APRIL, 1909.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. to9 
and three leading bulbs left. The pieces should be of about equal strength 
if good results are expected, and the smaller-sized bulbs should be potted in 
a separate pot, and will soon make as fine specimens as the larger ones, and 
can then be dropped into a larger pot without disturbing the bail of com- 
post. In making up specimen pots the young’ bulb should be turned 
towards the centre of the pot, not outwards, or the first bulb it makes will 
be over the side of the pot, and then the roots get so easily damaged, and 
the need of repotting again throws the plants back. Each plant must be 
firmly potted and staked so that it does not move about when being 
syringed or staged. When the plants are out of the pots, and all the old 
compost is picked off, they should be examined before being repotted, to see 
‘that no scale is on the rhizomes. The skin can then be removed, and the 
rhizome thoroughly cleansed, for if scale is left on the plants it soon attacks 
the new growths. Plants that only need top-dressing should have the old 
material carefully picked out, and replaced with fresh Osmunda fibre and a 
little moss. These plants should be staged separately from newly-potted 
plants, so that no mistakes arise in watering. Stage them so that the 
syringe can be used between the pots, either in straight iines or angles, 
whichever the grower prefers. If the plants are sorted out this can easily 
be done by staging pots and plants in their sizes, and syringing both over- 
head and between the pots. This is far better than watering so much, and 
_the plants soon re-establish themselves, and there is no danger of getting 
the new compost sodden. 
A good compost can be made with Osmunda fibre or Fern fibre three 
parts, oak leaves (not leaf-mould) one part, and just a little moss, with plenty 
of crushed crocks, and all mixed well together. If the material feels dry it 
should be well damped before use. A good plan is to prepare compost 
several days before it is wanted, and damp it to get it into a nice condition 
for using. Fibre of any kind when used dry needs a lot of water to wet it 
through, and newly-potted plants do not like sodden material, as they have 
not sufficient root action to absorb the moisture from the compost. When 
it is used in a just damp condition there is sufficient moisture to keep the 
plants going for some time with the aid of the syringe either overhead or 
between the pots. 
Cuysis are pushing their flower buds, and should be given a little more 
water till the flowers are developed. As the plants flower from the young 
growths they must not be potted until the flowers are over, then they 
should be attended to, and as they make very tender roots delay in potting 
or top-dressing will injure instead of benefiting the plants. They should be 
potted in a compost of good fibrous loam and peat in equal prpportions, 
adding plenty of crushed crock and charcoal. Suspend them near the glass 
in the Cattleya house, and give plenty of water while the roots are active. 
