THE ORCHID REVIEW. 117 
bottom part of the receptacle occupied by these species is required to be 
larger than any other part, because in order to lower the plant the stem 
must go to the bottom of the receptacle, and the lower portion of the stem 
usually contains the greatest part of the most serviceable roots, and as pots 
are narrower there than elsewhere they are not so well adapted for the 
purpose. Fill in between the roots-with charcoal, first soaked in water, 
and crocks. A good substitute for crocks is burnt clay, or broken brick- 
bats, which absorb the moisture better and give it off again more gradually 
than does the hard burnt pot ware. They also seem softer, warmer, and 
more suitable for the roots to ramble in. — Finish off at the top with a 
layer of fresh sphagnum moss, which, though not really necessary, gives a 
better and neater appearance to the plants. 
This growing sphagnum moss on the surface of the basket is not always 
a sound criterion as to whether water is required or not, and may be the 
means of misleading the inexperienced. The correct way to supply 
nourishment to aérial growing Orchids is through the atmosphere, as no 
amount of wet soddened material immediately round the stem will com- 
pensate for a parched-up atmosphere. It must not be supposed that 
because the surface moss is moist and in a growing condition that the 
plant is sufficiently watered, for the roots that are exposed or clinging 
round the bars of the receptacle must also be attended to. During 
summer I advise that the exposed roots should be moistened with tepid 
soft water two or three times a day, or as often as the condition of the 
weather may seem to demand, by working the syringe well round the 
baskets and cylinders that contain them. 
To this house, suspended from the roof, 1 commend the hot growing 
Dendrobiums, such as D. Phaleznopsis, bigibbum, Benson, capillipes, 
Brymerianum, cretaceum, crepidatum, Parishii, tortile, superbiens, macro-. 
phyllum, Harveyanum, Dalhousianum, Dearei, and crystallinum, which not 
only require greater warmth during growth than most others, but during 
the resting season also. Various others, though requiring a fair amount of 
warmth when growing, can be given too much, as they come from higher 
altitudes, and greatly prefer the general conditions of the Cattleya house, 
where they make finer growth, and keep freer from spot and other diseases- 
Amongst the latter are such beautiful species as D. Wardianum, crassinode, 
thyrsiflorum, densiflorum, Findlayanum, Devonianum, Pierardii, nobile, 
ochreatum, primulinum, Loddigesii, albo-sanguineum, aureum, chrysanthum, 
chrysotoxum, suavissimum, Falconeri, formosum, japonicum, Linawianum, 
luteolum, and lituiflorum. Of course I am speaking now of the summer 
or growing conditions ; when it comes to the winter, or resting conditions, 
this last named group would again have to be divided, some remaining in 
the Cattleya house temperature, and others going to a Cool greenhouse. 
