410 
[ June S, l&M. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
house suits it much better. The plants should be suspended near 
the glass in baskets filled with sphagnum. They require plenty of 
moisture while growing and flowering, and should never on any 
account be allowed to get dry. Given these conditions this interest¬ 
ing plant succeeds admirably. Two small plants have been flower¬ 
ing in the warm Orchid house at Kew recently, and were very 
attractive.—C. K. 
Spot in Orchids. 
I HAVE pointed out on several different occasions that this 
disease is brought into existence by the method of culture the 
plants receive. I am more than ever convinced that this is the 
case, and have succeeded in arresting its progress and growing the 
plants out of it. I have seen whole plants destroyed, not only the 
leaves, but the pseudo-bulbs as well, therefore the cause and 
remedy may be pointed out. Spot generally makes its appearance 
during the winter, which is unquestionably the most critical period 
of the year for these plants. In very many cases the seeds of the 
disease have been sown during the season of growth. It may arise 
from the application of too much water, the tissues of the plants 
bee )ming surcharged with it. This not only entails double the 
work of evaporation by the leaves, but the actual temperature of 
the plant may be lowered if the water applied should be several 
degrees lower than that of the house. Again, the plants may be 
grown in too much heat and moisture with the addition of over¬ 
shading. This treatment results in rapid growth, but it is made at 
the expense of that stability which is essential to proper develop¬ 
ment. The plants are checked and predisposed to disease, which 
sooner or later develops itself. Heat, air, water, judicious atmo¬ 
spheric conditions, and shade are necessary to build up a perfectly 
healthy growth. If slow but sturdy growth is made the plants are 
healthy, and better able to resist disease of any kind. Cold water 
alone poured over the plants and persisted in will cause spot, and 
this is largely aggravated by such treatment as has been 
pointed out. 
Spot is the result of a too low temperature during the winter, 
combined with too much water and too much moisture in the atmo¬ 
sphere. When this treatment follows the growth of the plants is 
made under unfavourable conditions, and what can be expected but 
disease of some kind? When spot appears amongst Cattleyas 
steps should be taken to prevent it spreading. This can be accom¬ 
plished by raising the temperature, maintaining a drier atmosphere, 
and giving no more water than is absolutely necessary to keep the 
plants fresh and plump. The treatment during the growing season 
must al'O be regulated, so that the plants make strong pseudo¬ 
bulbs properly stored with nourishment instead of water. Half 
the failures that occur in the growth of these plants, independent 
of spot, are due to too much water. 
At one time we treated Masdevallias to a much lower tempe¬ 
rature throughout the year than we do now. The result was that 
the plants became badly spotted in the foliage. Our practice has 
been a similar temperature during the summer with plenty of air, 
but a higher temperature during the winter. This means a more 
average temperature throughout the year, and the result is that the 
p'anis have grown better and their foliage is free from spot. 
When the matter is fully considered the average temperature may 
appear suitable to their growth, but the variations to which they 
are subjected destroy them or, to say the least, bring about disease. 
I have known Phalaenopsis spot when planted upon blocks of 
wood with their bases in pans of water. Capillary attraction 
took place to such an extent that the plants were kept too wet. 
Thi plants overcame this condition by slightly different treatment, 
— lamely, less moisture, a little more air during the season of growth, 
and no water in the pans during the winter. I have also cured 
this disease amongst Cattleyas by giving less water during the 
season of growth, more light and air, more heat in winter, careful 
watering, and less moisture in the atmosphere, being careful to 
admit a chink of this whenever favourable.—W. B. 
An Amateurs’ Orchids. 
At the rear of the large drapery establishment of Messrs. 
M rgan & Son, High Street, Great Marlow, I had the pleasure 
of insp eting, through the invitation of Mr. W. J. Morgan, the 
jiin or partner of the firm, his highly interesting and, in some 
respects, unique collection of Orchids. It is not often my good 
foi tune to meet with a cultivator who has successfully mastered 
the rechnicalilies of Orchid culture by the sole aid of his Journal 
and his own observations at such times as the onerous duties 
of a large business would allow. Mr. W. J. Morgan is an 
enthusiastic orchidist, and it is therefore not a matter of surprise 
that the increase of his floral treasures is in excess of the time 
be can possibly devote to them. One item I observed that 
rr fleeted much credit on the cultivator, and to some extent 
accounted for the generally healthy tone of the whole collection, 
was the very efficient way the potting, basketing, and blocking— 
a stumblingblock to most amateurs who receive no professional 
aid—was done. The quantity, quality, and density of the com¬ 
posts were most skilfully observed, and employed in the most 
approved manner for the various genera, species, and varieties 
treated. When I saw the plants in the short dull days of early 
spring the display of flowers was moderately gay, while the 
numerous racemes and panicles of many species of Odontoglossums, 
Cymbidiums, and Oncidiums, with the visible peduncles and buds 
of Cypripediums, Masdevallias, and Lycastes gave promise of a 
continuous display for some time to come. 
