ORCHID CONFERENCE. 



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mainly consist. The manure which I have used for some time 

 is that of Messrs. J. Jensen and Co., 10, St. Helen's Place, E.C., 

 who are engaged in the manufacture offish manure at theLoffoden 

 Islands, the seat of the great Norwegian cod fisheries. When I 

 tell you that this year no fewer than 32,000,000 of large fish 

 were caught, you can form some slight idea of the magnitude of 

 the fisheries. The fish are gutted, the bodies salted for food, the 

 livers go to make oil, while the heads and backs are available for 

 manure. They are dried, pulverised, and reach England in the 

 form and condition of flour. The average manurial constituents 

 of dried cod-fish are 10*60 ammonia, and 30 phosphates. Grand 

 as these ingredients are in themselves, they are wanting in one 

 thing, namely, potash. If this is absent, it is impossible to obtain 

 perfect fertilization ; wherever it is present in due degree, the 

 effect is astonishing in the vigour and rigidity of plant growth. 

 Refined salts of potash and magnesia are added to the fish manure, 

 and at once produce a perfect fertilizer of similar constitution to 

 bird dung, and containing the essential constituents of ammonia, 

 phosphoric acid, and potash, in the form most available for plants. 

 In this manure there is no acid used ; fishbone is very gelatinous 

 and when sufficiently pulverised dissolves in the soil, so none is 

 needed. Seeing, as I did, the effect . of this combination on all 

 pot plants, it struck me that Orchids might like it also. Last 

 August I began to experimentalize upon a plant of Cymbidium 

 Lourii, and requested my gardener to put half-an-ounce on the 

 soil. We soon observed a darker colour in the foliage ; in four 

 or five weeks two strong growths appeared, which proved to be 

 flower spikes ; as they grew more fish potash was added from 

 time to time. Since then there are five breaks, four of them of 

 strength sufficient to content anyone. I then ordered its use for 

 all terrestrial orchids, Lycastes, Calanthes, Sophronites, Phaius, 

 Zygopetalums, Odontoglossums, Masdevallias, Dendrobiums, and 

 even for Oncidiums and Laelias. So far, vigour seems to be on the 

 ascendant, and I see no reason whatever to retire from the line 

 taken up or to alter my views. The plan of operations is simple. 

 My gardener uses more peat round the sides of the pots, and he 

 merely dusts the peat with a pinch of the manure, and wherever 

 the fish potash is, there the roots work. Mr. Wm. Bull told 

 me a fortnight ago that it was a vexed question as to what 

 extent manures could be used for the cultivation of Orchids, and 

 one which demanded the consideration of growers. The manure 



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