32 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 22. 
that tree with concrete, or tar, and could manage it with 
the latter at a tithe of the expense, as by the mode men¬ 
tioned by an obliging correspondent for making walks. 
We mention these merely as corroborative of the fact, 
that firmness of the soil has something to do with fruit¬ 
fulness, while it at the same time discourages growth. 
Of course, between a tree in the natural ground, with a 
hard waterproof covering about its roots, there is, in 
other respects, no analogy with a plant growing in a pot. 
The latter chiefly, or altogether, depends on you for its 
moisture. The former has got the circumference of our 
earth to depend upon, and so long as there is moisture 
in its neighbourhood it will obtain it. The whole sub¬ 
ject requires thought and investigation. R. Fish. 
P.S. I attribute great success with early-forced straw¬ 
berries partly to the firmness of the soil in the last pot¬ 
ting. 
PROPAGATION OF ORCHIDS. 
( Continued from page 30.) 
Piiysurus. —A small genus of plants separated from 
Ancectochilus, and may be easily increased in the same 
way. 
Renanthera. —There is only one species (R. coccinea) 
worth either growing or increasing. The way to propa¬ 
gate it is to take off a young branch below a root or 
two; place an upright branch in a pot, cover it with 
short green moss, and tie the shoot to it; keep it warm 
and moist and it will quickly grow, and, with good 
management, will flower in two or three years. 
Saccolabium.— All growers of orchids are fully aware 
of the beauty of several species of this genus. They 
will always be comparatively rare, because they are of 
slow growth. No method has yet been discovered of 
propagating them, except by allowing young shoots to 
spring from the lower parts of an established plant till 
they (the young shoots) emit a root or two for them¬ 
selves ; as soon as that takes place the young shoots 
may be safely cut off below the root or roots. The safest 
way is then to fasten the shoot so cut off to a block of 
wood, being very careful not to injure the young and 
tender roots. Let the plant then be huug up to the 
rafters, if possible over' a cistern of warm water, the 
moisture arising from which will greatly assist their 
growth. Shade them effectually from the sun, and 
syringe them frequently with tepid water. The roots 
will soon elongate, and then, when that is decidedly 
the case, they may be taken off the blocks and carefully 
placed in baskets proportioned to their size, filled with 
sphagnum moss not too lightly compressed; then hang 
them up in the warmest part of the house, keep them 
moderately moist, and in three years they will flower. 
From the first appearance of the young shoot till it 
flowers, probably seven years will elapse; it is this 
length of time that causes the price of these beautiful 
plants to range so high, and for that reason we have 
dwelt rather lengthily upon the mode of propagating 
them, for it would be almost a serious misfortune to lose 
a shoot that has taken so long a period to bring it into 
a fit state to be propagated. 
T. Appleby. 
(To be continued.) 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
ri Polyanthus (.7. Kington). —Your flower is very good. 
I he proportions of the colours are in accordance with 
the best standard. Ground colour dark maroon ; lacing 
very clearly defined. Of the habit of the plant we can¬ 
not speak, having only a truss of flowers. 
ROSE CULTURE FOR EXHIBITION. 
(Continued from page 30.) 
Growing in Pots. —Glazed Pit: Its form and ad¬ 
vantages. —Though if the cultivator has a house for 
cultivating his roses for exhibition, he may dispense 
with a pit, yet, if he has a pit in addition, he will find it 
an exceedingly useful adjunct; and now glass and bricks 
are much cheaper than they used to be, whoever wishes 
to grow roses in pots extensively, and to perfection, the 
additional outlay will not be considered useless nor ex¬ 
travagant. The two combined will multiply the chances 
of success tenfold. The best form for a cold pit is the 
common lean-to—that is, the walls (9-in.) should be 
highest at the back, and consequently lowest at the 
front. The front w r all should rise out of the ground at 
least eighteen inches, and the back, three feet. Six feet 
would be a convenient width for the pit, which would 
give a rise to the lights of three inciies to the foot, 
which rise would cause the rains to run off quickly, and 
would, in a great measure, prevent dripping upon the 
plants, which is always injurious, but more especially in 
winter. The length of this pit will depend, of course, 
upon the number of roses grown in it. The bottom of 
the pit should have a stratum of brick ends, or drippings 
of stones, with a layer of coal-ashes upon them. This 
will act as a drainage for the overplus water from the 
pots, and prevent the existence of worms under the 
plants. The walls would be all the better if they had 
a coating of whitewash at the first, to be renewed, at 
least, annually. It will close up any cracks or holes 
there may be in the wall, and thus prevent insects from 
lodging therein, or laying their eggs in such convenient 
nests. The copings of the walls should be of good 
sound deal; that on the front wall should be sloped off 
at the same angle as the lights, whilst that at the back 
should be bevilled off exactly from the centre to the 
back. This slope will throw off the wet clear from the 
walls—for remember these copings should project at 
least an inch beyond the walls all round the pit. The 
: lights should just reach to the ridge formed by the bevil 
on the back wall. The rafters, to bear lights, should be 
moderately stout, and should have a bead fastened to 
them exactly in the centre, to keep the lights steady 
and in the place; when thrust up or down to examine 
the plants, water them, or any other manipulation 
necessary; and, lastly, the lights should be well glazed 
with a moderate-sized glass. We neither recommend 
large, long squares, nor yet small, narrow, short ones; 
six inches wide, by eight inches long, may be considered 
a useful medium size. Such a pit, so built, and so glazed, 
will be a substantial, lasting structure, and will, by 
keeping the glass repaired, and giving it two coats of 
paint every second year, last for a man’s life-time; that 
is, for thirty or forty years. Though the first cost may 
1 be rather heavy, such a pit will in the end be the 
cheapest. We could never understand that there could 
be any economy in putting up cheap, rough, light struc¬ 
tures in gardening, whether in the shape of houses or 
pits. Cheapness in such buildings only means “ penny 
wise, and pound foolish,” and can only be tolerated 
where the party cannot afford more substantial erections, 
or is old, and having no immediate heirs, think that for 
these reasons, the cheaper they can be erected the better 
it will be. These remarks, of course, are not intended 
to apply to our cottage readers and friends. We re¬ 
commend to them, rather than have no pits at all, to 
put up their turf-pits, and other cheap shelters, for the 
simple reason that they can afford no better. And as 
far as they go, such shelters are exceedingly valuable to 
such persons. 
To return to our rose pit. The advantages of such a ! 
structure are two-fold ; they serve as a proper receptacle j 
for newly-potted roses, and as a shelter, without undue I 
