﻿January, 1904.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



5 



ORCHID CULTURE IN LEAF MOULD. 



Before the next Orchid growing season comes upon us may I ask growers 

 to give their opinions for or against the use of le;if-mould, and the reasons, 

 from past experience, for their preference. 



I may say that I was content, and very successful, with the old system 

 of culture in sphagnum and peat or fern fibre, but being requested to try 

 the leaf-mould I have done so, with the following results -.—Wonderful root 

 action, large bulbs and leaves, also many extra breaks or growths ; but the 

 main or primary object — flowers that will last long on the plants, or when 

 cut for decorating — has been very unsatisfactory. The flowers in some 

 cases don't live half so long as formerly, with the peat culture, particularly 

 Odontoglossums. though the plants themselves simply revel in leaves. At 

 the end of the last London season my employer, whilst complimenting me 

 upon the fine Odontoglossums and Cattleyas sent to London, said, " but 

 they don't last any time now." Since then I have noted that the flowers 

 of Cattleya Gaskelliana, and C. labiata, cut from plants grown in leaves 

 don't last so long as formerly, when peat was used, one exception, however, 

 being Odontoglossum grande. Dendrobium Phalaenopsis Schrcederianum 

 flowers have faded at the bottom of the spikes before the top flowers opened, 

 and line spikes they were too. At present the coloured Laelia anceps are 

 opening their flowers, and go off sooner than formerly, and the plants are 

 simply pictures of health. 



A noted grower of thousands of Odontoglossums for market cutting, who 

 has gone in for the leaf-mould treatment entirely, tells me that the flowers 

 don't last so long by half as when he did not use leaves. 



I may say that my Phaius " Cookson's seedlings " grown in leaf-mould 

 are marvellous and showing wonderfully strong flower spikes. It is also 

 Ai for growing seedlings in. 



J. Hamilton. 



Manderston, Duns, N.B. 



[We should like to see this question ventilated, and evidence would be 

 particularly valuable from those who have tried the two systems side by 

 side. From the above remarks it would almost appear that pure leaf-mould 

 was used, and that the greater vegetative luxuriance had a detrimental 

 effect on the quality of the flowers ; the question arises, therefore, whether 

 the advantages of both systems might not be obtained by combining them. 

 The use of a compost, containing both fibrous peat and leaves in a flaky 

 condition, has several times been recommended, and the foregoing 

 experience points in the same direction. The diverse opinions that have 

 been expressed as to the use of leaf-mould are very puzzling, and emphasize 

 the necessity for further experiments as to the best way of using it. — Ed/ . 



