HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



55 



Moreover, on comparing the mean temperature of the respec- 

 tive months, with the average of similar periods, deduced from 

 observations made in the Garden for a series of years, it appears 

 that each of the above months was below the mean, in the follow- 

 ing degree. o 



January .... 8.44 



February .... 8.03 



March . 1.47 



April .... 4.70 



May .... 4.15 



June .... 1.23 • 



The quantity of rain was also from 3 to 4 inches le^s than usual ; so 

 that the season, up to the end of June, had been unusually cold and dry. 



The following objects were exhibited ; 



From Sir John Herschel Bart., flowers of Satyrium candidum 

 and S. carneum, two terrestrial orchidaceous plants introduced by 

 him from the Cape of Good Hope, and brought into a flowering 

 state in an open garden, in Hanover Terrace, Regent's Park ; they 

 were accompanied by Cyanella lutea, and J'ieusseuxia aristata, two 

 bulbous plants from the same country. The appearance of the 

 Satyriums^ one of which was new, and the other ver)- rare in 

 this country, excited great attention, in consequence of the vsell 

 known difficulty of cultivating the beautiful terrestrial Orchidaceae 

 of their part of the world. An enquiry was, therefore, subse- 

 quently addressed to Sir John Herschel, as to the circumstances 

 under which such plants are naturally found, and the method 

 pursued by him in their cultivation : to which the following 

 reply was obligingly given. 



As regards their native habits, and the culture I should con- 

 sider most in accordance therewith, and, therefore, more likely (a 

 priori) to succeed in this country, the following is about the 

 amount of my knowledge. 



1. Satyrium carneum ^ (the large flowered, pale pink species, 

 with a close spike on a tall stem). The finest specimens grow in 

 deep pure satid, but always among low shrubby vegetation, which 

 affords a certain degree of shelter to them before the flower-stalk 

 rises, and whose roots and their rejectamenta, no doubt, supply 

 nourishment. However, I have grown them well in somewhat 

 richer but still very sandy soil, and quite without shelter, and 

 the largest spike 1 ever saw was the result. The essential con- 

 dition seems to be very effectual drainage, as much water as the 

 soil will retain while they are leafing, with a temperature not less 

 than 50°, and increasing as the flower- stalk rises, while, at the 

 same time, the supply of water must be cut off eniirely, as they 

 are especially apt to rot, if any wet gets into the inner folds, of 

 the leaves. In fact from the moment the first sign of the flower- 

 stalk appears, they cannot be kept too dry, and while flowering, 

 heat and sunshine in abundance are required, or the flower is pallid. 



