290 THE COTTAGI 
through at the joint where the hud is situated will in 
general he advantageous. 
Secondly : cuttings of deciduous plants are easiest 
raised from well-ripened shoots with perfect huds. An 
exception exists in the case of many herbaceous plants, 
which should not bo over ripe. 
Thirdly: hardy evergreens likewise will require least 
attention in the open air, when their shoots are ap¬ 
proaching maturity; and, therefore, cuttings should be 
removed and inserted towards autumn. 
Fourthly: small pieces of tender evergreens, nursed 
under glasses, will succeed best when partaking ot a 
medium character as to firmness—between the shrubby 
and the herbaceous. 
Fifthly: grosser plants, such as the geranium, will 
succeed best when their buds are formed, and the shoots 
firmer and brown than otherwise. 
Sixthly: the greatest nicety of all is required with 
soft spongy cuttings, as the fresh matter must be assi¬ 
milated before you can have great hopes of success; 
and, therefore, gardeners instead of choosing the points 
of luxuriant, sappy shoots, fix upon the small side ones 
that are firmer in their texture; and contrive to slip 
them off close to the stem, because there, as at a joint, 
is an accumulation of vital energies. 
We cannot now say much on Pelargonium cuttings, 
but these matters we trust will be interesting to those 
who want to make them for the first time. As these 
plants are liable to insects, and apt to be gross in their 
habits, 1 would advise the preparing for taking off cut¬ 
tings by two things :— 
First: place all your plants whore you can smoko 
them; and then syringe their leaves and stems the day 
after. 
Secondly: place the plants full in the sun for the 
best part of a week, and keep them as dry as m^sible, 
without allowing the leaves to llag anything to speak 
about; and thus you will obtain two advantages, as the 
result of the maturing of the stem, and the elaboration 
or thickening of its juices: the cuttings will succeed 
better, and be less likely to damp; and the old plant 
when cut down will not bleed, and will break better in 
consequence. 
Thirdly : secure some light sandy soil. It. Fish. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
EXOTIC ORCHIDS. 
{Continued from page 255.) 
PLANTS REQUIRING TO BE GROWN ON BLOCKS. 
Broughtonia aureci (Golden 11.) ; Mexico.—A scarce 
species. Sepals and petals deep yellow; the lip has a 
tinge of red in the centro ; the flowers arc larger than 
B. sanguined, (fnd are scentless. 84s. 
B. sanguinea (Blood-coloured B.); Jamaica.—A very 
handsome free-growing and free-blooming species. 
Every collection ought to contain this charming long- 
blooming plant. The whole flower is, when grown near 
the glass, of the richost crimson colour. The bloom is 
on terminal racemes. 25s. 
Culture. —This genus is best cultivated on blocks, 
without moss, and hung up near to the roof. When 
growing they must bo freely syringed daily, and kept in 
the India house; but when the annual growth is com¬ 
pleted they must be kept moderately dry and cool. 
Burlingtonia Candida (White B.); Demcrara.—A most 
beautiful species, but very scarce. The whole flower is 
of the purest white. 105s. 
B. fragrans (Sweet-scented 13.); Brazil.—Very like 
B. venusta, but distinguished from it by its delicious 
fragrance. Unfortunately, like the first species, it is 
scarce. 84s. 
B. maculata (Spotted B.); Brazil.—Sepals and petals 
1 GARDENER. [August 8. 
pale yellow, spotted with light brown; lip creamy white, 
also spotted. A fragrant species, but not very showy. 
21s. • 
B. rigida (Stiff-stemmed B.); Brazil.—This is a hand¬ 
some species, but difficult to flower. The flowers arc 
produced in heads, and are of a purplish white, spotted 
with pink on the lip. It is the most common of the 
whole genus. 31s Cd. 
B. venusta (Charming B.); Brazil.—A beautiful lice 
flowering species. The flowers are produced in droop¬ 
ing racemes; sepals and petals pure white ; the lip has a 
pretty spot of yellow down the centre. 42s.. 
Culture. —The whole, of this genus thrive well on 
blocks, with a small quantity of green moss attached to 
the logs. B. Candida will also thrive moderately well 
in pots. They require to bo kept hot and moist whilst 
growing, witli abundance of water from the syringe, but 
cool and dry when at rest. B. rigida may be grown in 
a basket, filled with a mixture of peat, chopped spliag 
num, and broken potsherds. Place the plant in the 
centre, and keep the shoots pegged-down to the surface 
of the basket. Though we have flowered it on a block, 
yet, treated in this way, we have seen it flower freely. 
They should all be sheltered from the suns rays, as they 
grow in the depth ol the dark forests of Brazil. 
Camarotis purpurea (Purple C.); Sylbet, India.— 
The sepals and petals are bright purple lilac; the lip is 
deep purple. 42s. This is a very elegant and beautiful 
plant. It was discovered by Mr. Gibson, growing on 
trees at the foot of the Khosea Hills, in Sylbet; and 
brought by him to the collection at Chatswortb, in lf>>7. 
It has the appearance of a small Vanda or Saccolabium, 
and is distinguished from these genera by the curious 
form of the lip, which is distinctly chambered at the 
point. Our readers will remember wo described a large 
plant of it as being exhibited at the June Show at Chis¬ 
wick, by Mr. Bassett, gardener to R. S. Holford, Esq., 
at Weston Birt. The manner in which this plant was 
grown is worthy of imitation, and for the benefit ol our 
orchid-growing readers we shall try to describe it. 
First, a circular flat block, about 18 in. in diameter and 
(i in. thick was made; then a hole was cut in the centre, 
and into that hole an upright branch of a tree 4 it. high, 
0 in. in diameter at the base, and 4 in. at the top, was 
closely and firmly fitted. Green moss of a considerable 
thickness was fastened to this upright pillar, and the 
plant or plants were fastened .to the moss with copper 
wire. The plants were so large that they entirely 
covered the column, so that it could scarcely be seen; 
the lower branches projected a little beyond the next, 
and so on to the top. The plant then formed a very 
upright pyramid, aud at the time when it was exhibited 
every part and every side was clothed with the beautiful 
pendant spikes of its lovely purple blossoms. This lino 
plant had been about five years in forming and arriving 
at this splendid state of perfection. Our readers may 
justly remark, where shall we bo able to procure plants 
to form such a noble specimen ! We can only say, 
make a beginning on a small scale on the same plan; 
manage the plant judiciously by dividing and spreading 
it out on the block, and you will soon see that you are in 
a fair way to approach, if not to come up with, such a 
fine plant. 
Catasetum. —This is a family of curious rather than 
beautiful flowering plants, yet we do not recommend the 
entire banishment of all of them even from small col¬ 
lections. Though the colours of the flowers are gene¬ 
rally not bright or pleasing, yet the various forms they 
assume are so grotesque, that it is desirable lor the sake 
of seeing such out-of-thc-usual-way flowers to cultivate 
a few species. We shall make a selection ol the hand¬ 
somest and most interesting. 
Catasetum barbatum (Bearded C.); Dcmerara. Sepals 
and petals narrow, green, and blotched with purple; the 
