THE ORCHID REVIEW. 275 
the curious and beautiful Paphinia cristata. Nor will he fail to secure 
plants of the lovely Stanhopea grandiflora, whose exquisitely perfumed 
waxy flowers, unfortunately short-lived, excite universal admiration. 
Then, having exhausted the native species, he will look out for the gems 
of the neighbouring land of Venezuela, and the Cattleyas—Mossiz, Gaskell- 
iana, Lueddemanniana, and their incomparable varieties, will adorn his 
arbour or rails with their matchless flowers. To these will be added Chysis, 
Cycnoches, Epidendrums, Schomburgkias, Brassias, Brassavolas, Com- 
parettias, Trichocentrums, Rodriguezias, and all of the known Orchids of 
the warm regions of South America. Thence he will seek further afield, 
and, importing from European dealers, will gather in the beauties of the 
East, such as drooping Dendrobes, graceful Vandas, Saccolabiums, 
and Phalznopses. From Brazil and Mexico he will get also such Leelias 
and Cattleyas as will stand the high temperature of this island, and with 
this stock, and perhaps a few others, he will rest satisfied, and consider his 
collection as complete as he can make it. 
From the foregoing it may be seen what plants are able to grow and 
flourish here, with ordinary care, such as cleansing the leaves and judicious 
shading and watering. With some native species very little care is needed, 
and disastrous results often follow from too careful a treatment of them. I 
refer particularly to Catasetum macrocarpum and Diacrium bicornutum. 
These remarkable Orchids are only too often over-watered under cultiva- 
tion. The former grows on the decaying limb of a tree, generally shaded by 
other branches, and receives water only when the rain falls on it. The 
latter grows on rocks and trees overhanging the ‘‘ wild and restless ocean,” 
and is often washed by sea spray, but for many months of the year it 
suffers severe drought. The finest plant of this Orchid I ever saw, was the 
property of a gentleman who did not know much of Orchid culture, but who 
was very fond of flowers, and on receipt of the Orchid he handed it over to 
his native gardener, who hung it up in his back garden, and never bothered 
with it again until its flowering season came round, when he found it had 
grown so magnificently, and was about to flower so beautifully, that he 
drew his master’s attention to it. When I saw it there were more than 
1,000 buds on the plant, and several hundred flowers were then open. At 
the request of Mr. W. E. Broadway, I photographed it, having had the 
permission of the owner to do so, and I believe he sent a photo. and an 
account of it to an English horticultural magazine. 
Pot culture is not adopted here fore piphytes, on account of the nuisance 
caused by cockroaches, the most troublesome pests known to the Orchid 
cultivator in Trinidad. These abominable insects get down among the 
roots in the pots, and eat off all the young and tender tips almost as soon 
as they start. Only continual soaking will remove them, and this method 
is not unfrequently injurious to the health of the young and growing plant 
