January, 1906.} THE ORCHID REVIEW. 19 
CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR JANUARY. 
By J. M. Brack, SrREATHAM. 
Ir is with some trepidation that I begin the Calendar e SoPerations in the 
‘Orchid Review, for I feel that the work is one of 
and one which may influence to some extent those whose ideas are re not yet 
settled on the best way to treat their plants, for it is to them that this 
Calendar is more specially directed. My i ions from the administ 
tion of the Orchid Review are explicit enough in this respect: “The main 
thing is to foresee what must be done in the coming month, and make it 
‘clear to those of less experience, who require such assistance.” It seems 
advisable to make this clear at the outset, so as not to be accused by those 
of more advanced Orchid knowledge of being too elementary. 
Too much emphasis cannot be put upon the value of light during the 
winter. The glass must be kept perfectly clean inside and out, and to 
effect this it may be necessary to wash it outside several times within a 
period of a month or two, if situated in a smoky district. All plant cleaning 
and house-scrubbing should be finished by the end of the month. 
Insect Pests.—Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, and a good many other 
pseudobulbous Orchids are frequently attacked by scale. Its dislodgment 
can be effected by means of a stiff brush, when the plants affected should 
be washed with a solution of fir-tree oil or some other insecticide. This 
pest flourishes most when the plants are kept too dry, and in a dry atmo- 
‘sphere, and it will be observed that it is mostly on the back of the plants 
that it is found—away from water. There is here conveyed a hint that if 
the plants were subjected to less drying, this pest would be less trouble- 
some. 
CockroacHEs.—A friend of mine who professes great prowess in the art 
of trapping cockroaches, recently told me of the following method: A pound 
of treacle and a pint of beer are mixed together, and a quantity of the 
mixture poured into ordinary jam jars, which are distributed over the floor 
of the house and tilted against the supports of the staging. The insects 
are attracted by the smell, and venturing in, are unable to find their way 
out again. A means of destroying them once they are caught will suggest 
itself to readers. This pest is most rampant in the Warm houses, and is 
very fond of svcculent spikes and flowers. Phosphorus paste on crocks, or 
on bits of cabbage leaves, is a well-known means of destroying them, and 
there are other preparations advertised which can be tried in turn, as the 
cockroach soon begins to know a poison continuously used. Poisons 
should be removed in the morning and replaced at night. 
Woop-LicE.—Freshly scraped-out potatoes or carrots placed on the 
pots make good traps for wood-lice. These should be examined first thing 
