806 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 10. 188?. 
should be left for watering. Coelogyne cristata and Lycaste Skinneri 
are improved in their growth by leaf soil being added to the peat and 
sphagnum, and the Pleiones are the better for leaf soil and bonemeal. 
Let me here strongly recommend that all Orchids should be repotted 
every year at least, and all decaying material, or any not having roots 
in it removed, and replaced with fresh material. This will be found 
to keep the plants in better health than where the system of top-dressing 
is resorted to and the plants allowed to go on for perhaps two or three 
years without being potted. The consequence of such treatment is 
that when the plants are turned out of their pots, the roots are found 
in a very bad state. The plants thus receive a check from which 
recovery is often a slow business. 
There are a few plants that may be allowed to go for two or three 
years without repotting, and they are those the roots of which adhere 
firmly to the sides of the pots or baskets, rather than to the material in 
which they are potted. With all the terrestrial and with most of the 
epiphytal Orchids, this year overhauling will be found to do them good. 
The system of top-dressing should be guarded against, and never carried 
to excess, as is often done. 
The best time for potting the different species and varieties is a most 
essential point in the successful culture of Orchids, and for which no 
“ hard and fast ” rules can be laid down, but it may be taken as a 
general rule that the best time is when the plants are starting into 
growth. 
Manures. —The question of applying artificial manures to Orchids 
is often raised. Some good growers recommend it, others equally 
experienced condemn it. But 1 think there are but few growers but 
will admit that some of the species are greatly benefited by the 
judicious use of manures, such as the application of bones, in the form 
of bone meal, for many of the terrestrial Orchids. One large grower I 
know speaks very highly of horse droppings, such as would be prepared 
for a Mushroom bed, being added to the potting material for Lycastes, 
and watering Odontoglossums with weak manure water, made by steep¬ 
ing the droppings in water some time before using. He says the 
different appearance of the foliage after the use of the manure water is 
marvellous, and he is gradually giving such treatment to the whole of 
his Odontoglossums. I do not recommend any radical change in the 
culture of Orchids where the plants are doing well, but experiments 
carefully carried out often lead to a more successful mode of treatment. 
Do not for a moment let us suppose that we have yet reached the limit 
of successful culture in Orchids, great as has been the stride made in 
that direction during the last few years. 
Watering. —When to water and when to withhold water is another 
most important question. As a general rule plauts require most water 
during their growing period, but even then great care must be taken 
not to overwater. The sphagnum growing on the surface of the pots 
will help as a guide to watering. To keep the sphagnum green and 
growing on all plants during their growing season, and on cool Orchids 
all the year round, will be the aim of most Orchid growers. Allowing 
to become partially dry before watering will in most cases ensure 
enough water to the plants. The plants under this treatment will pro¬ 
duce good growths and flower spikes in abundance. Guard against 
keeping the sphagnum always soaked so as to rot it; the growth made 
under such conditions is not the kind to flower freely. 
Stringing will be necessary during hot, dry weather ; it helps 
the plants as well as keeps down insect pests. As Dendrobiums, 
Oattleyas, &c., mature their growths, remove them to a cooler house 
where they can be more fully exposed to the light. But where this 
cannot be done, move them to the cool end of the house, and keep the 
syringe from them. I am no advocate of the dry system that is still too 
common amongst Orchid growers, of keeping many of their plants quite 
dry after having matured their growths. 
After syringing during the afternoon shut the house up close for 
about an hour afterwards. This greatly helps the plants, and is a 
system I follow with good results. Watering during the winter months 
is best carried out in the morning, and during the summer it will be 
necessary to look over the plants twice a day. Although I mention 
those times as being generally the most convenient, never let a plant 
suffer by want of water, however often and at whatever time it may 
require it. The true plant lover (and he is generally the successful 
plant grower) watches over his plants with care and attention, knowing 
the watchful eye to be essential to success. No other person can see so 
much beauty in a plant or flower as the painstaking and watchful cul¬ 
tivator who has followed the plant through all the various stages of its 
growth—it may be from the small seed. And is it to be wondered at if 
he sees beauty where others fail to see anything ? This, I think, accounts 
for gardeners often estimating their own products as superior to others, 
for they believe them to be so, and the conviction is the result of the 
intense interest that careful cultivation encourages. 
