THE ORCHID REVIEW. 25 
to grow in. In Belgium and other places on the Continent, the root-fibre of 
Polypodium vulgare is largely used, and I believe with every success. Here 
it has been tried on such plants as Cattleyas and Odontoglossums; the 
Cattleyas have certainly improved, but in the case of the Odontoglossums, 
no improvement on our English fern-root peat has been observed. In men- 
tioning this, I do not recommend any one to use Polypodium fibre, except 
as an experiment, until its value has been more thoroughly tested. 
The East Indian house will contain such heat-loving species as Aérides, 
Saccolabiums, Phalznopsis, Dendrobiums that are now making their 
growth, such Vandas as Lowii, Sanderiana, and Denisoniana, the Angre- 
sums, also many species of Cypripedium, as Stonei, bellatulum, niveum, 
concolor, Rothschildianum, Lawrenceanum, etc. I often wonder, when 
looking round various Orchid collections, why the beautiful genus Aérides is’ 
not more generally cultivated. Rarely do I see any large quantity of these 
plants with their foliage down to the top of the pot. More often I see them 
with bare stems, a foot or more in length, with five or six pairs of leaves at 
the top, and the cause of this is probably due to over-flowering, irregular 
temperature, and being kept too dry during the resting season, both at the 
root and in the atmosphere. Where the proper treatment is given, their 
cultivation is comparatively easy. The following varieties should be grown 
in this house :—A. affine, Houlletianum, Lobbii, odoratum, Savageanum, 
suavissimum, Larpenta, crispum, Fieldingii, Lawrencez, and its yellow- 
tinted variety, Sanderianum; while maculosum and its variety, Schrédere, 
both grow and root freely in a shady corner of the Cattleya house. 
From now until the end of February is a good time to re-pot or top- 
dress any of these plants that require it. The ordinary flower-pot is 
preferable for Aérides, etc., to baskets, the plants being more easily managed 
and the roots less disturbed than when wooden baskets are used. When 
re-potting, pick out all the old decayed moss; and if any roots are clinging 
to the sides of the pot, carefully ease them from it by using a sharp, thin 
penknife. See that the pots and crocks are perfectly clean before using 
them. Place the plant in the centre of the pot; put a few large crocks at 
the bottom, after which replace the roots; and in so doing work in among 
them clean picked sphagnum moss and crocks—about one-half of each—fill 
up to within half an inch of the rim, pressing it down moderately firm, and 
finish off with good living sphagnum. Any of the large fleshy aerial roots 
that are long enough may be carefully pegged down on the surface, and in 
time these will root into the moss. The more roots enticed down in this 
way the better, as the plants grow more vigorously and retain their bottom 
leaves for a much longer period than when the roots are rambling about in 
the air. After re-potting, the plants require no water for two or three days, 
after which give them a thorough soaking. The moss on the surface will 
.soon become dry again, when it should be sprinkled over with a fine rose 
