330 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



layer of sphagnum moss on the top to keep the soil from choking 

 the drainage. If the water cannot pass away quickly, the plants 

 will soon show an unhealthy appearance, the tips of the leaves 

 damping off. When this is seen they should be shaken out 

 forthwith and replaced with clean potting material, for if left 

 any length of time the tubers will decay. 



The Potting Compost 



should consist of three parts spongy peat with bracken fern 

 roots in it, such as is obtained from any rough moorland. It 

 should be pulled into small pieces, with a little turfy loam added 

 with plenty of fibre in it, and a little decomposed cow manure 

 which has been thoroughly baked to kill all insect life. These 

 ingredients should be passed through a half-inch sieve to take the 

 small out, using only that which does not go through, and putting 

 among it plenty of coarse sand, lumps of sandstone and charcoal, 

 and mixing all well together. 



Carefully knock the plants out of their pots, damaging the 

 roots as little as possible. Some growers pot them quite flat, 

 and I have tried it myself, but I find that by elevating them a 

 little above the pot's rim they seem to do much better, and are 

 not so liable to damp off at the collar, the water leaving them 

 more quickly. A thin wooden label is very useful in working the 

 new soil round the plant, finishing off with a little sphagnum 

 and small pieces of sandstone. 



After potting take back to the winter quarters, giving them a 

 good watering with tepid water through a fine rose ; they will not 

 then require any more for several days, only to be kept moist by 

 the syringe. The one I use is Stotts's patent, which discharges 

 water almost like dew falling on them. They will require 

 watering at the roots as well if they appear to be dry, which 

 is ascertained by the sphagnum turning a light colour. Tapping 

 the pots with the knuckles, as is done with other plants, is 

 no use, for having extra drainage and being potted rather 

 lightly they would sound hollow, perhaps, when quite saturated. 

 When the sun is at all hot and shining on them they will 

 require shading. Roller blinds are the best : they can be drawn up 

 when it is at all dull or cloudy. Disas like to be near the 

 glass, and to receive abundance of light at all times. 



About February the roots will be working in the new com- 



