THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 8. 
22 
brandies. Those in pots should be protected also from 
severe frost: the pots should be plunged nearly close 
together in a bed, and a covering of coal ashes laid 
all over them so deep as to quite cover the rims of the 
pots ; this will prevent the pots from breaking with the 
frost, as well as protecting the roots. The branches of 
the more tender kinds may be well sheltered from the 
sharp breezes by sticking in amongst the pots a quantity 
of short fir branches. Small plants in pots would be 
best sheltered in a cold frame or pit, giving plenty of air 
on all favourable days. T. Appleby. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Cineraria (J. Crossling ).—Your seedling, a cross between 
Lady Gertrude and Carlolla Grist, is an excellent flower; 
form good, though the notch of the petals is not quite gone; 
petals broadly tipped with bright blue, and disk of the same 
colour. Of course we cannot speak of the habit of the J 
plant from part of a truss. 
Cactus (J. Willison ).—Your seedling bloom is very good, j 
Entirely deep crimson, without any of the purple tint that 
marks the inner base of the petals of some of the species. } 
It is very compact in form, and altogether is a desirable j 
variety. 
Cinerarias (I). P.). —Nos. 14 and 15 best, from novelty [ 
of the markings ; but all have petals too deeply notched to j 
be ranked even as second-rate flowers. 14 is the best. 
PROPAGATION OF EXOTIC ORCP1IDS. 
(Continued from page 399, vol. vii.) 
Govenia.—A genus of stately orchids worthy of being 
increased. The species are plants with round pseudo¬ 
bulbs, very similar to those of Bletia. The old bulbs 
have dormant buds near their base; these will not push 
so long as they are united together, excepting the last 
formed one ; hence it is necessary, either in order to form 
a new plant, or to have more shoots than one in the 
same pot, to divide them. Tass a knife-blade through 
the connecting rhizoma without injuring the roots, and 
allow them to remain in the pot till the first new bulbs 
are formed ; then, at the time of potting, separate them, 
and make as many plants as there are new bulbs, if that 
number is required; or only take off one, and pot the 
next together, to form a large fine specimen. 
Grammatophyllum.— This is also a noble genus of 
plants. They are increased in the usual way, by taking 
off a back pseudo-bulb or two at the time of potting, re¬ 
potting them in small pots, and giviug no water till the 
incipient buds have grown an inch or two; then water 
very moderately, giving more as the shoots and roots 
advance in growth, and afterwards treating them like 
established plants. 
Grobya. —Increased in the same way as Govenia. 
PIoplletia. —A small genus of very handsome fra- 
grant-blossomed plants. Increased readily in the same 
way as the preceding genus. 
Huntleya. —The plants of this genus have very 
obscure pseudo-bulbs ; they should be increased by 
division, but the plants should previously have produced 
side-shoots. Take one of these off, pot it, and place it 
under a handlight for a time, until it begins to grow ; 
then prop up the side of the handlight till it is fairly 
established; then take off the covering every night, re¬ 
placing it during the day for a few weeks, when it may 
be fully exposed and treated like the rest. 
Lac/Kna. —There is only one species of this genus at 
present known. It has large pseudo-bulbs. Take off 
two.of the oldest, and treat them like G rammatophyllum. 
Lei.ia. —A fine genus, very desirable to increase. 
Fake ofl two or three back bulbs and place them upon 
small blocks without moss; hang them up in a shady place 
against a moss-covered wall. Syringe them two or three 
times a-week. The dormant buds will soon break, grow, 
and produce new roots; then increase the use of the 
syringe, and keep up a moist atmosphere in the house 
during the time of growth. When that is perfected, use 
the syringe only just sufficient to prevent shrinking. 
In the spring, when they begin to grow again, give them 
new and larger blocks, and treat them like the older j 
plants. 
Leptotes. —A genus of plants of neat habit, freely 
flowering ; increasing by breaking up a large plant into i 
two or three divisions, making a plant of each, and 
treating them in the same manner as if they had never 
been divided. 
Lissochilds. —Increased in the way as Govenia. 
Luisia alpina. —This plant, the only one of the genus, 
has a great resemblance to an Aerides. To increase it 
allow it to grow and produce roots above the material in 
which it grows; then divide the stem in two, pot the 
top in sphagnum, and the bottom will soon produce a 
fresh shoot, and thus two plants will be made. 
Lycaste. —There are some splendid species in this 
newly-formed genus. Cut off one perfect pseudo-bulb, 
with a living dormant bud at its base ; pot it, give little 
water till fresh roots are formed, then treat it like the 
established plant, but be careful no water lodges in the 
hollow of the young leaves. 
Masdevallia. —A genus of herbaceous orchids readily 
increased by division. 
Maxillaria. —A large genus of plants mostly unin¬ 
teresting. Increased in the same way as Lycaste. 
Miltonia. —As fine a collection of plants under one 
name as any in the whole order, and, consequently, the 
more worthy of propagation. The dormant bulbs live 
for several years in a state of somnolency. They may 
be easily enticed into a state of activity of growth by 
dividing the rhizoma. Even a single pseudo-bulb will 
soon make a plant, therefore, all the cultivator has to do 
is, take off a sound bulb, pot it in the usual compost, 
place it in the same beat as the old plants, giving but 
small waterings till new shoots and roots are produced, 
and then the same treatment as is given to the older 
plants. 
Mormodes. —Increased in the same manner as Cate- 
setum. 
Neottia. —A genus of herbaceous orchids producing 
generally two shoots from the base of the old plant. 
Divide them into two plants without injuring the roots ; 
pot the divisions, and treat them as if they never had 
been divided. 
Odontoglossujj. —Like Miltonia , this is a family of 
very handsome flowering plants, but has in it some 
species very different in character to the rest. The 
larger growing, such as O. Bietonense, 0. citrosmum, 0. 
grande, and O. pulchellum, may be increased in the same 
manner as Miltonia. The smaller growing species, viz., 
O. cordatum, O. Iceve, O. hastilabium, 0. membranaceim, 
and 0. Rossii, require a more careful manipulation to 
increase them. The most safe way is to cut off very 
carefully without injuring either the growing established 
plants or the parts divided from them, preserving every 
living root, and fixing them upon blocks with a little 
moss placed about half-an-inch from the bulbs. This 
causes a moisture to spread itself over the block, and ; 
in the air near to the plants, just sufficient to keep 
them fresh and alive till they begin to grow; it requires, 
however, to be occasionally wetted with the syringe. 
When new roots and shoots begin to appear, then 
syringe more freely. 
T. Appleby. 
(To be continued.) 
