THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
j October 31.] 
| chiefly in spring and summer. Do either for trellises or 
j pillars. 
Leschenaultiaformosa, scarlet; oblata, orange ; biloba 
superba , blue. Peat and loam. Flower nearly con¬ 
stant, if allowed to do so. 
Meterosidcros tomentosus, red bunches of filaments. 
Peat and loam. 
Pimelea rosea, rose red ; Hendersonu, rosy-pink; 
spectabilis, whitish-pink; Nieppergeana, yellowish. Sandy 
peat with a little loam. Bloom chiefly in the latter end 
of sirring and summer. 
, Primula sinensis, Jlorc pleno, white and red varieties. 
Peat and loam. Flower from Christmas to June. 
| Culture in our third volume. 
j Mandevilla suaveolens, pure white. Does best scram- 
! bling over the roof. 
| S'tatice: all the greenhouse species are desirable. 
Sandy loam with a little peat; if allowed, almost con- 
j stant bloomers. 
Stylidium androceum, white; Drumgwndii, pink; scan- 
dens, rose. Sandy loam and a little peat. Summer, 
autumn, and winter flowering. 
Tropceolmn tricolorum, orange and purple; azureum, 
blue. Good for trellises, for pillars, and rafter. Pcn- 
taphyllum may be used for summer, and Lobbianum for 
winter; the first—orange yellow, and green; the 
second—orange red, and which will make a brilliant ap¬ 
pearance during the whole of the winter months. There 
is, also, Dickerianum, scarlet, green, and blue; highly 
recommended. 
Tacsonia jasminoides, pink and blush. Peat and loam. 
Good for roof; flowers all summer. 
Zichya: allied, and requiring similar treatment* to 
Kennedya, but well fitted for training round orbicular 
trellises. Coccinea, scarlet; hetrophylla, purple; tricolor, 
red, yellow, purple; formosa florihunda, orange red. 
Peat and loam. Blooms in spring and summer. 
The newest, and, therefore, the most expensive of this 
abridged list, are generally placed last, though none 
mentioned are expensive. I have not noticed Azaleas — 
the best varieties may be added to those mentioned the 
other week. Jf wanted to bloom early, keep them at the 
warmest end of the house; if late, at the coolest. 
Camellias have also been passed over. Similar treat¬ 
ment for these will be required as for the Azalea; and if 
anxious for what is new and strikingly good, purchase 
i Drysdalii as soon as it is to be bad. 
Heaths have not again been alluded to. If a collection 
is aimed at, they must be kept at the coolest end of such 
! a house, and plenty of air be allowed to breeze away 
among them whenever the external temperature reaches 
40°, unless it should either be very dam]) and foggy, 
or blowing something like a miniature hurricane. 
R. Fisii. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
EXOTIC oechidacea. 
orchids that thrive best ox blocks (Continued from 
page 36). 
Renanthera coccinea (Scarlet R.); China. — Sepals 
pale scarlet, irregularly marked with a deeper colour; 
I petals scarlet, striped with yellow; lip yellow, haired 
! with scarlet. 21s. 
Culture. —This is frequently called the “ Chinese air 
plant.” The natives, when they meet with a plant show¬ 
ing flower, cut off the upper portion of the plant with 
the roots attached to it, bring it home, and hang it up in 
j then - “ best parlour.” In that situation it soon comes 
| into flower, and delights the inhabitants with its high- 
i coloured and insect-like blooms for a long season. The 
j flowers are produced on long panicles, frequently 
| branched, and very numerous. It is, however, with 
65 ! 
, ordinary treatment very difficult to flower; the reason 
: for its failing to produce blossom is the too uniform heat ( 
| and moisture of the orchid house. As it is when in 
' bloom a truly splendid object, we shall try to describe 
the methods adopted by the best growers of the day to 
cause it to flower. The year must be divided into three 
seasons, and the plant must be at least four feet high 
before it will be strong enough to bloom. The first 
season will be one of rest, commencing now, the first 
week in November, and continuing to the end of February. 
This rest must be induced by placing the plant in a 
house, the heat of which never exceeds 60° by day, nor 
falls lower than 50° by night. No water must be given 
to it, nor moisture in tire ah - , except what arises from 
the watering of' the other plants in the house. The next 
season is one of growth, commencing in March and con¬ 
tinuing to the end of June. During this season the plant 
must be placed in the Indian house ; the temperature of 
which, for the first two months, should be 70° by day 
and 60° by night; for tire second two months, 85° by 
day and 70° by night; these are the maximum heats. In 
dull weather they may be five degrees lower. During 
this season abundance of moisture should be given. The 
plant should be syringed eveiy day, and the pipes or 
flues, paths, and walls, thoroughly wetted morning, noon, 
and evening, to cause a moist atmosphere. By this 
liberal treatment the plant will grow freely and strongly, 
and put forth numerous thick fleshy roots. The third 
season will be the flowering one. In this the temperature 
should be as high as the second, but comparatively dry ; 
the syringing should be gradually reduced, and the plant 
placed as near the glass as possible. In this season the 
flower-stems will probably appear even the first year - , if 
thq plant has made short jointed strong growths. If 
it does not flower the first year, do not despair, but fol¬ 
low the same course the following season, and that result ; 
will be almost certain to follow. The way to grow the 
plant is to first procure a strong upright branch of a tree 
(cork tree is the best, elm, or acacia, the next best), 
fasten the plant to it with zinc wire. If the plant is 
young, the branch should be at least 6 ft. high; if it be 
more it need not be shortened, because the Renanthera 
is a quick grower, and will soon reach the top. Place a 
little moss here and there on the block to hold mois¬ 
ture and encourage growth dining the growing season. 
As smu as the plant is properly and neatly fastened to 
the block, place it in either a basket made of willow or a 
large garden-pot, fill round the block firmly some chopped 
sphagnum, pressing it down so hal'd as to enable the 
block to stand upright securely and independently; it 
can then be removed conveniently, with care, into the 
different houses required to induce rest and flower. 
When it is in flower, it will be desirable to place it in 
a cool dry house, which will prolong the bloom a month 
longer at least. Such is the treatment Renanthera coc¬ 
cinea requires to cause it to flower, and the same course 
will answer for a great number of the Indian orchids 
that are rather shy; Vanda Ratcmannii, Roxburglm, 
tricolor, suavis, teres, of Aerifies various species, and 
Saccolabiums, also will flower more freely if treated simi¬ 
larly, excepting, perhaps, not quite so low a temperature 
dui'ing the season of rest. 
Rodriguezia secunda (Side-flowering R.); Trinidad.— 
The whole flower is of a pale scarlet; they are produced 
on spikes about eight inches long; the flowers are ar¬ 
ranged in two rows, all facing one way. It is a very 
ornamental species, and when well grown is really hand¬ 
some. 21s. There are some other species that are pretty, 
but of a pale straw colour with crimson dots. The best 
are named R. crispa and R. planifolia. 
Culture. —Place them on a block with a small por¬ 
tion of moss attached, in a moist house, and shaded from 
the sun whilst growing; and when the pseudo bulbs are 
fully formed keep them cooler and dry. 
