588 
soon as the bulbs are about half grown. After potting and until 
the roots have got hold of the soil, water sparingly and place the 
plants under some sort of cover that will prevent the heavy rain 
from falling on them and lodging in the centre of the young shoots 
otherwise they are very apt to rot off. As growth progresses in- 
crease the amount of water, and as soon as the young shoots begin 
to fill out and show the form of the parent pseudo-bulb they may 
be exposed to all the rain and supplied with liquid manure once a 
week until the bulbs are fully grown when the amount of water 
should be diminished as there is much moisture m the pseudo-bulbs, 
and too much water will cause them to rot. At this stage the nower 
scapes will be pushing up and the leaves turning yellow, and by 
the time the flowers are past there will also be no leases h tt on the 
plants. At this period the/ should be placed in some dry place 
and not receive a drop of water until they commence growing 
again of their own accord when repotting must be done and the 
same process gone over again as already described. I he com- 
mencement of growth and season for repotting is about F ebruary 
dr March, and \>y growing different species plants are in flower from 
the end of September up to the end of January. Calanthe vestita, 
and the var. Calanthe vestita oculata, and 0. rosea from Burma, 
which are the best of the species, are the first to come in flower. 
C. Rubens from Lankawi, and C. Regnierii, from Siam, come m 
later. There are in addition to these many beautiful hybrids the 
result of crossing C. Rosea with C. Vestita, of which C. Yeitchii is 
the best known here and a beautiful plant. We are this season 
growing several new ones which I have not yet seen but which are 
showing for flower. I may here say that the best time to report or 
transplant almost any orchid is when new roots are just seen be- 
ginning to push out, and before these have attached themselves to 
the object or material in or on which they are growing, ii done 
at this stage and the new substance to which they are attached, or 
the soil in which they are potted, as the case may be, is suitable, 
and other conditions favourable, a strong healthy young growth and 
subsequently abundant flower is the result. Position, that is to say 
the proper amount of exposure to sunlight, when one can ascertain 
what that is ; is of greater importance than the material used for 
potting or the kind of wood on which the plants are fastened. 
Some kinds require all the sun that can lie given them and icfuse 
to flower under any other conditions. Renan Lheras, all the species, 
also Vanda teres, and Vanda Uookeri are example of these direct 
sun- loving orchids, but in the majority of cases, partial shade is 
what is requisite. 
C. CURTIS. 
LOCAL FRUIT PRESERVES. 
Halwa " or “ Manisax. ” 
There are a good many fruits growing in the Peninsula which 
are well worth preserving, but beyond the Pineapple very little is 
