THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
279 
February 21.] 
plants, of a most close atmosphere, covering with 
glasses or sashes, and shading from the sun. Hence, 
too, the question as to the number of leaves to be 
left on a cutting. The answer lies in a nut-shell. 
The number left should be in proportion to the 
powers you possess for keeping them fresh and green, 
as then the greater the surface of foliage, the sooner 
and more freely will roots be protruded. Rut, as a 
general rule, it is better to curtail somewhat the 
number of leaves, and even their size when large, 
because, if left on the bottom of the cutting, they 
frequently occasion ruin from damping, and more 
trouble is required to prevent them bagging. The 
extra trouble being scarcely repaid by the beneficial 
results. Secondly: Beware of shading over much, or 
there will be extension of the cuttings upwards, but 
not downwards. The more sun they can stand, the 
sooner they will strike roots. Hence, in spring and 
autumn we scarcely ever shade. By placing them 
in pits or frames, at an angle of 75° or so, and at 18 
inches or 2 feet from the glass, the rays of light are 
diffused before they reach them, while a slow decom¬ 
position of carbonic acid, and a slow assimilation of 
fresh matter to the cutting, is constantly going on. 
Here rests the grand secret of cutting -striking , worth 
thousands of directions about cleaning and wiping 
bell-glasses, &c. Thirdly: When the cuttings are in¬ 
serted and placed in the propagating quarters, water 
so as to make firm the soil about them ; give no more 
waterings, unless dustings over the foliage with the 
syringe, until the soil begins to be dry. Fourthly: 
When struck, inure them to full exposure to sun and 
air, before you pot or plant them. R. Elsh. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
EXOTIC ORCHID ACE Ah 
PLANTS REQUIRING PECULIAR TREATMENT. 
Bromiieadia Palustris. —This plant, the only one 
of the genus, is named in honour of Sir Edward 
Bromhead, Bart., and the second name denotes that 
it grows naturally in marshy ground. It was found 
in Sumatra, and requires the heat of the Indian-liouse. 
The flowers, delicate and beautiful, are produced 
upon stems from two to three feet high. These stems 
have something of a reedy appearance. The flowers 
appear upon a grass-like stem, opening one at a time, 
and only lasting in perfect beauty one day. The 
sepals and petals are white, delicately tinted with 
rose; the labellum, or lip, is pale yellow, tipped with 
violet and covered with beautiful purplish down. 
The whole flower is like that of a Dendrobium nobile, 
but more delicate in the touchings of colour. The 
plant is worth cultivating. The peculiar treatment 
it requires is as follows :—Pot it in a rather large pot, 
in a compost of loam, peat, and leaf mould; then set 
the pot in a shallow pan of water, and keep this pan 
constantly full. This treatment is different to nearly 
any other orchid, because in its native solitudes it 
grows and thrives in wet marshes. 
Ccelogyne. —This is a rather large family of orchids, 
most of which have beautiful flowers. Under the 
head of “ peculiar treatment,” we have to do only 
with three or four species. C. Gardneriana is a fine 
species, with large dark-green pseudo-bulbs, at the top 
of which are generally a pair of large lanceolate leaves. 
These mostly fall off' in the season of rest. About the 
end of February a large bud may be observed swell 
ing at the base of the last-formed pseudo-bulb; it is 
then time to pot it. Now, to understand how and 
with what to do this rightly, wo must know the pecu¬ 
liar situation in which it is found. 
To return to the plant which induced us to make 
these remarks, Ccelogyne Gardneriana: it was found 
by Mr. Gibson, collector for the Duke of Devon¬ 
shire, growing on the Ivhooseea hills in India, on 
trees and rocks in moist shady woods—being in the 
greatest luxuriance, where the spray of a waterfall 
fell upon it, keeping it constantly moist. There, 
amongst small sticks, rotting leaves or moss, it 
; flourished in the greatest beauty. This is a very 
similar situation to the one we described as the native 
haunt of Huntley a violcicca, on the banks of the river 
! Essequibo. Now, as these two plants are found in 
similar situations, though in different quarters of the 
world, the same treatment will suit them both. (See 
page 199, of this volume). G. Gardneriana is a 
lovely species. The flowers make their appearance 
at the bottom of the pseudo-bulb formed the previous 
season. If this is strong, the flower stem will often 
produce as many as six flowers. They appear 
generally in February, and the young shoots suc¬ 
ceed the flowers out of the same sheath, growing 
rapidly, and perfecting the bulbs early in summer. 
Frequently they produce a second set of flowers 
the same year, and, of course, a second set of pseudo¬ 
bulbs, but this is not desirable, as the last made 
ones are often rendered weak, and unable to produce 
such strong shoots and fine flowers as the spring- 
made bulbs. It is prudent, therefore, to be content 
with one set in a season. We may just mention, that 
the flowers are from two to three inches across, of a 
beautiful clear white, with a yellow spot in the centre 
of the labellum. Pot them in a mixture of rough 
fibrous peat, decaying leaves about half rotten, and 
sand; drain them well, and place them in the coolest 
part of the Indian-house. Keep them constantly 
moist, but most so when they are growing freely. 
The same treatment will suit the followiug sp.ecies:— 
C. plantaginea, C. barbata, C. data, and C. cristata. 
The last is a most beautiful species. C. fuliginosa, 
C. speciosa, C. ochracea, C. Cumingii, do best hungup 
in baskets, and do not require so much watering 
over head, excepting when growing freely. 
C. Wallichiana, C.prcecox, and O. maculatci, form a 
distinct section of this interesting genus, and re¬ 
quire a different treatment. They are called in the 
Fast “The Indian crocus,” because they flower in 
spring, and garnish the meadows and hedge-banks in 
that luxuriant country. They form greenish bulbs 
just on the surface. In our stoves they require to be 
potted in a mixture of loam, peat, and leaf mould, 
with a small portion of clean sand. We find they 
do best placed on a shelf, near the glass. When 
they first begin to grow give but little water, or 
there is danger of damping off the young incipient 
shoots. Like C. Gardneriana, the flowers appear 
before the leaves, and are exceedingly beautiful. The 
leaves make their appearance alter the flowers decay, 
aud form close to the soil the newhidb ; the old ones 
shrivelling up and perishing the same season. As the 
leaves increase in size give more water; and fre¬ 
quently wash the leaves with a leather brush, to 
destroy the red-spider, as this insect is very apt to 
infect them. Keep the leaves healthy, and get them 
as large as possible, as upon them depends the size 
to which the bulbs may attain. These plants are 
difficult to increase, on account of the old bulbs 
dying off as soon as the young ones are formed. 
Sometimes, however, if the bulbs are strong, they 
send up a pair of extra leaves, and these form smail 
bulbs, which may be detached at the season of pot- 
