January 14, 1832. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
17 
of air to these parts, allowing it to burn freely for a time until 
it is thought the whole is well alight again, as green wood 
does not burn so evenly nor freely as dry wood when finally 
covered. The holes made in the sides should be covered again 
as before. 
The time required to keep the heap smothered depends upon 
the kind of wood employed ; where it is dry four days will be long 
enough, but where all is green five days will be necessary. Proceed 
to uncover the heap by commencing at the top to prevent the soil 
and manure becoming mixed with the charcoal by falling inwards, 
as would be the case if the bottom part was removed first;. If any 
signs of breaking afresh into flames occur have water at hand to 
CaTTLEYA LABI.ATA VERA, 
■ No Orchid for some years past his created so great a sensation 
as this, and as another large sale is announced for Friday next, 
January 15th, at Messrs, Protheroe & Morris’ Rooms, Cbeapside, 
Fig. 3,—CATTLEYA LABIATA VERA, 
extinguish them gradually as uncovering tikes p’ace. By allowing 
it to burn afresh at that stage the charcoal is quickly reduced to 
ashes and the labour lost through a few minutes’ neglect. We 
separate the charcoal into two sizes by removing the small parts 
with the aid of a half-inch sieve. What passes through the latter is 
useful for mixing with top-dressings of soil and manure for fruit 
tree borders, as it contains a good deal of ashes, and the larger 
pieces of charcoal keep so much better than when mixed with the 
small, as the air can the better pass amongst it. The reason why 
we use manure for covering the heap instead of soil is that the 
former is less likely to fall through between the pieces of wood 
piled endwise, and of course the charcoal is cleanerE. Molyneex, 
we take this opportunity of giving an illustration of a plant, for 
which we are indebted to Messrs, Sander & Co , St. Albans, who 
have already flowered several very distinct varieties. 
At the sale named Mr. F. Sander will offer an enormous specimen 
of this Cattleya, and the amount realised for it will be given 
as a New Year’s gift to the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. Messp. 
Protheroe & Morris have kindly consented not to charge commis¬ 
sion on the sale of this plant. “ The specimen is in specially 
grand condition. It is rare indeed that a collector cornes across a 
specimen of any kind of Cattleya so large as this is, but it is 
altogether extraordinary in the old labiata, for it is known to us 
that this Cattleya rarely grows into large specimens in its native 
