424 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May SI, 1885. 
done in the way of that accomplished by the Daffodil Committee. Tho 
proper authorities of the Society should, on the recommendation of this 
meeting, make the Orchid Conference Committee a permanent one, and it 
should take step3 to secure the presence of Professor Reichenbach on the 
future Committee, which should go into this question in a systematic and 
scientific way. 
Mr. Lee : The question of the nomenclature of Orchids is an exceedingly 
difficult one ; I am afraid it is one that cannot be dealt with on this occasion. 
When we put this question down for consideration it was always hoped and 
expected that Professor Reichenbach would carry out his promise to come to 
this Conference, and we intended to refer the whole question to him, and to 
get him to give us a paper on the nomenclature of Orchids. 
MANURES FOR ORCHID3. 
The Chairman called on Mr. Alfred Borwick, who said : I have some 
diffileace in complying with the request of Mr. Lee, because the idea of 
anything like a manure is horrible to most Orchid growers. It has often 
been a source of regret to me, and no doubt many gentlemen here have felt 
the same, to see so many Orchids dwindle, if not possibly pass out of 
existence—not from any want of care or devotion, for that is generally in 
excess of the demand, but apparently from deficiency of strength, or, in 
other words, “ starvation.” I am led to think this must be the case from 
information conveyed by travellers and collectors, that birds throng the 
trees upon which Orchids are found, and that they supply in their dung a 
rich diet, containing, as it doe3, ammonia, phosphoric acid, and some potash, 
which is washed by the rains and dews into the interstices of the trunks, so 
that the plants not only enjoy the advantage offered by residence on living 
trees, but the stimulant and food provided by the birds. Terrestrial 
Orchids in the same way have the benefit of decaying vegetation, which 
supplies stores of ammonia. As soon as plants come into house cultivation 
there is at once an end to these rich manurial provisions, and they have to 
depend upon moss, peat, charcoal, and crocks, with possibly occasional 
charges of liquid manure, for their subsistence. In all the soils and 
ingredients used for potting Orchids there is little trace of potash or other 
manurial constituent, and nothing goes to promote the development of fibre 
in plants like potash. The aim is to produce bulbs of largest size and firmest 
growth, but that is impossible unless there are healthy roots in abundance, 
and these roots can obtain a sufficient amount of nourishment to supply the 
fibres, of which the bulbs mamly consist. The manure which I have used 
for some time is that of Messrs. J. Jensen & Co., 10, St. Helen’s Place, E.C., 
who are engaged in the manufacture of fish manure at the Loffoten Islands, 
the seat of the great Norwegian cod fisheries. When I tell you that this 
year, from early in February to Easter, no fewer than 32,000,000 of large fish 
were caught you can form some slight idea of the magnitude of the fisheries. 
The fish are gutted, the bodies salted for food, the livers so to make oil, 
while the heads and backs are available for manure. They are dried, 
pulverised, and reach England in the form and condition of flour. The 
average manurial constituents of dried codfish are 10 60 ammonia and 30 
phosphates. Grand as these ingredients are in themselves, they are wanting 
in one thing—viz., potash. If this is absent it i3 impossible to obtain perfect 
fertilisation ; wherever it is present in due degree the effect is astonishing 
in the vigour and rigidity of plant growth. Refined salts of potash and 
magnesia are added to the fish manure, and at once produce a perfect 
fertiliser of similar constitution to bird dung, and containing the essential 
constituents of ammonia, phosphoric acid, and potash, in the form most 
available for plants. In this manure there is no acid used. Fishbone is 
very gelatinous, and when sufficiently pulverised dissolves in the soil, so 
none is needed. Seeing, as I did, the effect of this combination on all pot 
plants, it struck me that Orchids might like it also. Last August I began 
to experimentalise upon a plant of Cymbidium Lowii, and requested my 
gardener to put half an ounce on the soil. We soon observed a darker 
colour in the foliage ; in four or five weeks two strong growths appeared, 
which proved to be flower spikes as they grew; more fish potash was added 
from time to time. Since then there are five breaks, four of them of strength 
sufficient to content anyone. I then ordered it3 use for all terrestrial 
Orchids, Lycastes, Calanthes, Sophronites, Phaius, Zygopetalums, Odonto- 
glossums, Masdsvallias, Dendrobiums, and even for Oncidiums and Loelias. 
