December G. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
131 
not to touch the plant when it is hung up. This 
latter method is the best for old established plants, 
and the former method for plants newly imported, or 
for such as are very impatient of moisture—the per¬ 
pendicular position of the log, when hung up, allow¬ 
ing the water to How off directly, and so drying up 
the superabundant moisture quickly, before it injures 
the delicate young roots. There is no necessity for 
having the blocks entire, that is, round, as they have 
grown: they may be split; the smaller ones exactly 
in halves, and the larger ones into three parts. In 
the latter case, the centre piece will, of course, be 
Hat on both sides. This part is excellent for such 
plants as form broad masses of pseudo-bulbs—such 
as Lcclia autumnalis and L. acuminata. This centre 
part is also suitable for young pieces of Aerules, 
Vandas , and suchlike species. The young roots 
delight to cling to it; but for such young plants the 
logs should hang perpendicularly. The best kind 
of log for those truly beautiful plants, Phalcenopsis 
amabilis and P. grandiflorus, is a thick branch of 
the cork-tree, with the bark on. This bark being 
very thick and rough, holds the water about the 
roots of old established plants much longer than a 
smooth barked, or log without bark, would do. As 
we do not recommend any moss to be placed on the 
logs for these plants, this cork block is the best for 
them. Now, the bark of the cork-tree does not part 
from the wood so easily, or so soon, as any other 
kind of tree, and so there is not that objection (the 
harbouring of insects) to it that there is to the rest. 
Where large branches of the cork-tree can be easily 
procured, they are excellent for growing the beautiful 
Renanthera coccinea upon. We have seen it thriving 
wonderfully upon them, and flowering annually quite 
freely, provided the management in other respects is 
rightly attended to. 
This fine plant was first flowered by Mr. Fairburn, 
when gardener at Claremont, several years ago. It 
is a native of China, and highly esteemed by that 
garden-loving people. Whenever they find a plant 
showing a flower-bud they cut off the branch and 
hang it up in their rooms to bloom. In this country 
the way to cause it to flower is to grow it freely with 
heat and abundance of moisture, keeping it close to 
the glass to induce strong short-jointed wood. In 
the month of October remove it into a drier, cooler 
house, the maximum heat of which should never ex¬ 
ceed 00°, the minimum may be, during the night, 
45°. In this house it should remain till the flower- 
buds appear. These may be distinguished from 
young root-buds by having sheaths to them, whereas 
a root-bud is quite smooth. As soon as it is quite 
evident that flowers are appearing, remove the plant 
back again into the moist East-Indian house, if this 
is not done the flower-buds are apt to turn yellow 
and perish ; but if put into the warmer, moist house, 
the stimulus they there receive will bring the flower 
on to perfection. As this is a fast-growing plant, it 
will, in two or three years, push beyond the block or 
branch considerably. When that is the case the part 
beyond the block may be cut oft', and placed against 
the branch so low as to give room for it to grow 
again for two years before it reaches the same height. 
There are, then, three points to attend to to cause 
this plant to bloom; 1st, to grow it close to the glass; 
Mudly, to give it, whilst growing, abundance of heat 
and moisture; and, 3rdly, to give it a complete rest. 
The same treatment is proper and necessary for 
Vanda teres, a plaut even more beautiful than the 
Renanthera. 
When an orchid on a block has become too large 
for it, and the roots are perfectly healthy and grow 
ing vigorously, it is sometimes difficult, nay impos¬ 
sible, to remove it from the log without injuring, and 
often destroying, the best roots. In such a case wo 
procure two, or, perhaps, three other logs, and with 
a carpenter’s gouge hollow them out and fit them to 
the old log, with the plant on it, joining them gently, 
so as not to crush the roots, and fastening them to 
it with some strong copper wine. The fresh roots 
will soon take possession of the fresh pieces of wood, 
and the plant will thrive with renewed vigour. This 
method is to be particularly recommended for rare 
expensive plants. We have often felt rather nervous 
when we had to renew the pot, basket, or log, of a 
| plant, the cost of which has been high, perhaps five 
i or ten guineas. If the roots were healthy and closely 
adhering to the log, we preferred adding fresh pieces 
I of wood to the old log, rather than injure the roots 
i by taking them forcibly off, though done as carefully 
as possible. The plants we have treated in this 
manner are such as C'attlega superba, Phalcenopsis 
amabilis, Soplironitis grandijlora, and Oncidium tri¬ 
color um. 
Routine Work for December. — During this 
month the heat of both orchid bouses must be very 
moderate : East Indian house, by day 00°, by night 
55°; Mexican house, by day 55°, by night 50°. 
Give air on sunny days, especially to the cooler 
house ; syringe the logs twice a week in the morning, 
and wet the floor, walks, and pipes of the Indian house 
night and morning. Prepare for potting by having 
some turfy peat placed in a warm shed to dry. Watch 
for young growths, and, as they appear, pot the plants 
that are producing them. Now is a good time to 
renew logs that are becoming rotten. The roots of 
most kinds are now at rest on the blocks, and may 
be got off' pretty easily. Remember to do the expen¬ 
sive plants, if the roots are very fast to the blocks, in 
the manner we have just described. Keep the plants 
generally dry, the only exception being such as will 
grow. These must be very moderately watered with¬ 
out wetting the leaves or young shoots. Be making 
new baskets at convenient seasons, placing them in a 
dry shed. They will be ready in the spring, when 
your plants want renewing. 
Drainage. —The material for this important point 
in orchid culture during this month may be prepared. 
As orchids require twice as much as any other plants, 
except succulents, do not be afraid you will have too 
much. Break your potsherds into three sizes, and 
keep them separate, sifting the smallest size through 
a very fine sieve, merely to take out the dust. 
FLORIST’S FLOWERS. 
Generae Directions. —Under this head we pur¬ 
pose giving such remarks as apply to routine manage¬ 
ment. All the florist’s favourites that require pro¬ 
tection will now be in frames or pits; such as auri¬ 
culas, polyanthuses, carnations, picotees, choice pan¬ 
sies, petunias, and verbenas. All the attention these 
want now is plenty of air on fine days, moderate wa¬ 
terings to be given in the morning in mild weather, 
protection from heavy rains and from severo frost, 
also unceasing warfare with slugs and red spider. 
This last attacks the carnations more severely than 
any other at this season, causing the leaves to look 
spotted and sickly. To clean the plants, tie a small 
piece of sponge to the end of a small stick about six 
inches long; with this dipped in tepid water wash 
every leaf: there is no application like this for clear¬ 
ing plants of any description from this pest. Cleanli- 