Shading. —It will be necessary to protect the plants from bright 
sunshine, and for that purpose there is nothing better than roller blinds. 
The material known as hexagon netting is very suitable, admitting 
plenty of light, yet breaking up the sun’s rays, so that no burning or 
scalding of the plants takes place under it. The advantage of a roller 
blind over permanent shading is considerable, and the latter should 
never be adopted where the rol ler blinds can be had. In dull weather 
the blinds should not be used, and in fine weather they ought to be 
rolled up early in the afternoon to allow as much light as possible to 
reach the plants without causing scorching. With plenty of light the 
plants make sturdy well-ripened growths, one of the necessary con 
ditions to ensure free flowering. During the autumn and winter months 
it will not be necessary to use the shading, as all the light we obtaia 
then will be beneficial to the plants. 
Insects. —Cleanliness is next to godliness ; and as regards plants— 
whether it be Orchids or any other plant—cleanliness is of the first 
importance. The greatest of Orchid pests, and the most diflacult to. 
eradicate, is yellow thrips. For the destruction of this insect there is 
nothing better 1 know of than dipping the plants in tobacco water, to 
which some softsoap has been added. After dipping lay the plants on 
their side to drain, afterwards syringe with clean water, and where they 
are troublesome repeat the operation at intervals of about a fortnight 
until they are got rid of. For scale there is nothing better than spong¬ 
ing the plants carefully with soap water, or some of the many insectj- 
cides recommended for this purpose. For green fly we have found the 
carbon vapour cones very effectual. It is well known that tobacco 
smoke causes the leaves of the Odontoglossums to turn yellow and drop, 
so that where they are grown it is better not to use it as an insecticide. 
If the plants are looked over periodically and cleansed insects on. 
Orchids are never troublesome, and, as I have already said, the plants aa 
well as the houses ought to be kept scrupulously clean at all times. 
Diseases. —What is known as “ spot ” will be found one of the 
most troublesome to keep clear of. There seems to be great difference 
of opinion as to the cause of it. I am inclined to attribute it to cold, 
the plants receiving a chill at some time or other. One thing is certain, 
if any of the hot section should be kept too long in the cool house spot 
very soon appears on the plants, and is a sure sign the plant is suffering 
from cold. 
Seedling Orchids. —The raising of seedlings of any plant is in¬ 
teresting work, but with Orchids it is more so than with most plants. 
Some of the causes for this may be that the so-called species as laid 
down by botanists do not appear very definite, often we cannot tell 
where one species leaves off and another begins, so that we may safely 
conclude there is a wide field open to the hybridist. As a general rule, 
we find that few species of other flowering plants will cross with one 
another, but with Orchids I do not think this difficulty exists to near 
the same extent. My experiments in this direction have not extended 
over many years yet, but the results so far are encouraging. 1 have 
found that not only species will cross with one another, and that even 
genera do not stop the pleasure to be derived from this interesting 
work. From the experiments I have already carried out I am inclined 
to think that most of the Orchids will cross with one another, as we 
find suitable seed-bearing plants. I am further strengthened in this 
belief by the construction of Orchid flowers resembling one another to a 
greater extent than is to be found amongst other flowering plants. If 
we take two of the widest apart genera, amongst other Orchids say 
Cypripedium and Odontoglossum, we find that cross-fertilisation will be 
a difficult matter, but, I think, will yet be accomplished. 1 have often 
tried to get a cross between the two, but until this season I have never 
noticed that the pollen mass of the one has had any effect on the other ;. 
but this season I have succeeded this far, that the pollen from Cypri¬ 
pedium has affected the stigma of Odontoglossum, so as to close on the 
pollen and cause the ovary to swell. In the Cypripediums the pollen 
is broken up into single grains, while in Odontoglossum the pollen is in 
a mass and not granular. This would make a cross between the two 
genera the more remarkable. I am aware that the swelling of the 
ovary does sometimes take place without any seed being developed, but 
on the other hand the aflinity between the two genera must be very 
close for the pollen of one to take any effect on the stigma of the other, 
for I take it there must be some effect before the ovary begins to swell, 
beginning when the stigmatic disc closes on the pollen masses. 
That is one of the interesting parts connected with crossing Orchids ; 
another is the raising of the seedlings and the careful watching they 
