THE ORCHID REVIEW. 89 
just enough peat and sphagnum moss about its roots to steady and secure 
it in position. Give liberal supplies of water when growing. It is rather 
a shy blooming species and rarely does so until the bulbs have attained 
their maximum size, even then they are apt to disappoint. It is well to 
keep them on the dry side until the new growths are an inch or two high, 
as the flower spikes grow simultaneously. It is quite useless, however, to 
withhold water too long, for if the flower spike is not formed in the new 
growths during its early stages, no amount of drought will cause it to appear 
afterwards. It is easy to tell a flowering growth early in the season—say 
about April or the commencement of May—by its swollen appearance. 
After this date all should be liberally treated with water in order to 
encourage the making of fine large pseudobulbs. 
Thunias should be repotted this month. Loose compost to root in, 
shade, and strong heat to grow in, promotes long, lanky, vigorous growths 
and scarcity of flowers. On the other hand firm potting in a compost of 
peat, loam, and silver sand, plenty of sunshine, and an intermediate 
temperature, are conducive to short, stout pseudobulbs and free blooming. 
About four strong pseudobulbs to a 32-sized pot makes nice, graceful and 
useful plants from a decorative standpoint. 
Oncidium tigrinum and O. unguiculatum are beautiful species when 
well grown and flowered. They grow readily enough in the Cool house 
under precisely the same treatment as that accorded to Odontoglossum 
crispum. But from a flowering point of view they both are apt occasionally 
to disappoint the grower, as they cannot be relied upon to flower with 
anything approaching regularity every year. The very largest and finest 
pseudobulbs will sometimes fail to produce a spike, whilst on the other hand 
a tiny insignificiant one may do so. In the latter case it should not be 
allowed to bloom, but pinched off as soon as it appears, for there is but little 
use or beauty in a weakly spike bearing only two or three half developed 
flowers. It is better that what energies the plant possesses should be 
reserved, so that it may make a larger pseudobulb the following year. In 
the former case nothing can be done to force the strong plant to bloom 
when it has decided not to do so. It is satisfaction, however, to see the 
fine unflowering growth develop into a grand pseudobulb of a large size; 
the plant itself is then a refreshing sight. And there is consolation in 
knowing that from a plant of such strength the chances are greatly in 
favour of an enormous flower spike appearing from the following growth, 
particularly so if during the winter, when inactive, the plant has had a 
good rest on the dry side. O. tigrinum sends up its spike from the side 
of the new growth when the latter is about half matured, and usually 
blooms in November or December, whilst O. unguiculatum is a month or 
two later in showing its spike, and consequently a corresponding period 
