686 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



management of the plants themselves. An ex- 

 tensive natural order of plants such as this is, and 

 found occupying so large a geographical range, 

 sufficiently points out the impossibility of grow- 

 ing them successfully in one house at all seasons 

 of the year, and, indeed, of growing many of 

 those from the same country at all times to- 

 gether, as the seasons of rest do not take place 

 with all the species of any one country at the 

 same time. The temperature of India being 

 much greater than that of China, Japan, and the 

 Brazils, from which many of our finest species 

 come, demonstrates pretty clearly that a con- 

 siderable difference should exist in culture in 

 this very respect. Where a large collection is 

 cultivated, it will be best to have either three 

 distinct houses, or, if one only, that it be divided 

 into three compartments, each to be capable of 

 being heated more or less, irrespective of the 

 others. The successful cultivation of these 

 plants depends mainly on heat and moisture; 

 yet there is a season when both must be greatly 

 mitigated. Orchids are divided into two dis- 

 tinct groups as regards their habits of growth, 

 some being terrestrial, or growing upon the 

 earth ; while others, and by far the greater num- 

 ber, are epiphytical, or growing upon trees, 

 &c. It is necessary that this difference in their 

 habits be understood, so that their position in 

 culture may not be transposed. 



Propagation. — This is effected by division of 

 the plant, each piece having either one or more 

 pseudo-bulbs, and if with portions of roots 

 attached, so much the better exemplified in 

 Stanhopea; by division of the plant having 

 fleshy, underground, spreading roots, like Goody- 

 rea ; by portions of the plant having aerial 

 roots, as in Eenanthera, &c. It is possible, but 

 it is rarely practised, to propagate them from 

 seed. 



Season and soil for potting orchids. — No parti- 

 cular season can be recommended for potting 

 orchids, all depending upon their state, whether 

 they are healthy or the reverse. If in good health, 

 the majority may be potted soon after their 

 flowering has ceased; for in the majority of cases 

 they begin then to make fresh roots, and com- 

 mence their season of growth. Now, as their roots 

 are fleshy and tender, and liable to sustain injury 

 while in their growing state, it is better to anti- 

 cipate this by potting before the new roots have 

 begun to form. Those that are unhealthy should 

 be potted as soon as any indication is observed 

 that derangement has taken place at the roots ; 

 and this holds good whether they be grown in 

 pots, baskets, or on logs. A yearly examination, 

 if not a regular potting, should take place, and 

 oftener if the soil appears to be sodden, or if the 

 plants have lost their roots, which many of the 

 more delicate ones are apt to do, both from ex- 

 cess of moisture and the reverse. In either of 

 the latter cases, the whole of the soil should be 

 removed with care, and after re-potting little 

 water should be given at the roots until they 

 have again begun to grow. Regarding soil, the 

 consideration ought to be its capability of retain- 

 ing or parting with moisture, and neither its 

 richness nor poorness, as orchids depend little 

 on either, so far as their nutriment is concerned. 



The most proper soil is that which is not reten- 

 tive of moisture, or liable to become stagnant, 

 as some peaty soils are, and also that it be capable 

 of resisting decomposition for the longest possi- 

 ble period. The compost we employ is simple in 

 the extreme, and consists of dry turfy peat, 

 beaten upon the potting-bench with a wooden 

 mallet, and passed through a half-inch sieve to 

 subtract the finer earthy particles ; for the turner, 

 light, and more open it is, the better. Some lay 

 great stress on charcoal, in small pieces, being 

 incorporated with the turfy matter ; for our- 

 selves, we believe that soft sandstone, reduced 

 to the size of from a hazel-nut to a walnut, or 

 even broken fragments of pots, is equally good. 

 In addition to the above, a portion of silvery sand 

 and of white bog-moss (sphagnum), chopped up 

 into short fragments, is all that is required. This 

 is a good compost for such as are to be set in pots 

 or baskets, and of habits similar to Cymbidium, 

 Cryptopodium, Zygopetalum, &c. But such as 

 Bletia,Corysanthes, Neottia, &c. require a greater 

 proportion of the finer portions of peaty matter 

 and silvery sand incorporated with the compost. 

 The great mass, however, seem to prefer being 

 attached to blocks of wood, or planted in 

 baskets, and suspended from the roof. Some 

 recommend these blocks to be charred, but 

 we have found no advantage from this. The 

 whole natural order, with the exception of the 

 true terrestrial genera, Orchis, Habenaria, Dissa, 

 Caladenia, &c, and those named above, appear 

 to derive their nourishment more from the 

 atmosphere than from the body they are set 

 upon or planted in. 



Pots, baskets, and blocks. — The ordinary gar- 

 den pot is very generally employed, and used of 

 a size somewhat larger than ordinary plants of 

 the same bulk are accommodated with. Such 

 pots are in general filled with drainage from 

 one-third to one-half of their whole depth. Pots 

 thickly perforated with holes along the sides, 

 others with slits cut out of them, have frequently 

 been used, the object being to admit a free 

 escape to the water, and the admittance of air 



Fig. 261. 



to the roots. More recently, highly ornamental 

 pots (Figs. 261, 262), or shallow suspended vases 



