THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 25. 
l 
398 
dispensing with potting altogether. Whichever of these 
modes be adopted, firmness in packing is the most 
essential. For want of it, a heave from the top of a 
coach, or a thrust from a luggage van, will have a ten¬ 
dency to produce something of the smashing, far from 
agreeable to contemplate when the basket is opened. 
For a substance combining firmness and of a yielding 
character, we have found nothing equal to moss. For 
baskets not more than from twelve to eighteen inches 
in widtli, not anything else than the moss will be re¬ 
quired. When more than that width, and you contem¬ 
plate the basket will not be opened for eight days at 
least, it would be advisable to place a layer of straw, 
shavings, or anything of that open kind, merely as 
breathing places for the centre of the basket. So packed, 
after being thumped by land and water several weeks, 
we have seen and heard of the plants being taken out 
quite fresh, and not a leaf broken. For sending by 
post, nothing is better than a light tin or wooden box. 
The young plants should have the earth removed from 
their roots in a pail of water, be allowed to drain, the 
roots then laid in moss, which will become wet enough 
by the remaining moisture obtained from the pail, 
though allowed to drain, and the tops packed in the 
driest moss or cotton wadding. The use of the box is 
chiefly as a safeguard from the crush of the stamp of 
the postmaster. 
Secondly, we may glance at moss as an equalizer of 
moisture. Mr. Appleby, who has been happily instru¬ 
mental in diffusing a taste for these splendid plants, 
can well tell us how useful, even on this account, it is 
for the cultivation of many orchids. I have frequently 
adverted to its beneficial operation as a draining 
medium, in all pot cultivation, parting with the moisture 
that is redundant, and hoarding it up like miser’s gold 
when the plant is threatened with drought. When 
other means are wanting, we have found it, in a half- 
decayed state, a valuable ingredient in composts, tear¬ 
ing it in pieces for large shifts, and chopping and cut¬ 
ting it small for little pots. Heavy clay soils were thus 
rendered lighter and less retentive of moisture, while 
the very opposite effect was produced on soils of a loose, 
sandy, porous character. 
Lastly, let us glance at the cases in which moss may he 
so used, as to dispense with the expense of the pots, and 
the bother and vexations connected with their breakage, 
and continuous washings. It has already been seen 
that bulbs may be so grown, either for the ornamenting 
of the greenhouse or sitting-room. Many of our friends, 
with small gardens, go through the great proportion of 
their labours in potting, to bring forward plants that 
are to be turned out of their pots into baskets, vases, 
and small beds in summer. Economy of time and 
labour, and saving in the cost of pots, which, somehow, 
come to be needed every year, are with them questions 
of great moment. Aye, and these are matters which 
must now be thought about in our very largest establish¬ 
ments. Hence I have mentioned from my own practice, 
that a great proportion of such plants may never see a 
pot at all, merely by pricking the plants out in any 
rougliish material in which the roots would hang rather 
firmly. I have not used moss long, to any extent, for 
this purpose, nor am I the originator, by any means, of so 
using it; that honour, I presume, belongs to Mr. Ferguson 
of Stowe, who made such a stir with his penny plants. 
There is much more trouble in doing them in moss, as I 
did, than in pricking them out; but for all plants that do 
not make masses of fibrous roots, it will be found the 
most economical in the end. I must only give an in¬ 
stance or two. Look back to the mode desciibed for 
propagating shrubby calceolarias in autumn. In a 
similar place, and the convenience of the same old lights, 
only facing the south, a great number of these little cal¬ 
ceolarias were planted, after being wrapped in moss in 
the following manner:—A good handful of moss is taken, 
laid rather fiattish in the palm of the left hand, on that 
the young plant is placed, and then about it and around 
it, a small handful of rich light charcoaly soil; the moss 
surrounds all, and is tied with a piece of matting. It is 
then dipped into a pail of warmed water, and plunged 
up to the axils of the leaves in the rude prepared bed. 
This was done sometime in November, as far as I recol¬ 
lect. They have not been watered since. They are such 
a thicket of healthy plants as are not to bo seen every 
day, and have merely had plenty of air, and litter thrown 
on the glass to keep out frost. A number were potted 
at the same time, but for all the trouble they have oc 
casioned in examining, watering, &c., they are neither 
so strong nor so healthy. The moss is now a firm 
mass of fibres. Young scarlet geraniums, done at the 
same time, are also well rooted in the moss; you may 
catch them by the head, pull them up, and take them, 
or pack them for any where. I propose serving a lot of 
old scarlet geraniums, kept perfectly dry, and just alive 
all the winter, in a similar manner, directly. When 
planting time comes, they will never feel the moving. I j 
will dip each plant in a tub of warmed water, and the | 
moss will so hold the moisture that they will want little 
more for the summer; and then, in addition to all this, 1 | 
think, though as yet I cannot be certain, that those who I 
wish to take from basket or bed their old plants to keep I 
them over, will be able to do so more easily and effect¬ 
ually than ever, as there will be the roots clustered in 
the moss always to fall back upon; the best roots, in fact, 
will be preserved, instead of being left behind in the bed 
or box. R. Fish. 
PROPAGATION OF EXOTIC ORCHIDS. 
( Continued, from page 370.) 
Eria. —A large genus from the East Indies, very few : 
of which are worth growing. Such as are worthy, may 
he readily increased by dividing two or three of the back 
pseudo-bulbs from the plants at the time of potting; put 
these divisions in pots and give no water till the young 
shoots and fresh roots appear. 
Euj.ophia. —A genus of orchids, with bulbs like the 
true Bletias. They may be increased in a similar way. 
Fernandesia. —Plants with curious pretty stems and 
leaves. Increased by division. 
Galeandra. —In this genus there are some splendid 
plants which are difficult to grow and increase. G. 
Bauerii should be propagated in a similar way as that 
described for Oatasetums, but it is safer to place the part 
intended to form a new plant upon a block without moss 
till it forms a new shoot and fresh roots, and perfects 
the first new pseudo-bulb. Then, after the season of 
rest is over, pot it, block and all, and treat it like the 
established plants. G. Bevonianum should be increased 
by passing a sharp knife through the rhizoma or root- 
stock, and allowing the parts to remain in the pot till 
the divided parts have each grown one year; then, at the 
potting time separate, pot, and treat them like the old 
plants, but be particularly careful of water lodging in j 
the young shoots. 
Gongora. —The whole of this genus are worth grow- j 
ing, and they are easily increased by cutting off' two or j 
three pseudo-bulbs, potting them, and treating them ' 
exactly like the large plants from which they are divided, j 
The best season for this operation is when they are 
beginning to grow, and require potting. 
Goodyera. —Increased in the same way as Anectoclii- 
lus. 
Govenia. —A genus of some beauty worth increasing, 
which may be done easily in the same way as Bletia. 
Grammatophyllum. —This genus produces large 
pseudo-bulbs, especially G. speoiosum. Increase in the 
same way as Oyrtopodium. 