So far vigour seems to be on the ascendant, and I see no reason whatever to 
retire from the line taken up, or to alter my views. The plan of operations 
is simple. My gardener uses more peat round the sides of the pots, and he 
merely dusts the peat with a pinch of the manure, and wherever the fish 
potash is there the roots work. Mr. Wm. Bull told me a fortnight ago that 
it was a vexed question as to what extent manures could be used for the 
cultivation of Orchids, and one which demanded the consideration of growers. 
The manure to which I have alluded is very easily obtained and applied. I 
would not recommend anyone to make trials, except on plants of little 
value, and then no harm can be done ; if it is found serviceable in the way 
indicated, there will then be time to consider a wider application. 
Mr. James : For some years past we have been in the habit of using 
horse urine, and it has proved very beneficial, especially in the growing 
season. We are using it largely for the stages and paths at night, when 
quickly there arises such a heavy dew. I think if we take into considera¬ 
tion what Mr. Borwick has already hinted at, that plants invariably suffer 
extremely after carrying their heavy spikes, and this seems to impress upon 
one the thought that there is some necessity for sustaining the strength. 
The question has been raised of late years as to whether Orchids benefit 
from having their spikes removed after they are formed. I have no doubt 
in my own mind that it is of advantage if you want to gain strength for 
the plant. I have instances of the best Odontoglossum Alexandras. Two 
years ago we took very special care of it. Soipehow a small slug got at it 
and ate the spike. It at once begun to make two bulbs, but most unfor¬ 
tunately last year the spike got eaten off again. The result has been that 
this year it ha3 made a double growth from each bulb, and it has now four 
leads to the plant, which has been accomplished in bad years ; and mar¬ 
vellous to say it has sent up nine spikes to the flower, an instance which 
I have not seen before in an Alexandra. One bulb has three spikes on the 
side of the double leaf. I take it for granted that this must be merely a 
question of strength from resting the plant. I think that as regards the 
question of nutriment, it is not so much a question of what kind is applied, 
but how it is applied. With reference to syringing, we have always used . 
weak liquid manure on to the surface of plants, and a moderately good 
practical rule is not to use it strong enough to injure the flower. I 
contend that the syringe is beneficial in the growing season, especially 
when the nights are genial and there are no frosts. I think that 
manure is quite beneficial, and I have satisfied myself on the many 
different things we have used. The difficulty with many in using arti¬ 
ficial manures is, that they begin by applying it too strong. They 
should ascertain what strength the plant is capable of bearing, and if this 
were done we should not have so many failures. 
Mr. Burbidge : I have no doubt that taking the spikes off plants mu3t 
be of the greatest possible benefit to the plant. 
Mr. Drewitt: I know an instance where a gentleman cut the spikes oven 
before the last flower on the spike had expanded, and it was owing to this 
practice that the plants were the finest specimens I ever saw. Mr. James 
tells us we must not use the manure too strong. I think the best point in 
Mr. Borwick’s speech was when he told us to use the manure on our 
common plants. Unless we have some more accurate data we are merely 
playing with fire. 
Mr. Heath (Cheltenham) : The question of watering Orchids with manure 
is a very difficult one. There is no doubt that many Orchid growers water 
their plants with manure, but they like to keep it to themselves. As regards 
Orchids, we have not used it over the tops of the pots. We had an Odonto¬ 
glossum Rossi, and we used on several occasions cow manure, sheep manure, 
and horse manure, and we also used in addition a small quantity of soot. 
