THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 13. 
113 
window-plants avo to the freezing point, the more 
safely will they bear a lengthened covering up from 
light ftnd air. The difficulty we have chiefly to con¬ 
tend with is, the rapidity of the changes of tempera¬ 
ture in this country, which render frequent covering 
and uncovering necessary. For instance, verbenas 
are yet quite green, after the frost on the 28th, but a 
temperature of 50°, and a heavy fall of rain, will keep 
them so growing again that they will become easy 
victims to the next severe frost. W ere our winters 
confined to a certain number of frosty weeks or 
months, wo might allow many of our bedding-out 
plants to be slightly frozen, and then cover them up 
for the winter, removing the covering only when 
the cold season had passed away. This is the treat¬ 
ment that the majority of Alpine plants receive, from 
nature clothing them in winter with a mantle of 
snow, and the care and attention requisite lor their 
cultivation in this country arises not from their ten¬ 
derness, but from the changes to heat and cold, to 
which they are unavoidably subjected. R. F ish. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
EXOTIC ORCHID AC EM. 
More about Blocks. —There are some plants that 
require fastening to the blocks in a peculiar manner. 
Though we have written pretty largely already on this 
part of the subject we cannot quit it without men¬ 
tioning the treatment the following plants must have 
in order to cause them to grow satisfactorily:—- 
Cattleya citrina (theLemon-scented Cattleya).—This 
is a beautiful species, with oval-shaped middling-sized 
pseudo-bulbs and lanceolate leaves. The whole plant 
is glaucous, that is, of a milky-green colour. The 
flowers are solitary, on long peduncles; the colour, a 
beautiful greenish-yellow; they are large and hand¬ 
some. The peculiarity in culture is that, as it grows 
downwards, it is necessary to fix it on a sloping or 
perpendicular log; the last formed pseudo-bulb to be 
the undermost or lowest. In that position, without 
any bark (unless a block of the cork-tree is used) or 
any moss, it will thrive and flower well. If, on the 
other hand, the plant is placed in the usual way, with 
the youngest bulb uppermost, it will make every 
growth less and less, and will eventually perish. This 
plant, with its beautiful fragrant flowers, which last a 
long time in bloom, is deservedly a favourite. 
Scuticaria Steelii (Mr. Steel’s Scuticaria).—This is 
also a beautiful species, with a cluster of short stems 
and leaves, frequently 2 feet long. These are round, 
something like a rush, but thicker. Unlike most other 
orchids, it has no pseudo-bulbs, both leaves and flowers 
springing from very short stems. The flowers are 
large and sometimes numerous ; their colour a deep 
cream, richly marked with brownish-red. As this 
plant has leaves that naturally hang down, the proper 
way to grow it is thereby indicated. The plant must 
be fixed to one side of a block, and a small quantity 
of moss put about it, allowing the young roots to pro¬ 
ject beyond the moss. The finest plant we ever grew, 
or ever saw, was grown in the rich collection of T. 
Brocklehurst, Esq., at the Fence, in Cheshire. This 
plant was fastened to a block in the manner we have 
mentioned; it grew very well on it for a year; then 
a pot, the top of which would just admit the block 
within it, was filled with a compost of small chips, 
peat, and chopped sphagnum; and a strong^ copper 
wire was put round the pot just under its rim. One 
cud of the wire was left long enough to stretch over 
the pot, to form a handle; it was put under the wire 
on the opposite side, and the end twisted round itself 
to keep it firm in the pot. The block, with the plant 
on it, was then laid upon the compost, and just patted 
down sufficiently hard to keep it firm in the pot. A 
small quantity of Lycopodium denticulatum (Toothed 
Club moss) was planted round it, and the pot was 
hung up within eighteen inches of the glass. In this 
situation it had abundance of water given to it during 
the growing season, when it produced a considerable 
number of healthy fine leaves, some of which were 
from two to near three feet long. As soon as these 
leaves were matured very little water was given to it, 
and the temperature of the house, it being then winter, 
was considerably reduced. The following season we 
had the pleasure to see it produce several flower 
stems; and the flowers bloomed in great perfection. 
There were open at one time upwards of a dozen of 
its truly beautiful flowers. This plant grows on 
branches of trees in the hot moist woods on river- 
banks in Demerara. The clusters of stems and leaves 
of the plant catch the falling leaves, bits of stick, &c., 
and the humidity of the peculiar situation causes moss 
to grow about the plant. Being aware of these par¬ 
ticulars wo adopted the block, compost, moss, and 
abundance of moisture, as above stated, and the con¬ 
sequence was that the plant did its duty nobly, and 
amply rewarded us for our pains. 
Notylia bicolor. —The late Rev. John Clowes, of 
Broughton Hall, near Manchester, a gentleman who 
was a most enthusiastic admirer and successful culti¬ 
vator of orchidaceous plants, imported this curious 
little epiphyte. Unfortunately we are not in posses¬ 
sion ot its history as to its native country, or what 
kind of flowers it produces. We were informed by 
Mr. W. Hammond, Mr. Clowes’ late gardener, that it 
is a beautiful species. The plant is small, with thick, 
short, fleshy leaves, disposed in two rows, and spotted 
with dark brown. Messrs. Henderson possess two 
plants of it that were obtained from Mr. Clowes, just 
before his death, in exchange for some other plants. 
We are indebted to Mr. Hammond for the informa¬ 
tion how to cultivate it. In that respect it is a truly 
singular plant. It will not grow in a pot, neither 
will it grow on a log. Flow then is it to be cultivated, 
on a stone, or on nothing? our readers ask. Patience! 
we do not mean to keep the secret any longer, but 
print it for the benefit of all concerned. We described 
that Cattleya citrina requires to be grown downward, 
Scuticaria on one side of the log in a pot, but this 
curious, fantastic little fellow is not satisfied with 
those ways, but must have a way of his own, a situa¬ 
tion different to any other plant. This curious place 
is not on the log, but directly under it. This plant 
has antipodean propensities; he will only thrive with 
his head downwards and his roots upwards. The 
block should be round; the wire fastened at each end ; 
four or six tin tacks driven in at each side; a small 
quantity of moss laid on the log, and fastened to it 
with metallic wire. Then the plant should be held 
to the block upon the moss, and the wire brought 
over the roots to fasten them to the block, which may 
then be hung up near to the glass, the plant being 
under the block, and frequently syringed and occa 
sionally dipt over head, the log and all, in tepid water. 
With this treatment this curious little plant will grow, 
and, we hope, flower, though our plants are not strong 
enough yet to do so. 
The plants belonging to the genus Notylia are all 
of small stature, more curious than beautiful. They 
are mostly natives of Demerara, requiring great licat 
and moisture to grow them successfully. We should, 
