44 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 25. 
soon as tlio plants will stand it; and to assist them 
doing so when in this young state a slight dusting 
from the syringe may be given them on a bright day. 
1 had better tell you what I mean hy this dusting. 
Of all syringes, Read’s common garden one is the 
best, because it is the most simple and effectual. 
With every syringe is sent several end pieces, to screw 
off and on at pleasure, pierced with holes, to resemble 
roses of o, watering-pot, with different degrees of fine¬ 
ness; and there is also one without small holes, but 
furnished with a jet, like a garden engine. A fig for 
all the roses, the jet is the thing for mo. By placing 
your thumb of the left hand upon the point of this 
jet, you will soon get into the knack of so regulating 
it, when you send down the piston with the right, 
that the stream of water, as it issues, may be as strong 
nearly as from, a water engine, or may resemble the 
finest misty vapour. This last is what I call dust¬ 
ing, and every cottager may have it in his power to 
give it to his plants, if he only procures a tin or pew¬ 
ter syringe a little larger than that used by school¬ 
boys. Well, the plants arc shifted into larger pots 
as soon as they require it, and plunged again; not 
for the heat at the bottom this time, for that will be 
all gone, but for the double purpose of keeping the 
roots in a uniform temperature, and preventing the 
necessity of frequent watering during the dark days; 
the object being to grow the plants slowly until the 
change in the day, and rapidly afterwards. At the 
third and subsequent pottings, the plants are set on 
boards, as the leaves by that time are generally suffi¬ 
cient by their shade to keep the roots moderately 
cool. Now, this treatment would not do at all in a 
cold pit, unless the season was very favourable. I 
have the comlnand of a hot-water pipe whenever it is 
necessary, and by that means I can give my plants a 
moist atmosphere, and keep it in motion by plenty of 
air, which is the very life of calceolarias of the ten¬ 
derer kinds; just as a stagnant moist atmosphere is 
their ruin. 1 like the temperature to be from 40° to 
45° at night, though not particular in having it lower 
in cold weather, allowing it to rise five or ten degrees 
with sun heat. The soil we use more rough at evory 
potting, and towards the last use peat charcoal and 
dried cow-dung rather liberally, in addition to the 
sandy loam; and water now and then with weak 
manure water, smoking with tobacco at the slightest 
trace of liy. The treatment to be given in less favour¬ 
able circumstances will be again referred to. 
R. Ejsii. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
EXOTIC ORCHIDACEiE. 
Fresh imported Plants. —When boxes, or other 
packages of orchids arrive in this country, they are 
too often quite dead. Some that are alive, have made 
roots and shoots during the passage, and these from 
close confinement are frequently half rotted. Others 
are alive, hut dormant and almost dried up. Several 
inquiries having reached us, as to the proper treat¬ 
ment for newly imported plants of this tribe, we have 
thought it right to give our experience on tliis parti¬ 
cular part of orchid culture thus early, that any of 
our readers who may be receiving parcels of them 
from foreign climes, may know what to do with them. 
We have frequently observed them destroyed by im¬ 
proper treatment, even when they have come in very 
fair condition. The first thing we do on receiving 
them, is to examine them closely, and all such as are 
certainly dead are thrown away at once. From all 
that are alive, we cut off all dead roots, dead shoots, 
and pseudo bulbs. In some instances a curious new 
plant may arrive with some part of the pseudo bulbs 
quite sound, and the rest in a decayed state. This 
apparently new jdant it is desirable to start into 
growth. In tliis case cut away with a very sharp knife 
the decaying part, and apply to the wound some 
powdered chalk, this will close up the pores and pre¬ 
vent further putrefaction. When these points are 
all well and duly performed, then comes the difficult 
question: “ What shall I do with them; shall I put 
them in pots or baskets, or on blocks of wood?” A 
good deal depends upon the kinds of orchids received, 
and the size of the masses. If Stanhopeas, we place 
them upon a shallow trellis basket without any com¬ 
post just, as they are. Two or three years ago a large 
mass came into our possession; as soon as we received 
it all the dead roots were trimmed off, and the mass 
kept entire. In that state it was laid upon the shallow 
trellis basket, and hung up in the coolest part of the 
house, syringing it occasionally. It soon began to 
grow, and the following year flowered, and has grown 
and flowered well ever since. This summer it had 
nine of its gorgeous blossoms open at once; it 
proved to be the finest of all the genus, viz. the dark 
variety of Stanlwpea tigrina. All Balias and small 
masses of Cattleya, with most kinds of Epidendrum 
and Barkeria, we always place upon block, as soon 
as we receive them, without any thing else (such as 
moss or rough pieces of peat) whatever. We hang 
them up against a cool moss-covered wall, or in a 
shady place over a tank of water. They are syringed 
frequently, and we find they will grow sooner and 
preserve their roots longer on these naked logs, than 
in pots or baskets. 
In this way we have succeeded well with that rare 
and beautiful plant Sophronitis grandi flora, and the 
equally elegant Barkeria spectabile. By this method 
we have frequently recovered sickly plants. A small 
plant of Cattleya labiata had been grown, or rather 
allowed to exist, in a mixture of turfy peat and char¬ 
coal in a pot for three years. It put out roots an¬ 
nually, and made shoots, the latter becoming less 
every year, and the roots entirely perishing. In this 
state it came under our care ; it was taken out of the 
pot, all the dead roots cut clean away; a nice oak 
block without hark was procured, six tinned tacks 
were driven in not quite up to the head three on each 
side, the plant placed between the rows and firmly 
tied down, or rather laced down with some copper 
wire. Now this plant having been accustomed to 
the moist heat of the orchid house, it was placed in 
the warmest part of it, and received its daily syring¬ 
ing with the rest of the plants. In a surprizingly 
short time it sent out new roots which immediately 
laid hold of the log, and in process of time, the new 
roots enabled the plant to send a much stronger shoot 
than it had done for years previously. It was after¬ 
wards, when it had fairly recovered its health put into 
a pot upon the log, surrounded with rough turfy peat 
in small lumps mixed with broken .pots, and is now 
in a thriving condition. 
That fine orchid Phalamopsis amabilis which has 
been denominated very justly “the Queen,” has been 
lately received from the Phillipine Islands in consider¬ 
able numbers. Those importations have rendered 
the price more moderate. This plant is also to be 
placed upon a naked log. It will not thrive in, or 
upon any thing else. The roots will perish if covered 
at all. There arc also three or four genera that 
require the same treatment as the last named. We 
allude to newly imported Acrides, Saccolabiums, Van¬ 
das, and some Angrcecums. 