We found our plants were very vigorous for a year or two, but after that we 
were bound to wash the entire plants out, for we found they got rather a 
yellow hue. Since that time we potted them, and instead of watering them 
overhead we have thrown down in the house nitrate of soda and ammonia. 
We find that where ammonia has been thrown down the plants became of a 
most brilliant green colour. We have had that now for six years. 
Dr. Masters said : With reference to this question of manuring we must 
go back to first principles. In the first place we do not know the chemical 
composition of the leaf or of the flower, nor indeed any part of the Orchid 
plant. Until we know that we cannot have any definite rule as to the right 
manure to supply and the right time to do so. It may, however, certainly 
be said without fear of contradiction that all plants (Orchids not excepted) 
want food. What is the right food to give them, and at what time ? The 
proper food to be given them at one time is that which will make bulb and 
leaf, and which at another will enable them to form flower and seed. The 
structure of Orchids also is most extraordinarily diversified. The internal 
structure in the same genus differs widely, but whether the food to be given 
should be correspondingly different, must be found out in the future. 
Mr. James : Do we understand that this Orchid Conference will be 
repeated at a future time? If so, I may suggest that on a future occasion 
we might exhibit plants that have been subjected to the various methods of 
treatment mentioned. 
The Chairman : I cannot give any promise that this Conference will be 
repeated, because we have hardly got so far as that. This Conference 
brings no grist to the mill of the Horticultural Society. It is done from a 
pure love of Orchid-growing. I should say, speaking from my own feeling 
on the subject, that this Orchid Conference should be repeated. 
After some further remarks the Conference broke up with the customary 
votes of thanks. 
POINSETTIA PULCHERRIMA. 
Probably most cultivators of this brilliant winter plant have their 
Poinsettias freely growing now. They were shaken out some time ago, 
repotted, and are on shelves in some well-heated structure making rapid 
growth preparatory to large and highly coloured whorls of bracts to set 
the houses aglow at Christmas time. Where fine heads are required 
irrespective of length of stem the plants cannot well be started too early, 
provided that conveniences are at hand for growing them on without 
check. When started early two conditions are essential to success—the 
plants must have heat sufficient to keep them healthy, and light to keep 
them as sturdy as is consistent with their nature. Not in all places where 
Poinsettias are required can these conditions be found. There may be 
heat but not light, and as a consequence the plants become drawn. By 
this cause are many failures, or at the best partial successes. A stove, it 
may be, is provided in which to flower the plants ; but this structure, 
being devoted to Ferns and foliage plants in the summer, requires to be 
shaded, and the other houses which afford the requisite heat are vineries, 
and their roofs are covered with foliage. But still those who have a stove 
in which a night temperature of 60° is kept up in winter expect to have 
Poinsettias, whether there is any suitable place for growing them in 
summer or not. Certainly a shaded stove or fernery is not suitable, 
neither is the vinery which is darkened by foliage. Now with these, and 
only these, conveniences—a shaded stove and vinery in which to prepare 
Poinsettias, the best plan to adopt is to d j fer starting the plants until late 
in the spring —i e., about the second or third week in May, and instead of 
growing them in shaded houses prepare the plants in light frames. 
Frames usually known as “cold” are really—or maybe made so— 
admirable miniature stoves in summer if the sun heat is carefully con¬ 
served and moisture afforded to make the atmosphere genial. These are 
very suitable in which to grow Poinsettias during the months of June, 
July, August, and September. This free, healthy, unchecked growth for 
four months is sufficient to prepare valuable decorative plants for winter 
effect. They may not be large or tall, but if they are healthy, dwarf, and 
have heads 6 to 8 inches in diameter, they will be exceedingly useful and 
attractive, and for many purposes indispensable. By starting the plants 
late it is seen their culture is greatly simplified, and the only structures 
necessary are a warm house in which to bloom them in winter, and plain 
frames or pits in which to grow them in summer. 
My first essays in Poinsettia-giowing were failures. I started my 
plants early, and could only grow them on under the shade of Vines, and 
hence their growth became weak and elongated, By starting later and 
