October, igi2.] 
THE ORCHID WORLD. 
17 
removed at once. It is much more desirable 
to allow the plants to attain a robust and 
healthy state before flowering than to permit 
them to produce spikes from poor, puny 
flowers. It should be the aim of every 
cultivator to produce flowers in their best form. 
Disas. We have now reached the season 
of the year when that most lovely Orchid, 
Disa grandiflora, may be re-potted. The pots 
should be well drained, using a compost of 
equal portions of fibrous peat and sphagnum 
moss, with a fair sprinkling of half-decayed 
oak leaves and coarse silver sand, or, better 
still, powdered sandstone or crocks, all mixed 
well together. The plants should be potted 
moderately firm, but care must also be taken 
that the compost is not placed too firmly in 
the pots. After re-potting, give just sufficient 
water to settle the compost, and then, for 
some time, spray once or twice a day, 
according to the weather. This treatment will 
suffice to keep them sufficiently moist.' Disas 
require a cool, moist position in a freely 
ventilated house, where frost can be kept 
away. When the weather is cold much less 
moisture must be given them, and air should 
be admitted whenever practicable. Their 
greatest enemies are thrip and greenfly, and 
these must at all costs be kept in subjection. 
Miltonia Rcezlii, its variety alba, and any 
other late flowering varieties which are com- 
mencing to grow and require new rooting 
material, should have attention as soon as 
the new growths push forth fresh roots. The 
compost as previously advised for M. vexillaria 
should be used, and the plants should be 
thoroughly cleaned and placed well up to the 
light in the warm end of the Intermediate 
house. Altliough Miltonias delight in a fairly 
moist position, water, during the winter time, 
should only be applied to the compost when 
it becomes dry. 
Mormodes, Cycnoches, and Catasetums, as 
they finish their growths, may be placed with 
the Dendrobiums in the resting"-house, and 
receive only sufficient water to prevent 
shrivelling. A long dry rest is very beneficial 
to these plants. 
Anguloas that have been growing in the 
Cool house during the summer months should 
now be taken back to the cool end of the 
Intermediate house. As soon as their growth 
is completed they may be kept on the dry 
side until they start again in the spring time. 
Cattleyas, Laslia, and Laeho-Cattl^yas may 
still be re-potted, providing they are pushing 
new roots. This is considered one of the best 
seasons of the year to re-pot C. Warscewiczii, 
or gigas, keeping the plants on the dry side 
until they commence to grow in February. 
A place well up to the light at the warmest 
end of the Cattleya house will be found 
suitable. I do not hesitate to re-pot any 
Cattleya at any season of the year, for I 
maintain that it is much better in new and 
sweet material than deteriorating in a sour 
and decayed compost. One of the greatest 
aids to successful culture is to keep the plants 
in a sweet and healthy compost. 
Vandas. The end of the present month is 
the best time to overhaul all plants of V. 
tricolor and V. suavis, especially if any 
disturbance of the roots is necessary, for there 
IS now less likelihood of the foliage suffering 
than at any other season. These plants do 
not appreciate strong sunlight at any time, 
and now that the sun is daily losing power 
and the external atmosphere is cool and moist 
a suitable place will be found for them at the 
warmest end of the Intermediate house. A 
cool, shady position is of great assistance 
towards the re-establishment of the plants 
without the loss of foliage. If the operation is 
left until the spring the stems are liable to 
become bare and unsightly through loss of 
leaves. The plants that mostly require re- 
potting will be those that have lost their lower 
leaves and have become unsightly. In 
removing the old compost great care should 
be taken not to injure the roots, for on 
account of their brittleness they are very 
susceptible to injury. If the base of the old 
stem cannot be cut off so as to bring the 
lower leaves down to the level of the top 
of the pot, then the stem should be placed 
down in the pot and the crocks placed around 
it for quite two-thirds of the pot's depth. 
Cleanliness is one of the greatest aids to 
good cultivation. Over the crocks place a 
layer of sphagnum moss, over which carefully 
