•(■binary, 1913- 
11 
Oiaifll) WORIJ). 
when new !4r<)wtli is being made, the eunipust 
should always be in a damp condition. The 
long and broad leaves may be syringed on all 
fine days, taking care that this is done early 
in the day in order that the superfluous 
moisture may be evaporated before the even- 
ing. Shading must be used to prevent the 
sun from scorching the leaves, an event likely 
to take place during the spring months, for it 
is then that the new growths are liable to be 
spoilt. The older leaves, those of last season's 
growth, are less likely to be affected. 
culture can he prociu'cd in every collection, 
however small it may l)e. Those who care to 
spend a few extra shillings may purchase 
really beautiful varieties, and without much 
additional expense the pure white L. Skinneri 
alba may be purchased. With the latter 
acquirement an amateur may have every 
reason to be proud of his possessions, for he 
may rest assured that his horticultural neigh- 
bour will not fail to appreciate so chaste and 
beautiful a flower. 
Maxillaria grandiflora is in many ways 
Maxillaria grandiflora. 
The bulbs complete their growth with the 
finish of summer, and from that time onwards 
until the flowers are produced, only sufficient 
water to prevent the bulbs from shrivelling 
will be needed. Probably two or three plants 
of this Guatemalan species will be as many as 
an amateur will require, although hardly two 
will be found exactly alike in their flowers. 
On this account some of the large collections 
contain as many as a hundred plants, all 
showing some slight variation, and a special 
house is not unfrequently set apart for their 
cultivation. But amateurs need not be dis- 
couraged in reading this for a state of perfect 
similar to Lycaste Skinneri. The plants 
delight in a moist atmosphere in the cool 
house, that is, a place where the temperature 
averages 50 degrees, although a few degrees 
less will do no harm so long as the air is kept 
proportionally drier. The autumn sees this 
Peruvian species at its best, the erect flow'er 
stalks carrying elegant, deliciously fragrant 
white blooms, the lip marked with purple. 
No amateur should experience any difficult)- 
m cultivating this useful species, either in 
growing a small plant into a specimen or in 
obtaining floriferous results. For a compost 
nothing is better than fibrous peat with a 
