SEPLEMBER, 1906.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 267 
In potting, use fern rhizomes for drainage, well up the pot, and pot in 
a mixture of good fibrous peat, broken into lumps, and brown sphagnum 
moss, to which a good sprinkling of sand and leaves has been added. An 
all-moss surfacing seems to be gaining favour, and it is in every way 
satisfactory. i have started mixing a good quantity of sand with all the 
moss we use for this purpose, and if the double-headed Welsh moss is used, 
it makes a neat finish, and is quite pervious to air and water. It should be 
worked in tightly. But I have still a leaning towards the alternate peat 
and moss finish, which always answers well. 
Those Odontoglossums which are not repotted should have the moss 
clipped back, or re-surfaced where necessary, and have their pots scrubbed, 
and the whole house cleaned and re-arranged for the winter. The 
Odontoglossum house usually begins to iook a bit ragged by the end of 
summer, but the cool autumn and the advancing growths will soon change 
its aspect. 
O. crispum is one of the cleanest plants that the Orchid grower has to 
deal with, for, with the exception of slugs—which, by the way, should be 
expected to re-appear soon with the cooler weather—it is rarely, if ever, 
attacked by anything in the way of insect pests, except an occasional 
thrip. Some of the other Odontoglossums, however, have not such a clean 
sheet, O. maculatum, O. cordatum, anda few others being frequently 
attacked by scale, and it will be as well to examine carefully all plants in 
detail now that the house will be gone through systematically. Much less 
watering will now be required by Odontoglossums, even although growing, 
because there will be much less evaporated, owing to the shortening days, 
and the September night air being heavily charged with moisture. This 
does not mean that the plants should not be kept as wet as during the 
summer, but that one watering will last longer. Plants that have been 
newly potted should be syringed in between the pots, and also sparingly 
overhead, but do not on any account shut the house up tight, with the 
intention of re-establishing them quickly. Odontoglossums resent stagna~- 
tion at all times, but at no time more than when they have just been re- 
potted. Give air with caution and reason, but give it, both top and bottom. 
A little warmth in the pipes may now be again required in this house, even 
in the day time, particularly if we have a spell of cold, rainy weather, 
This house should feel cool and buoyant, not cool and clammy. I think 
there is a difference. 
MAsDEVALLIAS.—The present month will be a suitable season to repot 
those Masdevallias which were not repotted early in the year. The com- 
post recommended for Odontoglossums will be suitable, and the foregoing 
directions will be also applicable. With the exception of M. tovarensis, 
which likes a little more warmth, Masdevallias are grown with, or under 
