COMMONPLACE NOTES. 
197 
COMMONPLACE NOTES. 
EXPEDITIONS TO NEW GUINEA. 
We are informed that Mr. L. B. Conolly and Mr. N. McNeill are 
contemplating an exploring expedition to New Guinea and other 
Pacific Islands, and are hoping to spend two years in the former 
island, crossing it and exploring especially the regions near the Dutch 
border and making scientific collections there. Fellows interested 
in the enterprise may obtain information from Mr. McNeill at 
29 Newman Street, Oxford Street, W. 1. 
CYPRIPEDIUM FAIRRIEANUM. 
Many growers experience difficulty with this beautiful species, and 
perhaps none has had greater success than Mr. W. H. St. Quentin, 
of Scampston Hall, Rillington, York. Mr. St. Quentin has very 
kindly sent us the following information, partly communicated by his 
late gardener, Mr. F. Puddle, and partly supplied by himself. 
In potting this plant, two distinct layers of compost are used. 
The lower layer consists of two parts of Osmunda fibre or peat, one 
part calcareous loam, one part silver sand, and half a part crushed 
crocks. The upper layer is of two parts Osmunda fibre, one part 
Kent loam, two parts Sphagnum, and one part silver sand. It was 
found that the plants grew better with Sphagnum on the soil surface, 
but this would not grow in contact with calcareous loam, hence the 
two layers. The calcareous loam referred to came from the top spit 
of a limestone (oolite) hill. This limey loam was tried in various pro- 
portions, and the conclusion we came to was that, though this Cypri- 
pedium is decidedly a lime-lover, one part was sufficient proportion, 
and better than a larger one. This may possibly be due to its being 
rather " greasy " and retentive if used too freely. 
After potting, the surface of the compost is kept moist with a 
sprayer until the plants become established, after which they are 
watered moderately at all times. We think they are sometimes over- 
watered, even in the growing season, though our seedlings enjoyed an 
atmosphere in which the niveum section grew well. The summer 
temperature ranged between 65 0 and 75 0 , and the winter between 55 0 
and 65 0 ; but we believe our imported plants were better when we kept 
them with Odontoglossums in a cooler house at a rather lower tem- 
perature in winter. 
