perfectly clean and free from yellow thrips and aphis, 
which were formerly so troublesome, and required so much time and 
patience to keep under by the ordinary methods of dipping, dusting with 
tobacco powder, &c. If used with ordinary intelligence no harm can 
possibly follow, but if the instructions are ignored, resulting in the spirit 
igniting, the plants in the near vicinity of the flames will be dreadfully 
scalded. Ventilate those houses freely, give due attention to the shading, 
