ORCHIDS. 



65 



the proper time to transplant will be found in the 

 growth of the cuttings soon after roots have been 

 formed by them. The beds should be gone over 

 frequently, and all dead leaves and rotten cuttings 

 carefully removed. In very severe weather a little 

 protection may be given to the exposed cuttings 

 by placing over them branches of Yew-trees, mats, 

 &c. ; these should be removed as soon as the weather 

 becomes less severe. The cuttings under hand-lights 

 and frames will be much benefited by the removal 

 of the lights or tops of the frames on warm sunny 

 days ; in fact they may be always left off or open on 

 all days except when the weather is frosty. For 

 the protection of cuttings, seedlings, &c, out of 

 doors, the reed-mat 

 protector shown in 

 Fig. 16 will be 

 found of great ser- 

 vice. 



Cuttings of the 

 Manetti Rose, 

 Paradise Apple, 

 Quince, Wild 

 Cherry, and other 

 plants used as 

 stocks for graft- 

 ing, are usually rooted by planting them in borders 

 as described above. As these plants are only intended 

 to serve as stems for the reception of buds or grafts 

 of other plants, the lateral buds should be carefully 

 removed from the cuttings before planting them, 

 leaving only two or three buds on the apex of each. 

 The removal of the lower buds is also practised 

 in those cases where suckers are detrimental to the 

 production of flowers or fruit ; such plants are Goose- 

 berries, Currants, and some Roses. 



Many ,trees and shrubs may be propagated from 

 large portions of branches planted in the ground. 

 With a few exceptions — such, for instance, as the 

 Willow — this system can, however, be practised only 

 in warmer climates than that of England. It is said 

 that in the South of Europe, where the ground is 

 much warmer than in this country, branches of 

 Apple or Pear-trees of the thickness of a mans 

 wrist are cut into lengths of two or three feet, 

 pointed, and driven into the ground, where they 

 strike root, and soon form strong-stemmed plants. 

 In tropical countries this ready means is employed 

 for the propagation of many of the trees and shrubs 

 which, under artificial cultivation in this country, are 

 only increased by means of small cuttings requiring 

 close care and attention. 



The tropical propagating-house is now largely 

 used for the multiplication of numerous hardy 

 plants ; especially in nurseries, where it is often 

 desirable to obtain a large stock of particular plants 



77 



Fig. 16. — Keed-mat Protector. 



in as short a time as possible. Aucubas, Euony- 

 muses, variegated Ivies, Hydrangeas, variegated 

 Hollies, and even such Conifers as Cupressus, Crypt o- 

 meria, &c, are often propagated by the thousand in 

 this way. The cuttings are prepared in the usual 

 way, though smaller pieces may be used for this 

 purpose than are advisable for cool treatment, 

 and are planted in boxes or pans of sandy soil, 

 which are then placed on a heated bed of about 70°, 

 and kept moist by frequent sprinklings of water. 

 Under this treatment roots are rapidly formed, after 

 which the plants are gradually hardened off, till 

 on the approach of summer they are ready for 

 planting in the open border. It is often found 



a good plan, more 

 especially for new 

 and choice Coni- 

 fers, to pot the 

 plants of which 

 cuttings are re- 

 quired, and place 

 them in a green- 

 house tempera- 

 ture. This induces 

 them to grow 

 quickly, and the 

 small shoots made under these conditions root readily 

 if placed in a warm house, whereas similar shoots 

 taken from plants out of doors would fail to grow. 



OECHIDS. 



By William Hugh Gower. 



Phalaenopsis. — The White Moth Orchid, from 

 Phalaina, "a moth," and opsis, "like." This is the 

 choicest family perhaps in the whole order, and cer- 

 tainly has proved the most difficult to maintain in a 

 healthy condition for any length of time. They 

 are all epiphytes, originally discovered in the Indian 

 Archipelago, from which all the best species have 

 been obtained. Phalaenopsis grow naturally on rocks 

 and trees near the sea-coast, in the Indian Archi- 

 pelago, P. amabile being about the only species found 

 on trees of the inland forests. The islands of the 

 Philippine group appear to be very rich in forms of 

 this queenly genus, and Manilla is often quoted as 

 the native country of many of them ; but Manilla is 

 the capital city of the island of Luzon, and the port 

 from whence all the produce of the various islands 

 are shipped, hence it will be seen how erroneous it 

 is to give Manilla as a native habitat. 



These plants have no pseudo- bulbs, and appear to 

 make but very little stem, even with age, conse- 

 quently they require strict attention in the matter 



