276 : THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
in the wet season. Cattleyas, Brassias, Epidendrums, and most Orchids 
with fleshy roots grow best of all in blocks of Calabash wood (Crescentia 
Cujete), while clustered bulbs of Stanhopea grandiflora, Oncidium ampliatum 
and O. Baueri, Epidendrum atropurpureum, Cycnoches ventricosum, C. 
chlorochilon and C. Loddigesii, flourish in cedar baskets, made as open as 
possible and with perfect drainage, so that only enough moisture is retained 
at the roots as is actually necessary for the existence of the plants. To 
render the compost, whether peat or fibre, sweet and pure, charcoal is used 
for drainage, and the compost or potting mixture put over this, with moss 
above. Potted—or rather basketed, I should say—in this way, large clumps 
and clusters of nearly all the plants which grow here thrive well, and often 
reward their cultivator with remarkably fine blooms in their flowering 
season. Oncidium Lanceanum, O. x hematochilum, and O. ampliatum 
give the best results when grown in baskets. 
Some Dendrobiums which flower freely in hot houses in England are 
very shy bloomers when imported here. It seems that the great heat and 
moisture makes them grow to wood instead of flowering, and it is only with 
careful “drying off,” that they can be made to flower. Dendrobium 
densiflorum is noted for this defect, and the same may be said of Aérides 
odoratum. 
In the dry season (December to May) most of the native and South 
American species produce their flowers and rest, while in the wet season 
(June to November) they make their growth. It is the same with most of 
the imported East Indian kinds. They flower in the dry months of the 
year, and make fine leads during the heavy rainy season. 
Besides epiphytal Orchids, the local cultivator may fancy some 
terrestrial kinds, and the Cyrtopodiums and Bletia Shepherdii may be 
added to the collection. With them he will certainly get Peristeria elata, 
the grand Panama terrestrial, and these will be the only plants he will grow 
in pots. These are grown almost exactly as in the hot-houses in Europe, 
only the climate allows us to grow even terrestrials in the open air. . 
Of the Cyrtopodiums, the ornaments of our native natural savannahs, the 
loveliest by far is C. Grisebachii, Rolfe (C. cristatum Griseb.), which the 
Kew authorities have lately identified for me. It much resembles a grass 
when out of bloom, and the lovely white blossoms with one lemon-yellow 
stain on the lip are like small flowers of Diacrium bicornutum. The flowers 
last a long time in beauty, and the plant is only to be found in one part of 
Trinidad, and there it is fast disappearing owing to the advancing tide of 
cultivation. 
Among the epiphytal Orchids I may mention that Lelia anceps, 
generally considered a Cool house Orchid, grows and thrives in our warm 
climate remarkably well, and there are many other reputed “‘ Cool Orchids’”’ 
which stand our trying climate similarly. 
