﻿THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



[July, ,904. 



I note that Mr. Orpet (page 165) objects to my remark that the 

 way the necessary food was supplied was a matter of secondary importance, 

 and afterwards goes on to explain that all plant goods must be soluble. I 

 was alluding to the fact that some growers use leaves which gradually 

 decay under the action of water, thus giving up the food they contain 

 gradually for the use of the plant, while others use an almost indestructible 

 fibre, and make up for the diminished supply of food which it gives up by 

 adding some plant food to the water, and yet both claim to get equally 

 good results. I think this quite justifies the remark I made. In each case 

 the food has to be taken up in solution, because it cannot be utilised in any- 

 other form. 



It was rather interesting to find immediately following Mr. Orpet's 

 remarks a note to the effect that a plant of Odontoglossum Pescatorei grown 

 in leaf-mould for two years, and another grown in fern fibre, were exhibited 

 at the Boston Gardeners' and Florists' Club by Mr. W. N. Craig, showing 

 results in favour of the former treatment ; aud the point was further 

 emphasised in a subsequent note (page 337), which is interesting enough to 

 reproduce here. It is as follows : — 



issue regarding Odontoglossum Pescatorei, which you illustrated. He stated 

 that the small plant having six blooms had bulbs equally as good as the 

 plant carrying forty-five blooms. The facts are that the bulbs of the former 

 plant at the time of repotting two years ago, had a leading bulb 1 in. in 

 length. The next year the leading bulb was ih in., and the last bulb was 

 2\ in. The large plant carrying the forty-five blooms started with a i| 

 bulb, and the first year in leaf mold the bulb made 3* in., while the 

 Bering bulb this year was 4 1-16 in. For this reason we feel justified 

 ;laiming that leaf mold has worked a decided improvement in this 

 particular plant, and I will add that in the other Odontoglossums treated 

 the same way, we find about the same condition of improvement. We 

 ; decidedly of opinion that leaf mould, properly used, is an excellent growing 

 iterial for certain classes of Orchids, such as Odontoglossums, Laelias 

 d some Cattleyas. 



J. E. ROTHWELL. 



Brookline, Mass." 



I have not yet alluded to the exhaustive article by Mr. J. Wilson-Potter 

 ). 1 06-1 10), which supplies a lot of important information as to the pro- 

 rties of leaf-mould, as well as the method of preparing it, and I should 

 t be surprised to find that with an admixture of some hard fibre to keep 

 2 compost open the risk of overwatering would be greatly diminished. 



