THE ORCHID REVIEW. 149 
Cattleya house, they usually do better in the Stove or East Indian house, 
where there is a little more warmth. They also grow better if given larger 
supplies of water, in fact the compost in which the first-named is growing 
may be simply drenched during the whole of the growing season, the plant 
seeming to greatly appreciate such treatment. On this account they, 
together with C. Aclandiz, are best accommodated in teak-wood baskets 
and suspended, as the air can then circulate round the roots, and naturally 
counterbalances the extra supplies of water, thus preventing possible ill- 
effects. C. Lawrenceana seems to be getting rather scarce. This may 
also be classed as a warmer growing Cattleya than the majority, and is fond 
of plenty of moisture. 
Some few of the late blooming Dendrobiums still remain to be done up 
and put in growing order. I have before advised that these should be kept 
to small receptacles, especially the rare hybrids, as a large mass of compost 
about their roots is particularly distasteful to them. They greatly 
appreciate an abundance of moisture when growing, but they like to cast it 
off quickly, and this they are unable to do if over-potted. When re-potting, 
the plant should be firmly secured, either by sticks or by tying the pseudo- 
bulb to the wires of the pan or baskets, but the compost is best laid in 
lightly about the roots, so that the air can pass readily through. Unless 
one has the convenience of the roof space of an East Indian house the 
successful culture of the beautiful D. Phalaenopsis seems almost futile to 
attempt, but with it its cultivation is tolerably easy. The present is a good 
time to do them up. They seem to succeed best if re-panned annually, or 
at the longest every two years. They should always be kept in small pans; 
firmly secured but potted lightly as before described, and afterwards 
suspending them in a light, hot position on the roof, giving liberal supplies 
of water when renewed activity of the roots and growth sets in, until their 
flowering season. These remarks also apply to D. superbiens and D. 
bigibbum. 
D. Benson 1s a species rather difficult to manage for any length of time, 
though it generally grows very well for the first year or so. I daresay there 
is a right way to grow it continually in a flourishing condition, though I 
have not yet discovered it. If anyone else has, they would do well to 
communicate the same to the readers of the Orchid Review, and many, I 
believe, would be grateful. I am still experimenting, and hope soon to 
solve the secret. Suffice it to say at present that it points in the direction 
of our having given either too much heat or insufficient air, and perhaps 
both. 
The Cool or Odontoglossum house will now soon be gay with flowering 
plants. O. crispum is pushing up spikes, which are opening in quick 
succession. It should not be forgot that this month of all others is the 
