THE ORCHID REVIEW. 3 163 
I see that the Manchester Society are making an alteration in their rules 
with respect to First-class Certificates. A resolution was adopted at the annual 
meeting the other day—‘* That one First-class Certificate only be awarded 
to any one distinct plant, and that, if desired by other owners of plants 
which have been previously certificated, a warrant shall be given under the 
direction of the Committee, stating that the plant or plants exhibited by 
them are similar to those which have been awarded a F irst-class Certificate 
by the Committee.” The rule apparently does not apply to other awards, 
and I shall be rather curious to see how it works, and whether this “‘ warrant” 
will also carry four points in the competition. 
Last month I alluded to the vexed question of manurial aids to Orchids, 
and intimated that I should look for Mr. Burberry’s reply as to the ‘‘some- 
thing ” that was to be added to tap-water to make it of the nature of soft or 
pond water before using. And now we have it (p- 150). Mr. Burberry 
says :—“‘It is largely a matter of opinion. When forced to use such water 
direct I have been in the habit of adding either a pinch of guano ora small 
bag of soot thereto. It must, however, be done very sparingly or not done 
at all. I prefer an open tank outside, which should be filled and left 
exposed for a day or two before using, stirring in a few spades-full of garden 
soil and decayed leaf soil, and allowing it to settle, which brings it more to 
the nature of pond water, and is safer than either soot or guano.” 
Now I begin to see where we are. Mr. Burberry has often cautioned us 
against the use of manure, in spite of what seemed clear evidence in its 
favour, and I think he once told us that if it seemed beneficial at first there 
was a woful falling away afterwards, and the last state of the plants was 
worse than the first or unmanured state. On the contrary Mr. Hamilton 
has told us :—‘‘I have proved again and again that one handful of guano 
in a 150-gallon tank improves Dendrobes, Cattleyas, Lzlias, Coelogynes 
and—who would think it ?—Odontoglossums even.” —(Orch. Rev., v., p. 359). 
Mr. Cookson, too, has for years been using small quantities of ammonium 
phosphate and potassium nitrate to the water used when the plants are 
growing or producing flower-spikes, and has no doubt of its beneficial 
results (Orch. Rev., vii., .p. 144). And now Mr. Orpet says that Mr. 
Cookson’s formula has worked wonders among his seedlings. But the 
point I was coming to is Mr. Burberry’s advice, which amounts pretty much 
to this. Use soft or pond water for your Orchids; it contains the manurial 
elements they require. If you can only get tap water, which does'nt, so 
much the worse for you, but you can add a pinch of guano or soot to make 
up the deficiency, or you may stir in a few spades full of garden soil and leaf 
mould, which is safer still. 