Certainly the most noteworthy plant at the time of my visit was 
Lycaste Skinneri, a large plant, which was at that early date 
carrying four very large fully expanded flowers, while a number of 
flower buds, strong and healthy, were emerging from the base of 
the leading pseudo-bulb ready to replace them when their by no 
means transient beauty was gone. The following is a description 
of this distinct variety :—Sepals and petals white, delicately 
suffused with rose ; lip large, slightly compressed, flesh-white in 
front, merging into lilac rose, and minutely spotted with crimson ; 
the anterior lacina rich crimson ; pseudo-bulbs longer and more 
compressed than the type, deep green, the long, solitary, plaited 
leaf being of the same colour. The plant, which has now flowered 
for the first time, is said to have been imported by Messrs. 
Lewis & Co., Southgate. (I enclose a photograph, also the work 
of an amateur, which shows the bold massiveness of the plant.) 
Other things of merit were Oncidium Kramerianum flowering the 
second time from the same spikes, the lip of this form being 
beautifully crisp and undulate ; Odontoglossum Pescatorei with a 
branched raceme ; Dendrobium Jamesianum, Maxillarias, Masde¬ 
vallias, Cypripediums and Cymbidiums in variety.—W. R. W. 
[The photograph, though indistinct, represents a plant of 
exceptional vigour.] 
Curious Formation of Cattleya Mendeli. 
I SEND a flower of Cattleya Mendeli of peculiar growth, which 
I thought might be of interest to Orchid growers. The plant is in the 
collection of S. Symington, Esq., The Brooklands, Market Har- 
borough. Last year it bore the same kind of flowers. It is in 
excellent health. Unfortunately the flower was past its best when 
Mr. Dunkley, the gardener, gave it to me.—J. G. 
[The flower is an abortive one, the tube being tightly folded 
and devoid of lip. The occurrence has been noted before.] 
NOTES ON BROCCOLI. 
The plot of land on which we grow our Broccoli, Brussels 
Sprouts, Savoys, and Kale, year after year is quite in the open. 
To this and the ear’y growth of the plants I attribute our success 
more than anything else. The plants are sturdy in character, 
owing to the exposed situation. We are now cutting good heads 
of Leamington and Late Queen. The former I consider to be the 
best Broccoli in existence for standing the winter. Our earliest 
supplies following the autumn Cauliflowers were from Michaelmas 
White, Sutton’s Mammoth coming next, both useful additions to 
Mr. Chinnery’s list on page 371, especially the last named, which 
gives good heads during December and January. No other sort 
will do this in our soil. With Broccoli like other things too many 
sorts are a nuisance. Ascertain which is the best for any soil and 
site, and stick to it. That is the common sense of the question. 
We make but one sowing, and that about the third week in 
March. Instead of pricking out the plants on a border, to be after¬ 
wards planted in their final quarters, we plant direct from the 
seed bed to the ground prepared for them as soon as they are 
large enough to plant with a dibber, choosing, if possible, showery 
weather for the work. In this way the plants make an early 
start, and by the autumn the stems are quite hard and matured 
as it were, and in a much better condition to withstand severe 
weather than when the growth is late and sappy, which results 
from deferring the sowing until the end of May, and again losing 
time by transplanting to temporary quarters on a north border. 
This, in my opinion, is not by any means the best site on which 
to prepare the plants to withstand very severe weather. 
If those persons who do not obtain the success they desire 
would try the plan of sowing the seed earlier, and thus give the 
plants a longer season of growth, I fancy they would be better 
pleased with the results. Where the land is ready for the plants it 
seems waste of time to transplant them on to a border for a few 
weeks and then to spend more time on finally planting them. 
We neither fork between the rows nor earth the plants up ; all 
that is done after planting is to keep weeds down by the aid of the 
hoe, which is also one of the best means for checking the ravages 
