Ito THE ORCHID REVIEW. [APRIL, 1912. 
Ada aurantiaca, Cymbidium Lowianum, and many Odontoglossums 
“should now make this house very gay, and if any plants of the second 
named Orchid need repotting, it should be performed ‘after the flower 
spikes have been removed. When repotting Cymbidium Lowianum, or in 
fact any species or hybrid of that genus, plenty of pot room should be 
afforded, as they do not like frequent root disturbance. Place them well 
‘to one side in the new pot so as to allow for further growth, and set the 
base of the bulbs slightly above the rim of the pot. For compost, use a 
mixture of good yellow friable loam, sphagnum moss and osmunda fibre. 
These should be used in a damp state, and the plant made very firm. 
Tie up flower spikes of Odontoglossums when they have attained the 
length of a few inches, as they are less liable then to be broken off. Pieces 
of cotton wool should be wrapped round the base of these to prevent thei 
being eaten by slugs, for which this pest shows much relish. These wet 
-days we are now experiencing can be profitably utilized by sponging the 
leaves of the Orchids, washing the pots and staging, and in cutting off dead 
leaves. Sophronitis grandiflora will have finished flowering, and can be 
repotted, for which use a mixture of chopped Osmunda fibre and sphagnum 
moss. Oncidiums Marshallianum and macranthum, if developing their 
flower spikes, should be stood well up to the light. . Shade the house only 
when the sun shines directly upon it. 
CATTLEYA House. 
As the weather is warmer, and the sun is gaining more power, it will be 
.a matter of ease to maintain the temperatures which were advised last 
month, at the same time affording more air. The general rules for watering 
given in my last article, are also applicable at the present time, but I do 
uct yet like using shading for this house, unless the sun is extremely 
powerful. The usual inmates of a Cattleya house are sun-loving subjects, 
-and to attempt to cultivate them in gloomy surroundings always ends in 
failure. I may here remark that the plants in this house should never be 
grown so close together as may be done in a cool house. There should bea 
free circulation of air all round the pots containing Cattleyas, Lelias, &c. 
This is now a very good time to obtain some imported plants of Dendro- 
.biums and Vanda ccerulea, large quantities of both, having arrived this year. 
When a few plants have been received, they should be potted only in crocks, 
and kept just damp or lightly sprayed overhead until a start has been made. 
_A little compost can then be given, removing the topmost crocks. I am 
not in favour of suspending the plants head downwards under the staging, a 
mode of culture often practised. From several experiments, I find that they 
- start equally well if potted in crocks, and grown in a rational way. Should 
_any established plants of Vanda coerulea, Angrzeums, Aérides or similar 
Orchid require fresh moss, now is the best time to top-dress them. 
