May 20. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
113 
latter time to purchase, if he planted out at once on 
1 receiving them, he would entail upon himself consider¬ 
able attention and labour in shading and watering until 
| they had taken firmly with the soil. First economy 
| would thus be attended with extra labour, and this 
would suit those who had time to spare ; where that is 
valuable, and these attentions cannot be given, it will 
bo cheapest and best to give from sixpence to a shilling 
for a well-established plant. The mere price of a plant 
is, therefore, no criterion of its cheapness; one plant 
may be dearer at sixpence than another of the same 
kind at half-a-crown. 
3rdly. “ Rut you lately mentioned the growing of plants 
wrapped in moss as a mode for bedding plants that 
would supersede the necessity of potting. Does it an- 
! swer? Will it be more expensive than sending the 
roots loose ? ” To the first we say, most undoubtedly, 
yes, if the operation is performed in spring, just to get 
the roots freely working in and through the moss before 
j moving them for packing, and then they go beside each 
! other so snugly and nicely. Our opinion as to the 
\ expense is, that the process will considerably increase 
! it. I could, even in a preparatory bed, prick out a con- 
1 siderable number of plants whilst mossing one. The 
mossing is, therefore, chiefly valuable in the case of 
plants that make few fibres, and in the case of all 
that arc to be carried or sent to any distance. Mr. Fer¬ 
guson resorted to it, that his customers might have the 
advantage of potted plants without their disadvantages. 
I had never seen Stowe, even in its magnificence; I felt 
anxious to see it now, even for the sake of these bedding 
plants. I felt both surprised and disappointed ; the 
latter feeling was owing to two causes. I have a largish 
stock of bedding plants myself, and a great many of 
these, from being mossed or pricked out early in spriug, 
are now stronger than is generally seen in commercial 
establishments, just ready to be moved into beds and 
baskets. Again, several gardeners kept telling me I 
should see the wonderful quantity at Stowe. My expect¬ 
ations were so aroused, that instead of a village of glass 
houses crammed from front to rear, I fancied I should 
behold something like a town. The quantity, however, 
was enormous. I saw the whole process. Thousands 
of geraniums, salvias, &c., growing on the floors of 
; houses, kept cool, each wrapped in its ball of moss, and 
I set in as much earth and leaf-mould as just covered the 
moss. Then there were large shallow platforms, formed 
of the easiest come-at-able materials, stuck full in a 
similar manner. All these had made beautiful healthy 
roots, but that my own experience warranted me to 
expect. Then there were ranges of beds, furnished 
with a slight bottom-heat, filled with plants that had 
just received their mossy covering. Others furnished 
with a slight bottom-heat were filled with cuttings just 
put in; and lastly, to crown all, a mat was pulled 
aside, and wo were ushered into a shed kept comfort¬ 
able and warm, where a dozen women were seated in a 
row behind a low bench, each of them furnished with a 
pot of soil, a heap of moss, a bundle of mat ties, and below 
the bench, easy of access from being elevated, were the 
plants; each was to earth, and moss, and tie, as described 
in a late number; men brought the plants to each female, 
and removed the trays when full or finished, taking 
them to be set in slight hotbeds among soil, after dipping 
them. The whole affair seemed to be conducted very 
systematically. I am not aware that Mr. Ferguson has 
[ altered his terms, in thus altering his mode of treatment. 
If not, I do not see how, with the greatest system and 
energy, it can be made to pay. That, however, is chiefly 
his concern, though also of groat importance to other 
mercantile men, as well as to the public at large. 
Different minds will look upon the attempt in different 
lights. Wo pronounce no decided opinion. In this, 
however, the season for bedding, and filling baskets, and 
vases, and ornamenting windows, I do not think I have 
stepped out of my way in chronicling the attempt to 
bring these plants within reach of the masses, who 
possess nothing in the shape of greenhouses, or pits, or 
frames. II. Fish. 
PROPAGATION OF ORCHIDS. 
(Concluded from page 80 .) 
Tiuciiopilia. — Considerable additions have been 
made to this genus within the last three or four years, 
yet they are all to be propagated in the same way as the 
original species. Every pseudo-bulb that is sound and 
healthy has at its base an incipient bud; if one in that 
state is cut off it will soon (after being potted in the 
usual way) produce a shoot, but, as these shoots are 
generally weak, they require considerable care in water¬ 
ing, as the least quantity of water lodging in the heart 
of the young growth would soon cause them to decay. 
The whole of the species belonging to this genus are 
handsome fiowerers, and therefore are worthy of being 
increased. 
Vanda. —The habit of this genus is very similar to 
that of Saccolabium, but most of them are much quicker 
growers, and therefore may be increased more readily. 
As the greater part are really splendid things they are 
worthy of every attention. The kinds worth increasing 
are V. ccerulescens, V. cristata, V. insignis, V. Roxbunjhia, 
V. teres, and V. tricolor. All these are splendid flower¬ 
ing plants. To increase them, if young shoots do not 
break out towards the base, cut off the upper part of the 
leading shoot, taking care to have three or four young 
roots growing from it at the time. Take the part cut 
off, and put into a basket filled with sphagnum, not too 
much compressed; water it at the time, and leave it to 
grow with the usual treatment; the lower part should 
have some sound leaves left upon it, and also living 
roots. Give it some fresh sphagnum, and, if needed, a 
fresh basket; give but little water, but plenty of heat 
and moisture in the air. It will soon show signs of 
growth; the uppermost bud will shortly begin to swell 
and grow, and then the increase is effected. If young 
shoots are produced at the base of the main shoot, lot 1 
them first produce a root or two of their own, then cut 
one off close to the old stem, place it in a basket, and 
treat it as you would an established plant. V. teres 
produces side-shoots in abundance, and may be increased 
readily by taking one or more off, affixing them to a 
block of wood covered with a thin coat of living green 
moss, syringing them frequently, and keeping them in 
the warmest part of the house. When new roots are 
unmistakeably produced, then syringe them freely, 
and treat them like the rest: they are then separate 
established plants. 
Waurka.—A genus of orchids that are nearly all 
terrestrial (growing on the earth). They have long, 
stout pseudo-bulbs, and may bo increased by dividing 
and taking oft' two of the back bulbs ; pot them in the 
same kind of compost that the old plants thrive in; give 
no water till fresh roots and a shoot arc produced, then 
give a small quantity of moisture to the root, and they 
will soon reward you with a strong, good growth. 
Zygopetaluji. —This is a fast-growing, free-flowering, 
handsome family of plants. They are readily increased 
by taking oil' a portion of each plant and potting them 
in the same compost as the parent plant is thriving in. 
X. cochleare, Z. maxilla-re, and X. rostratum are three 
rather difficult fellows to propagate, but may be done 
by cutting through the pseudo-bulb, and allowing the 
cut parts to remain on the block, or in the pot, till the 
first growths are perfected and the season of rest com¬ 
pleted ; then, at the lime of potting, take off the divided 
parts, pot them separately, and treat them like the 
parent plants. 
