228 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
had been sporting; hard, firm, compact balls may stand 
little chance of receiving a suitable supply, like their 
later-potted, freer-absorbing brethren. The force of the 
stream against the stem of many hard-wooded plants, 
especially after a hot day, and when the water is rather 
cool, may promote such gangrene and disease, that the 
green flourishing plant of the morning may be withered 
and dried up before the evening. But what recks he ? 
A little more care, even with the spout, a stooping posi¬ 
tion, gently running the water over the surface of the 
soil, or even pouring it on a piece of tile or oyster shell, 
would prevent many of these contingencies, which he is 
ever ready to ascribe to soil, to situation, to sun, to each 
and everything but his gallant use of the water-pail. 
One word more. If we professionals make such slips, 
ought we not to excuse many of the short-comings of 
our amateur friends ? Some time ago, I was asked what 
could be the matter with some window plants that cer¬ 
tainly looked rather queer. The soil on the surface of the 
joots was moist; there was water in the saucers on which 
they stood; they had been regularly supplied as they 
got dry, both top and bottom, for several months, and 
still they flourished not! and what could be the matter? 
It was elicited that a little water was first generally put 
into the saucer, and then a little into the pot; because a 
great man had said that if water was communicated 
below, it would be drawn up by capillary attraction. 
Here was a gleam of light; catching the pot in hand, 
its lightness unravelled the mystery. Turning the plant 
out of the pot was the work of a moment; it had been 
well and openly drained, but the roots had not got to 
the bottom, and of capillary action upwards, therefore, 
there was little;—about one inch on the surface of the 
soil was moist enough; the middle parts might have 
been baked in an oven. The moistness of the surface 
prevented, to a great extent, any benefit being derived 
from the moisture in the saucer. The pots were plunged 
in water, to give them a perfect soaking; afterwards, 
when getting dry, they were watered on the surface 
until the water ran out below; and if such came, it was 
thrown away, leaving none to stand above the drainage, 
and healthy, nice flowering plants were the consequence. 
If there is such a thing as teaching by example, then 
these ideas may be worth the paper on which they are 
printed. R. Fish. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
EXOTIC ORCHIDACEiE. 
ouchids that thbive well in pots — (Continued from 
page 192). 
Oncidium sphacelatum (Scorched 0.); Guatemala.— 
Flowers, with a yellow ground, barred and spotted with 
rich brown. This is a handsome freely-flowering and 
fast-growing species. The flower-stems spring from the 
base of the pseudo-bulbs, to the height of three or four 
feet, and send forth numerous side branches, on which 
the flowers are placed thickly. Though each flower is, 
comparatively speaking, small, yet, from their numbers 
and bright colours, the effect of the wdiole is beautiful. 
A desirable species. 15 s. 
O. spilopterum (Yellow-winged 0.); Brazil.—Sepals 
and petals purplish brown; lip broad and of a lively 
yellow; the wings of the column are very conspicuous, 
j and also of a clear yellow, spotted with red. A small 
very pretty species. The flowers are borne upon slender 
j stems, a foot high; rather scarce. 42s. 
> O. straminetjm (Straw-coloui’ed O.); Mexico.—Sepals 
and petals straw colour; the lip and petals are spotted 
with crimson; it is sweet, something like primroses. 
The leaves are about six inches long, and one-and-a 
half wide, stout and leathery; the flower-stems spring 
out of the base of each leaf, growing, when strong, a 
[July 10. 
foot high, and much branched. There is a neatness 
about the flowers that render this a desirable one to 
grow, especially in a small collection. 21s. 
0. trulliferum (Trowel-bearing 0.) ; Brazil.—The 
whole of the flower is of a yellow ground colour, spotted 
with brown ; the lip is shaped like a trowel, hence the 
specific name; the flower-stems rise from the base of 
the long pseudo-bulbs, and are erect and branching. 
The plant is handsome all the year, which, together 
with its curious-shaped lip, renders it worthy of cultiva¬ 
tion. 21s. 
O. Wentwortiiianum (Mr. Wentworth’s 0.); Guate¬ 
mala.—Flowers yellow, stained and spotted with crim¬ 
son ; the pseudo-bulbs are twice as long as broad, and 
are barred with purplish spots; flower-stems long and 
slender. A very pretty species, of easy culture. 21s. 
O. Wray.e (Mrs. Wray’s 0.) ; Mexico.—Sepals and 
petals bright clear yellow, richly spotted with brown ; 
lip large and pure yellow without any spots ; the flowers 
are large, and are produced on stems nearly erect, and 
from four to five feet long. A most desirable species, 
but very rare. G3s. 
Culture. —This splendid and large genus of orchids 
may be divided into two sections: the one with large 
thick leaves, and obscure pseudo-bulbs, of which O. 
lucidum furnishes an example ; and the other with large 
conspicuous pseudo-bulbs, and rather thin, long leaves, 
of which O. sphacelatum is the type. As might be ex¬ 
pected, a somewhat different culture is required for each 
section. First section: the large-leaved plants are 
mostly natives of the tropical parts of the New World, 
and, in consequence, require the Indian house to grow 
them in. During the season of growth they require a 
liberal supply of moisture, both at the root and in the 
air of the house. The compost for them should be very 
open, to allow a free egress to the water: for if it is 
allowed to stagnate, either in the compost or in the 
hollows of the large leaves, when young, there is great 
danger of their damping off. Make the compost of 
rough pieces of fibrous peaty turf; mix it freely with 
chopped sphagnum (white bog-moss), broken potsherds, 
and pieces of charcoal, not smaller than walnuts. Let 
them be well incorporated when used. If a small 
quantity of half-decayed leaves and rotten wood be 
handy, they may be used with advantage. Potting 
should be done about March, just when the plants begin 
to show symptoms of growth. Let the pots either be 
new, or very well washed, previously to being used. 
The new ones would be all the better for an hour’s 
steeping in clear water, unless they have been exposed 
some time to showers of rain in the open air. Drain¬ 
age. —As these large, almost succculent-leaved plants are 
subject to damping off, if any water remain about them 
for any length of time, it is needful to drain them 
effectually. First, place a small pot, inverted, over the 
hole at the bottom of each pot. If there are more than 
one, which in large pots for large specimens is generally 
the case, use as many small pots as there are holes in 
the bottom. Fill round this pot, or pots, large quan¬ 
tities of broken potsherds ; let these cover the small pots 
about half-an-inch ; upon them place a quantity of 
smaller crocks, or broken potsherds, so high, as, at least, 
to half fill the pots. Cover them with some charcoal, 
and then fill up with the compost, nearly level with the 
rim. When all this is done, take the plant to be potted 
carefully out of the old pot, preserving every living root i 
without injuring it in the least, if possible. Set it in | 
the centre of its new pot, keeping it elevated, in small j 
plants, one inch, and, in larger, two or more inches i 
above the rim of the new pot. Fill round each plant * 
with the fresh compost, pressing it down gently to make ! 
it firm about the plant. As the leaves are of consider- j 
able weight, it will be necessary, in order to keep them J 
firmly upright, to place stoutish sticks to each leaf; j 
