27° THE ORCHID REVIEW. [SEPTEMBER, 1913. 
Delanghe himself. Our credentials being in order we were quickly 
introduced to the objects of our search, and we were frankly surprised. 
We had almost forgotten that as long ago as 1898 we had seen at the 
Ghent Quinquennial Exhibition the first-prize plant of Oncidium sarcodes, 
with a spike five feet high, also a group of five similar plants, all exhibited 
by M. Delanghe Vervaene, of which we remarked that they were grown in 
leaf-mould, and potted like ordinary plants, with a few crocks at the bottom 
of the pot (O.R., vi. p. 140). We also recalled the fact that some twelve 
years ago a Commission was appointed by the Société Nationale d’Horti- 
culture de France to report upon the question, and that a summary of its 
report appeared in our columns (O.R., ix. pp. 321-324). But we retained a 
vivid recollection of the fact that the system had been tried in England, 
and was generally voted a failure. In the presence of plants, however, that 
were not only alive after fifteen years of the treatment, but also strong and 
healthy, and flowering freely, scepticism was at an end, and we felt a strong 
desire to understand a little about the matter. And now we will follow our 
notes. 
About twenty houses are devoted to Orchids, which are grown for cut 
bloom. In the first house entered we found a lot of sound healthy Cattleyas 
of the labiata group, with a number of Lelia purpurata varieties, Lzlio- 
cattleya Canhamiana, Aphrodite, and others, with sturdy plants of Oncidium 
splendidum on the side stages. A good number of Cattleyas were in spike 
or flower, especially Cattleya Mossiz and Mendelii, and the quality was 
excellent. Pots of fairly large size are used; a large crock is placed over 
the hole, and the compost, which consists largely of decaying beech leaves 
with a few oak leaves, is pressed in very firmly, and the work is then 
completed for two or three years. The watering seems to be the one 
important matter, and this M. Delanghe does entirely himself, but s° 
seldom is it considered necessary that the compost decays very slowly, 
giving a steady supply of nutriment to the roots, which remain in a sound 
healthy condition. Of this we had ocular demonstration, for M. Delanghe 
knocked some plants out of the pots to show us the condition of the roots. 
An adequate amount of moisture in the atmosphere is considered of the 
highest importance, with ample ventilation, and lath roller blinds are largely 
used for shading. 
There are Cattleyas in the collection that have been there twenty years; 
and one fine form of C. Trianz is now represented by over forty plants, 
obtained by dividing one original one. Some of the Lzliocattleyas are said 
to grow and flower twice a year. In such a business a succession of flowers 
is important, and in some cases this is secured for six weeks by keeping the 
plants in different conditions. The succession is further secured by 
selecting batches of the species which flower at different seasons of the yeat- 
