Aug-ust, 1914-] 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



257 



POTTING CATTLEYAS. 



ALMOST every Orchid grower fully 

 appreciates the value of practical 

 assistance. It is an easy matter to 

 ask a friend to spend a short time demon- 

 strating the correct manner in which a plant 

 should be potted, this is, of course, supposing 

 the friend has the requisite knowledge and is 

 willing to part with it. But there are many 

 amateurs who are quite unable to procure this 

 valued friend, oftentimes because they live 

 in a neighbourhood where horticulture does 

 not play an important part or include much 

 appertaining to Orchids. 



When and how to re-pot a Cattleya is one 

 of several queries asked by an amateur 

 cultivator who appears to be without the 

 assistance of an experienced friend. For this 

 reason the reproduced photograph of a 

 Brasso-Cattleya will serve as a useful speci- 

 men upon which to make a few remarks. 



The main point to consider is that the new 

 growth will have sufficient room to develop 

 itself, and to allow the new roots which are 

 formed from its base every opportunity to 

 enter the compost. On the right of the 

 photograph the new growth can be seen in 

 an advanced condition, and also in a position 

 that does not allow the new roots a chance of 

 entering the compost ; they are, in fact, 

 growing over the edge of the pot where they 

 will obtain but little nutriment. This is 

 entirely wrong. The plant should be so 

 placed in the pot that there is ample space 

 for the new growth and its roots to be formed 

 within it. The roots will then enter the 

 compost and sustain the vitality of the plant 

 by securing an adequate supply of nutriment. 



Another important point is to carry out the 

 work at the most favourable time. The plant 

 in our illustration has been neglected, it ought 

 to have been re-potted several weeks before 

 the photograph was taken, at a time when the 

 new roots were just pushing from the base of 

 the new bulb. As it now is, the roots have 

 extended so much that it would be almost 

 impossible to re-pot the plant without breaking 

 them. Moreover, roots which have once 

 accustomed themselves to an atmospheric 



A neglected plant. 



existence very rarely li\e long when buried 

 in compost ; they appear to lack the power 

 of adapting themselves to the changed 

 conditions. 



Close inspection of a growing root will 

 <:how that it is composed of three distinct 

 portions. The extreme end is always covered 

 by a layer of tissue, forming the root-cap or 

 pileorhiza, which enables it to force its way 

 through the compost. Next to this comes the 

 part which absorbs water and much of the 

 requisite food supply. It is rarely more than 

 an inch in length, is of greenish colour and 

 generally thickly covered with delicate hairs, 

 each one of which is a slender cell capable of 

 closely adhering to the particles in the 

 compost and assisting in the process of taking 

 in the dissolved materials. The third portion. 



