January 29. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
271 
because, though we do not squeeze the soil so very hard, 
the constant watering has a tendency to run the com¬ 
post closer together; and when thus the earth sinks in 
the pot, we can give top-dressings without danger; 
but such top-dressings, as would sink the collar ot a 
Heath plant from half-an-inch to an inch deeper than 
it was before, would ever be attended with danger, 
if not with ruin. Hence the reason why many Heath 
growers, whenever the plants arrive at any size, elevate 
the collar part of the plant above that part of the ball 
which approaches the rim ot the pot. in large pots, if 
the rise should be merely from a half to three-quarters- 
of-an-inch, I should have no objection, as the slight 
elevation would be merely an imitation of nature, a 
guide we may ever safely follow when diversity of cir¬ 
cumstances are taken into consideration This slight 
elevation of the centre would so far save the stem of the 
plant from the jet d'eau of the careless waterer; but the 
same object could be equally gained where the water- 
pot spout, and not a rose, was used, by having a tile 
or shell on which slowly to pour the water, as in 
a free-growing plant. 1 should have a great ob¬ 
jection to allow water, very likely of a different tem¬ 
perature, to be dashed against the stem. The dread of 
this, and the fear of the roots being saturated with 
moisture, have led some eminent cultivators, not only 
to elevate the collar of the plant to the level of the rim 
of the pot, but several inches higher still. With good 
drainage, and compost which drains itself, I have never 
seen reason for adopting such a practice, and I cannot but 
think that those eminent men who succeed with it must 
entail upon themselves extra trouble. It is quite evident 
that the only moisture obtained by the raised part must 
be got by capillary attraction, and absorption from the 
atmosphere, while a dry atmosphere will carry the 
moisture away faster than it can be received. 1 can 
easily judge how those heaths, less patient of moisture, 
may succeed best under such a system when exposed to 
the wet climate of some parts of the west and south of 
our island, and how such a system would be attended 
with extra trouble and danger in the eastern and mid¬ 
land counties, where the atmosphere is clearer and 
drier. 
Those modes, when not essential, confuse the mind of 
the beginner, but with proper conveniences and atten¬ 
tion, there need be no more difficulty in growing an 
Erica than a Cineraria. There is only one other inode 
of potting to which we deem it necessary to refer, and 
that is the large or one-shift system, though the former 
term we look upon as the most correct. I some time 
ago detailed the principles involved in this mode of pot¬ 
ting and cultivating, and these all apply to its adoption 
for heaths. Whether the space between the ball and 
the sides of the pot be 1^, 3, or more inches, greater 
care will be requisite than in either of the two cases 
referred to, to disentangle the roots, so that some of 
them, at least, be enabled at once to work in a new soil. 
According to the size of the shift must be the propor¬ 
tionate roughness of the soil, and the larger the shift 
the firmer must these rough particles be squeezed 
together. Whatever is put ou the drainage must also 
be made firm, and as, however firm it be, it will continue 
sinking, it is advisable that in this case the collar of the 
plant should at least be level with the rim of the pot, 
and the outside of the soil little, if any thing, below it. 
Before the roots get to the outside, both collar and soil 
will be low enough. In all cases, but especially in this, 
the compost must be sweet, neither wet nor dry, nor yet 
lower in temperature than the soil of the plant before 
potting; if a few degrees higher, all the better; of 
course in summer, attention to this will be unnecessary. 
Treatment after Potting .—At present I can only say, 
in early spring and autumn (if the last must be adopted), 
place the plants in a close pit or frame, or under a hand- 
light, giving them a temperature, at least, ranging from 
45° to 55°, and shade from bright sunshine until growth I 
is commencing. In summer, a shady place would be j 
the best after potting; young ones may be watered im- j 
mediately. The larger plants, if the ball is previously i 
well moistened, may be syringed, and not watered for j 
several days. The large-shift ones may be frequently i 
syringed, but no more water given at any time than you 
can satisfy yourself will reach all the roots. In every 
other case, when you do water, give enough to moisten 
the whole soil. This, however, will very likely be en¬ 
larged upon, that beginners may sec their way clearly. 
R. Fish. 
EXOTIC ORCHIDACEzE 
PROPAGATION. 
Everything in this mundane world has a beginning 
and an end, and so we find that our pleasant labour of 
writing on the culture of orchids is no exception to this 
rule. Many a pleasant hour we have spent in writing, 
and can conscientiously say that we have held nothing 
back, but have tried with all our power and experience 
to render the culture of these singularly-interesting and 
beautiful plants easy, not to the million, but to the 
many who are now engaged in this delightful and ex¬ 
citing pursuit. We arc happy to find that our labour 
of love has been appreciated. Many kind friends have 
been so good as to approve of, and put our instructions 
into practice, and we may hope with success. Many 
have expressed a wish to have the papers which we 
have had the happiness of contributing to The Cottage 
Gardener on Orchid Culture, embodied in a small 
volume, and in reply to that wish, if it please God to 
spare us in health, with sufficient time to collect them 
together, we intend to publish them, so that future 
growers may at once see what they ought to practice in 
order to succeed. 
We have purposely delayed till the end of our 
labours, the mode of propagating these plants, and that 
is what yet remains for us to write about. It was 
thought better to do this than to be continually repeat¬ 
ing to every species the way in which they might be in 
creased. There are so many that are propagated in the 
same manner, that we judged, and we think rightly, that 
it would be more advantageous to the cultivator to have 
the directions altogether, than to have them scattered 
through the whole series of papers. Generally speaking, 
the whole of the species of any genera of the order are 
propagated in a similar manner, we propose, therefore, 
briefly to run through the genera in alphabetical order, 
and to give the way in which we have been successful 
in increasing them. In the large genus Oncidium, and 
perhaps one or two others, there are plants of such 
different habits, that the way of increasing them must 
necessarily be different, and we shall of course, in such 
cases, deviate from the general rule. 
Propagation of Orchidacece. Acanthopiiippium. —This 
is a quick-growing genus, and the plants soon spread 
Out over the pot. To increase them, turn a plant out of ! 
the pot, and cut off with a strong knife two or three 
or more pseudo-bulbs, pot them in the proper compost, I 
give no water till the young shoots begin to appear, then 
water very gently, being careful not to wet the young 
shoots. They will make flowering plants the third year. 
Here we would remark, once for all, that the best 
time of propagation, with few exceptions, is just before 
the plants begin to grow, or a convenient time would be 
when the potting of the plant is being performed ; then 
the plants are out of the pots, and may be easily divided. 
Acineta. —The species of this genus do not grow so 
fast as the last. The way to increase them is to cut off 
two or three of the back pseudo-bulbs, pot them in 
small pots in the same compost that is used for the old 
