January 23.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
257 
; will be attaining strength to start with power when the 
I stimulating materials of fresh compost, increased heat, 
light, and moisture, are applied at the commencement 
of the growing season. The time of flowering is, under 
such management, from May to July. 
Situation. —As these plants are all low growers, seldom 
exceeding a foot in height, they might to be placed 
pretty near the glass. If possible, they should not be 
further off than three feet, or nearer than two feet. 
Cycnoches barbatum (Bearded C.); New Granada.— 
Sepals and petals greenish white, spotted with pink; lip 
the same colours, and beautifully fringed; small flowers, 
but very pretty. New and rare. 63s. 
C. chlorochilum (Yellowish green lipped C.); Deme- 
rara. — This is a very fine plant, with large hand¬ 
some flowers. They are of a yellowish green colour; 
the lip being lighter. The column is gracefully curved 
like a swan’s neck, and the pollen masses form a head. 
This fanciful likeness is the reason for the first name, 
which is derived from the Greek words Icuclcnos, a swan, 
and auchen, the neck. It is commonly known in English 
as the Swan plant. The flower is very fragrant. 21s. 
C. Cummingii (Mr. Gumming’s); Sincapore.—Sepals 
and petals are white; the lip is the same colour, with a 
bright yellow spot in the centre. Very rare. 63s. 
C. Loddigesii (Mr. Loddiges’s); Surinam.—Sepals 
and petals greenish brown, thinly spotted with dull 
purple; the lip is white, blotched with dark red; very 
fragrant. This is a very desirable handsome species ; 
the spikes produce four or five large flowers each. 21s. 
C. Lobdigesii var. Leucochilum (White-lipped va- 
l'iety); Guiana. — Sepals and petals greenish yellow, 
blotched with brownish red; the lip, as the name im¬ 
ports, is white, shaded round with yellow. The flowers 
are very large, frequently five inches across. It is a 
desirable sweet-scented variety. Rare. 42s. 
C. maculatum (Spotted C.); Brazil.—The flowers are 
of a buff colour, spotted thickly with purple. The pseudo¬ 
bulbs are shorter than any other species; the flowers 
are produced on a long raceme, are rather small indi¬ 
vidually, but are very numerous on the spike. 42s. 
C. pentadactylon (Five-fingered C.); Brazil.—Sepals 
and petals pale yellow, tinged with green, and have 
[ broad chocolate coloured blotches; the lip is the same 
colour, and is divided into five parts like a man's hand; 
hence the second name. A curious interesting species. 
42s. 
C. ventricosum (Inflated C.); Guatimala.—The most 
common of the whole genus. It is very like C. cliloro- 
cTiilum, but not so large. It is the most sweet-scented of 
all, and the most easy to cultivate. 15s. 
C. ventricosum var. Egertonianum (Sir Philip Eger- 
ton’s var.)—This is a most curious departure from the 
usual forms and colours of this family of plants. We 
have seen spikes of its flowers full half a yard long, and 
the colours the darkest purple, almost black. It sports 
sometimes back into the original species, so that one 
year it may be G. ventricosum itself, and the next this 
| very dissimilar variety. It is, however, more difficult to 
I cultivate. 42s. 
Culture. —The same compost as is described as suit¬ 
able for Ccelogynes will grow these plants well; if a 
little sand is added it will be an improvement. The 
summer culture begins about March ; the young shoots 
will then begin to make their appearance, and that is 
the right season for potting. Follow the same method 
as is described for the previously named genus, ex¬ 
cepting it is not advisable to pot them so high ; that is, 
they should be pretty level with the rim of the pots. 
Water moderately at first, but when the pseudo-bulbs 
are half grown, give water in abundance, making the 
compost thoroughly wet at least once a week. The 
syringe, also, should be used freely, and a very moist 
atmosphere kept up constantly. This free treatment 
will cause large strong pseudo-bulbs and equally fine 
flowers. The season for flowering is immediately after 
the bulbs are fully formed, a circumstance somewhat 
unusual in orchids, most of them requiring a rest after 
the growth is completed, before they flower. The flowers 
appear near the top of the last made pseudo-bulbs, 
through the months of June, July, August, and Sep¬ 
tember. We have had them even as late as December 
in this last year. Winter culture begins as soon as the 
bloom is over. No water after that must be given, and 
they should be placed upon a shelf near to the glass, 
where no water can possibly reach them. Here they 
will lose all their leaves, and the bulbs will become 
firm and dry, and here they may remain till the potting 
season returns. T. Appleby. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Auriculas .—The weather we had lately has not been 
the most healthy for the Auricula ; sharp frosty nights 
and clear bright days would be far preferable. The 
seasons in this country being so variable and uncertain, 
they exercise all the skill and forethought of the florist; 
but dull, foggy, damp weather is the most difficult to j 
protect against, and the most injurious to such alpine 
plants as the Auricula. We have seen several collec- | 
tions lately, and they universally look unhealthy. The 
large leaves of last summer’s growth are all decayed, and 
but little left of the plants except the very heart leaves, 
and even they (or at least some of them) are mouldy. 
We fear tliis state of things is but too general. Certainly 
the kinds of florists’ flowers we mentioned lately are 
looking well yet, but we observe, here and there, a little 
of the spot and mildew have appeared. What can we do 
under these circumstances ? Very little. Pick off the 
decayed leaves ; keep all Auriculas very dry, and give 
abundance of air, and protect from wet; place fresh 
ashes under the pots. Mildew on Carnations —dash 
some sulphur upon the leaves, and see the plants are not 
dry. T. Appleby. 
THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Cauliflower Plants in pots, intended for turning 
out next month under hand-glasses, or on sloping warm 
banks, &c., should at once have then- final shift, if not 
already done; and care should be taken to keep them 
close to the glass, so as to keep them vigorous. The 
lights should be taken oil’ during the whole of every 
suitable day, and air should be admitted both at the 
back and front every mild night. The roots must not be 
allowed to get dry. If the plants are deficient in strength 
or size, tepid liquid-manure applied in moderate por¬ 
tions would remedy any defect of this description. The 
plants under our charge, which were sown in the last 
week in September and first week in October, potted in 
a very young state into tliumb-pots, and afterwards 
shifted, are now well-established large plants in seven- 
inch pots, and will shortly be turned out into well-pre¬ 
pared soil, under hand-glasses, in the valleys, between 
high sloping banks; others will be planted on the warm 
sheltered sides of sloping banks, with no other protection 
than the rough ridged earth. Those placed under the 
hand-glasses, with some future care and attention, in 
the way of airing freely at all times in genial weather, 
applying dry dust about them when wet, cold, or frost 
prevails, and repeated surface-stirrings in genial wea¬ 
ther, with an occasional application of tepid liquid- 
manure and raising the hand-glasses with earth formed 
round them in a ridge, in order to prevent their being 
crumpled or bruised, will produce fine cauliflowers in 
the month of April; by sowing in succession, from 
the present time until October next, cauliflowers may, 
with energy and contrivance, be produced throughout 
the year. 
