November 27, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
471 
is in bringing them through the hot plains, the great variation in 
temperature proving fatal to thousands of plants. IE they reach 
this country alive they generally lose a quantity of their leaves. 
No time should be lost in having them potted and placing them in 
a cool house. Masdevallias should never be allowed to become dry 
at the roots at any time. 
OnoNTOGLO-3SUMS. — Everyone that knows what an Orchid is 
will be familiar with at least one species — viz., O. crispum. 
This species is cultivated and imported more extensively than any 
other, and anyone who has been a frequent visitor to the London 
auction rooms could not fail to observe in what unpromising con¬ 
dition the importations are received. Often have paper bags of 
Piial.enopsis —Phalaenopses have been imported rather exten¬ 
sively of late by two or three of the leading London nurserymen, 
and small plants were at one time ofEered at 5s. each. So many 
plants have been lost in transit to this country that it has been 
found advisable to establish the plants on sticks or pieces of wood 
before sending them home. If they are much shrivelled when 
received they will be greatly benefited by spreading them out on a 
board or something similar for a short time till their leaves have 
become a little more firm, after which they may be placed in 
baskets or shallow pans, ^and suspended from the roof in the 
warmest stove. 
Pleione.— These will in all probability be imported in large 
Fig. 64.—CATTLEYA LINDENI. 
O. crispum been sold for 10s. Probably one-half of the plants 
•that were in the bag were nearly dead when they were bought; but 
the purchaser is well pleased with his bargain, for he knows that if 
he can only induce three or four pieces to grow he will have a 
•cheap ten shillings’ worth at the expiration of a couple of years. 
O. crispum and all the other species belonging to that section 
may be potted as soon as convenient in a mixture of peat and 
■sphagnum, with a little broken charcoal, and placed in a cool close 
house for a time till they commence growing, when more air can be 
-admitted, for they delight in a cool moist atmosphere. 
Oncidium. —This is an extensive genus, some species of which 
are very showy, yellow being the predominating colour in the 
flowers of many species. Oncidiums are extremely variable, some 
species having pseudo-bulbs longer than one’s fist, whilst others are 
quite destitute of pseudo-bulbs ; O. Lanceanum and O. luridum 
represent the latter section. It will be safe to say that all the 
species possessing pseudo-bulbs may be treated as advised for 
Odontoglossums, the majority of them coming from cool districts ; 
while, on the other hand, the luridum section requires the tempera¬ 
ture of the East Indian house. 
; masses, and should therefore be divided. There will be two or 
three-sized pseudo-bulbs. Each size should be potted separately 
and suspended near the glass in the stove or Orchid house. A 
mixture of fibry peat, loam, and sphagnum will suit them admir¬ 
ably. If the young growths are far advanced when imported great 
care should be taken not to injure the young roots, as they are 
produced with the growths. 
Saccolaiuum.— What has been advised in this paper for Aerides 
will apply with equal force to Saccolabiums, as they are very closely 
related to each other in general appearance. To grow Saccolabiums 
successfully they require a very high temperature. 
Vanda. —These form noble plants in the Orchid house when 
not in flower, and when V. tricolor and V. suavis are well in flower 
they are very handsome. Imported plants may be treated like 
Aerides, and when established should be potted in sphagnum and 
charcoal. 
I have only named a few of the most useful genera. It would 
be impossible to lay down any rigid rule for the guidance of 
amateurs, as so much depends on the condition in which Orchids 
I arrive, also whether they are from cool or tropical regions.—L. C. 
