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FEBRUARY, I9g09.| THE ORCHID REVIEW. 43 
otherwise it will grow and not flower. It blooms freely after a good dry 
rest. It should be suspended from the roof, so as to shew the pendulous 
spikes to the best advantage. 
Ornithidium Sophronitis isa brilliant little Orchid when well flowered, 
and under intermediate treatment it grows to perfection. It is very pretty 
in spring when covered with its scarlet flowers. 
OncipIuMs.—Most of the winter flowering varieties will soon commence 
to grow, and any that want potting should be done as soon as they 
commence to root from the new bulbs. A mixture of Polypodium fibre, 
moss and leaves in about equal quantities will make a good compost for 
them, adding plenty of crushed crocks to keep it open. In potting 
Oncidiums the base of the young bulbs should be kept well down on the 
compost, so that the roots can get into it before they get damaged, as they 
will do when potted high above the pots. Woodlice and slugs have a 
special taste for Oncidium roots, and in Orchid houses one always gets 
troubled with these pests. The smaller-growing varieties, such as O. 
concolor dasytyle and ornithorhynchum, are better suspended from the roof. 
These are very pretty varieties, although not quite so showy as the larger 
ones. O. flexuosum is also very pretty, especially when grown on rafts or 
in baskets, where it has plenty of room to wander about. It will also grow 
and flower well in a stove fern wall, and make a very pretty show when in 
flower. 
Most of the Oncidiums like Intermediate house treatment, but O. 
Kramerianum, Papilio, Lanceanum, and Cavendishianum like a_ stove 
temperature. The butterfly Orchids are very handsome, and always 
attract attention. They will throw many flowers from the same spike. O. 
macranthum and lamelligerum will be pushing up their spikes, and as 
these are very long they should be trained round stakes, or along the roof, 
where they will make a very fine show when in flower. The spikes are 
better pinched when they have reached a reasonable length, then they will 
branch out at every eye, and give better flowers than when allowed to 
develop the full length of the spike. Slugs are very troublesome with the 
flowers and spikes, and a piece of cotton wool wrapped round the stem 
will prevent them from injuring the young tips, but the wool must be kept 
dry, or replaced whenever it becomes wet, or it will be useless in preventing 
the slugs from crossing over it. Spraying occasionally with insecticide 
will also help to keep them down and also keep thrip in check. 
Puatus will be commencing to grow, and should be potted or top- 
dressed as soon as they push up their young growths. This is a beautiful 
class of Orchid, especially now that there is a good selection of hybrids. If 
given warm treatment they are not much trouble to grow. A compost of 
good fibrous loam and peat, with a little cow manure added, and plenty of 
