﻿THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



[May, r 9 c 4 . 



drained condition by the frequency of waterings required. I am speaking, 

 of course, of the ordinary compost peat and moss, but with leaf soil more 

 discretion will have to be used. 



Top-Dressing.— Where repotting is not necessary I strongly advise that 

 each plant should be top-dressed with clean, living sphagnum moss. The 

 tcp layer of old compost should be carefully removed from between the 

 roots, by the aid of a pointed stick, and replaced with a layer of new sweet 

 material placed on rather lightly. This not only improves the appearance 

 of the plant very much, but it also loosens the moss so that the air and 

 water can have freer access to the under roots. The new compost laid round 

 the plants seems also to greatly assist growth, the new roots certainly enter 

 it very approvingly. It is scarcely necessary to use peat for top-dressing 

 purposes, unless the plants are of large size, when some may be used with 

 the moss. This work of top-dressing and repotting will keep us busy for 

 some time to come, it being the best possible time for so doing. Always 

 remember to well shade a newly-potted plant, and to moisten its surround- 

 ings, surface compost, and foliage, with the syringe occasionally, so that an 

 undue loss of foliage or of shrivelling may be avoided. It will then soon 

 become re-established, and take the uniform treatment. 



Flowers Spotting. — This is a frequent source of annoyance, the chief 

 cause of which is the damp atmosphere necessary for the growth of the 

 plants, and it is bound to occur as soon as the warmth from the pipes is 

 discontinued during the nights. The only possible preventative is to 

 maintain a slight warmth in the pipes with, at the same time, a gentle 

 circulation of air. It is a pity to lose a fine show of Odontoglossums 

 through spot, and the little warmth necessary to avoid such a loss can 

 scarcely have any ill-effect from a cultural standpoint for a few weeks while 

 the chief show is on. This is where the usefulness of a show or flowering 

 house comes in, which can be kept at the right atmospherical condition lor 

 preserving the flowers in a perfect state. Often one may see beautiful 

 Cattleyas spoilt nearly as soon as they expand, only through the cool 

 moisture at night, which, on the other hand, is advantageous to growth. 



As the Cymbidiums pass out of bloom their wants should be attended 

 to. C. Lowianum, giganteum, and Tracyanum grow very vigorously in the 

 coolest house, in fact, the whole of the other kind s also grow well there, 

 but are better for intermediate treatment duriug the winter and spring 

 months. They delight in what is, for an Orchid, a comparatively rich 

 compost, and if loam is used it should be of the best fibrous nature. A 

 suitable compost consists of two parts each of good fibrous loam and peat,, 

 obtained in as lumpy a state as possible, one part of decayed cow-manure, 

 partially dried before using, and sufficient coarse sand, and finely broken, 

 crocks to render the whole porous. The roots of Cymbidiums are large: 



