42 THE ORCHID REVIEW. (FEBRUARY, 1907, 
and is one of those mentioned at page 347 of our eleventh volume. We 
then alluded to the seedling Odontoglossums—“‘ a very interesting lot in 
quite a small light house. Some were germinating on the compost of the 
old plants, others had been pricked off into pans, and yet others had been 
potted intotiny pots and had several small leaves. They were from severa 
crosses and looked quite thriving.”’ This is remarkable progress in about 
three years, and as Mr. Lakin had only taken charge of the collection two 
years previously he must be congratulated on such marked success—and 
almost in the heart of the London fog area, too. The next few years may 
witness a remarkable development, and as the records are kept, and the 
plants carefully labelled, we may anticipate some valuable results. 
So 2 
CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR FEBRUARY. 
By W. P. Bounpb, Gatton Park, Reigate. 
THE Orchid grower can now conclude that the quiet season is past, and 
activity will be necessary if one intends to meet the work, and be ready for 
it as the season advances. The best results are always attained by doing 
work at precisely the right time, and in no part of a garden is this more 
true than in the Orchid houses. The grower should see that he has a good 
supply of peat, loam, sphagnum, sterilized rhizomes, leaf soil, small crocks 
about the size of peas, pots, pans, sand, labels, and stakes,.so that when 
they are wanted they are all at hand and ready for use. I would like to 
mention that in using rhizomes as a drainage medium it is of the greatest 
importance to know that they are thoroughly sterilized, and they can now 
be obtained ready for use already chopped up. It is a most mistaken 
policy to use those saved at home, unless they have been well baked, as a 
very little sap left in the rhizomes oftentimes sets up a most detrimental 
fungus, necessitating the repotting of the plant at perhaps an unfavourable 
time for its well being.. For the drainage of most. Orchids we are now 
generally using rhizomes in conjunction with a few crocks, and we find 
that the roots ramify amongst them freely, yet they do not adhere to them 
like they do to the crocks, and consequently when the time comes for 
repotting, the roots are less damaged in working away the drainage and old 
compost. 
If the blinds on the various houses have been taken down during the 
winter months they should now be got in readiness for use, and be placed 
on the houses containing plants that do not require much direct sunshine; 
I do not favour allowing shade-loving plants to have much sunning in the 
early spring. It can be taken for granted that from now onwards there 
will be ample light to prevent them becoming soft and drawn, and towards 
the latter part of this month we often get clear and bright days, when the 
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