316 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ iprll 11 , 1 81 ) 0 . 
than crocks, and too much pot room. Roots of the epiphytal 
Orchid have, like leaves, a love of light and air, and in many species 
seem never so happy as when wandering where they will out of the 
pot or basket, and free of the material it contains. This seems 
mainly useful as a medium for conducting moisture to their highly 
absorbent surfaces. Roots as of the Vandas I find are never so 
vigorous and so free as when the crocks are merely surfaced with a 
bright living layer of sphagnum that admits the air. It requires 
more attention to watering than a dense mass of it would ; but a 
ready supply and quick passage of water is essential to the welfare 
of an Orchid root in active growth. Preferably I repot the plants 
at the time found to be best for each, just as they show signs of 
fresh growth, but never wait for any time if a plant is out of 
health. Anything is better than leaving a plant alone, either in ill 
health or under conditions conducive to it. A sick plant has 
usually to go into a lesser pot or basket, and a small raft or block is 
often a better convalescent home than either. 
A Friend in the Orchid House. 
I would just speak one word for my friend the green tree 
rog. May his tribe increase, though it never does so iii this 
country. I have provided him with what seemed a desirable 
family residence. I have grown tropical aquatic plants for him, 
and made tempting little marshes in shady places, but he has only 
sat and croaked in them. With the exception of the toad, he is 
the only legitimate fauna of the Orchid house. The difficulty is 
to keep him in bounds, as he will get out if possible by any avail¬ 
able outlet, such as an ill-fitting door bottom, or unguarded venti¬ 
lator. All my openings are in the roof near the top, and 1 have 
to fix sheets of perforated zinc over the apertures to keep the frogs 
inside. The holes in the zinc are just large enough to be too small 
for bees to get through. Bees I found to be an abomination in 
the Orchid house because of their fertilising the flowers. I have 
caught many “ b'lmbles ” and other bees with the pollinia masses 
of Orchid flowers projecting on their heads, and they have 
set many of the flowers, and so shortened the life of fertilised 
blooms. 
The green frog is a night feeder, and so a most welcome devourer 
of such pests as come forth in the night, and are also active enough 
to attract his attention. The slug is too slow for him, but he is 
partial to the woodlouse, and will take the running ant and the 
untidy spider, whom he arranges to catch while the spider is catch¬ 
ing his fly, “thus saving the middleman’s profit.” Though he 
largely sleeps through the high day, he is always “ at home ” to 
the bluebottle on the buzz. He will also toward evening take 
amazing pains to secure a gnat, and 1 have seen him patiently stalk 
even such small deer as midges. 
The tree frog finds himself in food, and drinks of the dews on 
the glass. I never knew him do act of damage to a flower or a 
tender growth. He always looks before he leaps, and that is 
always from one sure foothold to another. He is in no danger 
of drowning in the watertanks, for he swims well, and can walk 
out up the perpendicular sides. His feet are only half webbed, 
with toes provided with suckers that give him a faultless foothold. 
I take the precaution, however, of guarding the evaporating troughs, 
through which pipes run, for I feel sure he cannot like getting into 
hot water. 
I cannot here think of inflicting upon you the list of the 
Orchids in our collection, but I have the books with me, and any 
one who wishes is welcome to see them afterwards. I am indebted 
to Mrs. Horner for a correct list, and for many interesting records 
most carefully and systematically kept, as to the species in bloom 
by week and month for several years past, and other details. 
The End. 
Now I think I have lectured—or papered—long enough, perhaps 
more. I am conscious that the topics follow in a somewhat chance 
and motley way, like coloured beads strung haphazard on a thread ; 
but I hope this has not left a confused impression of what I wished 
to say. If I have written too much, or too much as an enthusiast, 
you are of those who best will know how to allow for it. To 
excuse myself by telling you how long it is since I loved flowers 
would be to take you very far back in my life, for I grew and 
flowered the first plant to call my own when a child of seven years. 
It was only a common Tare or Vetch, and I trained it in the 
nursery window ; or, if I might a moment draw aside the blind in 
a sick room window, it would be to let you see a little child all but 
given up for death. His empty medicine bottles, however, were 
by-and-by refilled with water, and pieces of Nasturtium placed in 
them. My father had put them there for me to amuse me as I got 
better, and I watched them strike root and grow. For many years 
after we enjoyed together the culture of florist and other flowers, 
and among them were a few Orchids. —F. D. Horner, LowfiddSf 
Burton-in-Lonadale, Kirlcby Lonsdale. 
PEACH GROWING IN FLORIDA. 
Anyone accepting “Waldo’s’’invitation on page 253, and going 
out without any further information, would be much disappointed 
Fia. 40. —narcissus pseudo-narcissus bicolor empress (seep.321).- 
on reaching Florida. I know something about the requirements of 
a Peach tree, and have seen them growing, or “attempting” to 
grow, in Florida, and came away under the impression that Peach 
growing in that country was not likely to be very successful. 
Anyone wishing to grow Peaches under similar conditions to those 
I saw there must plant them in white sand containing only a very 
trifling addition of decayed vegetable matter, give them a bottom 
heat of 73° or thereabouts when starting into growth, with roots- 
kept very dry, a dry atmosphere and temperature ranging from 
