October 25. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
45 
Fasten all these, as soon as received, upon logs, 
with tin tacks and copper or metallic wire; place 
them in the warmest part of the house, with the 
Phalmiopsis. If over a tank of warm water so much 
the better. It is a good practice, and we can recom¬ 
mend it, to dip the plants and logs frequently over 
head in this tank. It seems to refresh them greatly, 
and encourages the fresh ones to put out roots in a 
short time. In dividing shoots oil' any of the last- 
named species, wo treat them iu a similar manner, 
and invariably find them put out new roots sooner 
than by any other method. As soon as they have 
pushed forth a sufficient number of roots, we place 
them all (excepting the Rhaloenopsis, which must 
always bo grown on a log) in baskets made of round 
hazel rods, the size to correspond with the size of the 
plant These baskets are filled with rough sphag¬ 
num, a white moss found in wet boggy swamps. 
This moss must bo used in a dried state : first cover 
the bottom of the basket, then place the plant in the 
centre, holding it above the level of the top of the 
basket; work the moss amongst the roots gently, 
until the basket is full, or a little raised above, closing 
the moss carefully to the plant; then give a heavy 
watering from a syringe: this will level the moss, 
and close it too to the roots. The plants may then 
be hung up in the Indian house, and will require no 
further care (excepting syringing freely in hot wea¬ 
ther) for a year. 
We have often been asked what is the best kind 
of wood to cut for logs to grow orchids upon. After 
repeated trials, we find none so good as the acacia, 
commonly so called. It is the Robiniapseudo-acacia. 
This wood is firm, and has the desirable quality of 
not decaying so soon as most other kinds of wood. 
The next best is the oak. In all cases we strongly 
recommend the removal of the bark ; our objection 
to retaining it being that it only serves as a hiding 
place for wood-lice, small snails, and other destruc¬ 
tive insects, besides retaining in winter, too great a 
quantity of moisture. The wood should be procured 
a year before it is used, and then the bark will come 
oft’ very easily. We except cork wood, which we 
think very good when it can be procured readily for 
this purpose; and the bark of cork suits the orchids 
well, and, unlike the others, does not rot so soon, and 
consequently has not the objection to its uso of being 
a receptacle for vermin. The best wood for baskets is 
the rough-barked common maple; the branches of 
this tree make the handsomest baskets, but as it is 
not so plentiful as the hazel, the latter is the sort we 
recommend. Some object to baskets of this descrip¬ 
tion on account of their soon perishing. This we 
consider no objection at all, but rather an advantage; 
for as soon as the basket is decayed the plant has 
grown so large that it requires a new one, and the 
rotten sticks of which the old basket is made are 
more easily broke and removed than sounder ones. 
We shall finally state which we put into pots when 
imported. We pot all such as appear from habit, 
and the soil adhering to their roots, to be terrestrial 
plants; draining them perfectly, and using turfy 
loam and peat to pot them in. Epiphytes (dwellers 
upon trees) should, when in large masses, be potted, 
especially the larger growing kinds of Cattleya; such, 
!, for instance, as C. guttata, C. granulosa, and others of 
similar habits. Turfy peat, with the small fine soil 
knocked and sifted out of it, and mixed with broken 
pots and Juts of charcoal—the pots to be half filled 
with drainage—is a good preparation. Raise the 
compost two or three inches above the level of the 
pot rim, place the plant upon it, use hooked pegs 
and stoutish sticks to secure it in its place; give 
little water, even in summer, and none at all in 
winter, and you will find them succeed to your great 
satisfaction. We intend to resume the furniture of 
the orchid house next week. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Ranunculus. —Last week we mentioned that the 
beds for the prize winning kinds should be now in a 
state of preparation. Perhaps, some of our readers 
may be intending this next year, for tire first time 
to attempt to grow a few first-rate kinds in a first- 
rate manner. It is for the instruction of such new 
candidates for floral honours that we write. 
Soil. —The soil the ranunculus will thrive in 
should be of a fine texture, easily broke and mode¬ 
rately light. It should feel soft to the hand, and have 
a little—but a little—sand amongst it. The best is 
generally found near to rivers, The fiat land in such 
a locality will bo exactly such as we have described 
above. Let it be laid on a long heap, not too thick, 
and turned over once.a month for a year. It will 
then bo in good condition for use. Remove the old 
soil away from the bed you intend for ranunculuses 
to the depth, if the situation is dry, of fifteen inches; if 
wet, ten inches will do. Put in a layer of very rotten 
cow dung two inches thick, then bring the soil, put 
iu a layer of four inches, upon that put a layer of 
rotten hotbed dung one inch thick, and so proceed 
till the bed is full and raised two or three inches 
above the surface. Let the bed be edged with some¬ 
thing (see the number in which these edgings are 
described), and do the same for this bed. Hoop it 
over to protect it from heavy rain, snows, and hail¬ 
stones. Turn it over, mixing the materials together 
well; only take care not to disturb the layer of cow 
dung at the bottom. Let tliis turning operation be 
performed two or three times, at the intervals of 
three or four weeks between; finishing the last 
about the end of January, so as to allow the bed to 
settle by the planting time in February. 
T. Appleby. 
THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Artichokes. —Protection must now bo given to 
this vegetable ; and dry leaves, fern or mulch of any 
kind should be collected for placing round and about 
the crowns of the artichokes, to the depth of eight or 
ten inches, and a thin layer of earth from the alleys 
placed over the refuse to keep it close, and to prevent 
the wind scattering it abroad. 
Cardoons. —Bandage these with neat hay-bands 
when quite dry, and earth up. On wet days prepare 
fresh bands in readiness for future wants. 
Colewqrts and Cabbages. —Continue to put out 
those as long as any vacancies can be found for 
them, as they are sure to be found useful for some 
purposes, even if not required for table. 
Cauliflowers must also bo well attended to. Pot 
and prick out in succession, keeping the plants close 
to the glass. Let the soil be frequently stirred, and 
all decaying loaves be cleared away. Sift dust amongst 
them occasionally, to keep the surface dry. Those 
who have strong plants from the August sowings 
must not let them remain too long in a place with¬ 
out pricking, or they are likely to become too strong, 
and liable “ to button,” as we term it, at the season 
when they should be growing in health and vigour. 
Wo have been very successful in Devonshire in pro¬ 
ducing fine cauliflowers in the month of April lor 
many years past, by sowing quite at the end ol 
September and the beginning of October. We merely 
