May 3, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
o — 
O 0 o 
3rd 
Tn 
Liimasan Society at 8 P.M. Sale of Orchids at Mr. Stevens's 
4th 
P 
[Rooms, King Street, Covent Ctarden. 
5th 
S 
6th 
SDN 
SDNDAY AFTER ASCENSION. 
7th 
M 
[11 A.M. 
8th 
Tu 
Royal Horticultural Society, Fruit and Floral Committees at 
9th 
W 
Bath Spring Show. 
CALANTHES. 
0 time in the whole year is more season¬ 
able than the present to record notes 
about the cultivation of these Orchids, 
and no plants are worthy of greater care 
and attention. They will flower over a 
period of six months during the worst 
season of the year, and on this account are 
doubly valuable. But to insure this a 
number of plants are required, and these started 
at different intervals so as to flower in succes¬ 
sion. C. Turneri is decidedly the best for late 
flowering, and C. vestita lutea is also valuable for the 
same purpose. We removed our last spike of this 
variety on April 10th, and it had then one or two fresh 
flowers upon it. 
It has been advanced again and again that these 
plants being destitute of foliage during their season of 
flowering is a serious defect. Their peculiarity of 
flowering in this condition I regard an advantage 
rather than otherwise, because the plants can be taste¬ 
fully arranged amongst Ferns, Zonal Pelargoniums, or 
any other suitable plants without taking up really any 
room in the house, and their pots and pseudo-bulbs can 
be hidden from view. If they retained their foliage 
after flowering they would require as much house room 
and care as Phaius grandifolius, but in their deciduous 
state their pots can be stored out of sight, or the soil 
shaken from the pseudo-bulbs and then placed thickly 
together in pans and stood amongst other plants until 
the time arrives for starting them into growth. 
When Calanthes are required to flower early in 
October they should be well started in growth by this 
time and rooting freely. If not yet started they must 
be pressed forward with all possible speed. The present 
is a good time to pot and start the general stock to 
flower during November, December, and January, while 
the varieties mentioned above may be retarded for some 
weeks longer. It must be borne in mind that Calanthes 
are like many other plants, and when required in flower 
either early or late they must be trained to start earlier 
or later as the case may be. To have flowers over the 
longest possible period is not the work of one season, 
but the result of several seasons’ care. 
Calanthes are of easy cultivation, and none need fail 
if only a moderate amount of care and attention is 
devoted to them ; but I have seen splendid batches of 
these plants ruined for two or three seasons by a few 
months of careless and ignorant treatment. By care¬ 
less watering in their early stages, pseudo-bulbs only 
half the size of those made during the previous year 
are often produced. The idea is prevalent that these 
plants are liable to degenerate ; but this is a mistake, 
and the failure is attributable in the majority of cases 
to some defect in their cultivation. 
In potting the pseudo-bulbs they can either be placed 
singly or a number together in each pot, according to 
the size of the specimens required. I prefer growing 
them singly, because I have always found wdien a 
number of pseudo-bulbs are grow r n in the same pot 
they do not develope and solidify so w r ell, which is j 
essential to the production of fine large spikes of bloom. 
When in pots singly they can be arranged more effec¬ 
tively amongst other plants than wdien a number are 
grown in large pots. If specimens are required it is 
not difficult to make them up after the spikes are well 
advanced without any injury to the plants or flow r ers. 
If the plants have remained in the pots in which they 
flowered up to the present time all the old soil can be 
shaken from them and their roots cut close back, 
leaving only sufficient to keep them steady in their 
new compost. In the case of C. Veitcliii a small stake 
is employed to secure the bulbs to until they form roots 
from the new growths. In the cultivation of these 
plants it is a mistake to employ very large pots, those 
5 inches in diameter being large enough for one or two 
pseudo-bulbs of the varieties of C. vestita. C. Yeitchii 
may be placed in the same size or smaller, and after¬ 
wards in others a size larger if strong. 
It is a common practice to place the plants at the 
commencement in the pots in which they are to flower, 
and by careful and judicious watering success maybe jj 
attained. On the other hand, an injudicious use of the 
w T ater pot is likely to render the soil sour before the 
roots have taken possession of it; and under these 
circumstances, instead of the pseudo-bulbs increasing in 
numbers and strength, they are sure to decrease. I 
recommend, in the case of C. Veitcliii especially, 
shifting the plants gradually, as the finest I have ever 
seen were the result of this system. 
The pots should be liberally drained, and then filled 
with the compost employed, placing a little silver sand 
just below the new growths starting at the base of the 
old pseudo-bulbs. The growths should be allowed to 
extend about 1 inch before being potted, and then 
allowed to rest upon the compost, and the pseudo¬ 
bulbs secured by the means indicated. The compost 
most suitable is equal parts of fibry peat and loam, a 
little cow manure previously prepared and passed 
through a fine sieve, to which is added a liberal quan¬ 
tity of coarse sand, broken charcoal, and a few T small 
bones. 
Watering must be very carefully done for some time 
after the pseudo-bulbs are first potted—in fact, until ; 
the roots have commenced growing freely. At first, if 
the house is kept moist and water syringed two or three 
times daily amongst the pots it will be sufficient. As 
soon as the roots are entering the compost just enough 
water should be given to prevent the soil becoming 
dust-dry, and as the roots extend more liberal applica¬ 
tions must be given. When in active growth Calanthes 
require a copious supply of water and weak stimulants 
frequently when tbeir pots are well filled with roots. 
They also require careful watering in their last stages 
of development until the foliage is entirely ripened, 
when water can be withheld. At first they should not 
be syringed until they have made plenty of roots, or 
their foliage is liable to become spotted, which will j 
also result from overwatering; but when the season ;; 
>'o 149 .—Vol. VI., Third Series. 
No. 1805 .—Vol. LXIX., Old Series. 
