Aucust, 1906. | THE ORCHID REVIEW. 231 
come in from outside. A trained eye soon detects their marks, however, 
and there is soon an end of them. Scale, although passive enough to all 
appearance, is a somewhat insiduous and sly individual, and it is somewhat 
difficult to explain how he finds himself right up near the growing point of, 
say, a young Cattleya leaf, as frequently happens. A plant to all appear- 
ances perfectly clean when looked at from the path, may have a cluster of 
fresh young scales scattered over the underside of the leaf, and possibly 
right up to the margin. __ Did the leaf start off with them from the base of 
the plant? This young scale can be readily sponged off, when it will be 
advisable to examine the plant carefully down at the base. If this young 
scale is left alone it will very soon suck the chlorophyll out of the leaf, 
leaving ugly, jaundiced marks behind. 
GENERAL Hints.—The month of August marks the dividing line 
between the growing and resting seasons for most Orchids. Gradually less 
shading will be required on all the houses, as the sun declines in power, and 
the shadows caused by the bars are already longer than they were a month 
ago. The nature of the foliage changes with the cooler nights and the 
approach of autumn, and the same amount of sun which might have been 
injurious during the early summer will now do good. Those Orchids 
which are deciduous will require little water after the foliage has fallen. 
Pleiones will be losing their foliage towards the end of the month, when 
watering will be discontinued as they come into flower. Catasetums, 
Cyrtopodiums, Mormodes, &c., will also require a dry rest. Watering must 
be gradually reduced as the foliage becomes yellow. On the other hand, 
Cattleyas, and all plants which retain their foliage, must have a good 
quantity during the autumn, even although finished up. There are many 
plants in the Cattleya house now finished growing for the season, and others 
have little more than started. To keep a Cattleya which has finished 
growth very dry thus early in the autumn, with the intention of hindering 
it from restarting, will be going the right way to defeat the object in view. 
It should be watered when it is dry. Lelia purpurata has now started, and 
many of its hybrids, including L.-c. Aphrodite, L.-c. Wellsiana, &c., are on 
the way. Most of the hybrids which have L. purpurata for a parent, grow 
slowly half way through the winter, so no discouragement need be felt if 
they appear a long way behind. Ina house containing a large number of 
plants, there are always a few that are in bad health. There may 
be a great many reasons for this, and a different reason might be assigned 
to each individual case. | Whenever a plant is observed in bad health the 
compost should be examined, and in many cases the plant will require to be 
put into a smaller pot. Sometimes a quite healthy plant goes back after 
repotting, as the result of an overdose of water. As the plant was 
repotted in anticipation of its remaining healthy, the check may mean that 
