THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
31T 
August 22.] 
than plants brought from open houses in May; obtain 
all the light that can be given, without flagging them, 
and cleanliness and moisture to the atmosphere afforded 
by sponging their leaves with water. Such plants, after 
being gradually inured to the open air and shaded for 
a time with an evergreen branch, &c., when transferred 
there will furnish anything but miserable appearances. 
To have given the plants from the side-board a chance 
out of doors, they should have been moved to the win¬ 
dows, shaded at first from bright sunshine, gradually 
inured to it, exposed by degrees to the open air, and 
then, but not till then, turned into the border, and 
watered and shaded for a time, until they had got hold 
of the fresh soil. 
Our correspondent’s failure, therefore, proceeded 
chiefly from neglecting the element of light; and he 
will find that his plants will thrive best in rooms where 
there are windows from different aspects. Where there 
is only one window, the plants should be as near it as 
they will bear, and they should be frequently turned, 
that the light may reach every side of them alike. The 
necessity of shading is more relative than real. The 
more light a plant gets the hardier it will be, the more 
freely will its flower buds be produced, and the fitter 
will it be for being transferred as an ornament to the 
flower-garden. R- Eish. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
EXOTIC ORCHIDACEA3. 
plants requiring blocks. —(Continued fromp. 291.) 
Cat tieya Aclandice (Lady Acland’s) ; Brazil.—This is 
a splendid and rare species. The sepals and petals are 
of a rich brown, stained with green; the lip is purple 
and white. 210s. 
C. citrina (Citron-coloured C.); Oaxaca.—We have 
already described this lovely species amongst those re¬ 
quiring peculiar treatment. We need only state here 
that the way to grow this, is to place it on a block with¬ 
out moss, witli the last made pseudo-bulb the lowest. 
The sepals, petals, and labellum are of the bright colour 
of the citron, with a shade of white in the centre of the 
flower. The pseudo-bulbs are short, almost white, and 
something like a Catesetum. The flowers are large, 
solitary, and pendant. 42s. 
C. marginata (Bordered C.); Brazil.—A very dwarf 
plant not more than four inches high. The flowers are 
produced singly on the top of the last made pseudo¬ 
bulbs. They are large compared with the size of the 
plant. Sepals and petals rosy crimson; lip deep rose 
margined with white. 
C. Pinellii and C. pumila are very much like this 
species, if not identical with it. Requires growing on a 
block without moss. 31s. 6d. 
C. bulbosa (Bulb-like C.) ; Brazil.—A remarkable 
species sufficiently distinct from the preceding by its 
short club-like pseudo-bulbs, surmounted by a pair of 
bluntly ovate fleshy leaves, Cattleya marginata, &c., pro¬ 
ducing only one leaf on each pseudo-bulb. The sepals 
and petals are of a deep rose ; the lip of the same colour, 
with a large blotch of deep purple in the centre. It is a 
very fine desirable species. 105s. 
Culture. —These small gems of the finest tribe of 
orchids do not require an extraordinary amount of either 
heat or moisture. If kept too close and hot they will 
grow weakly, and never flower. If kept too moist in 
autumn and winter the roots will perish, and the same 
effect will be induced. Place them at the coolest end of 
the house, pretty near to the glass, and during the 
growing season only, syringe the blocks slightly every 
evening. Shade only from the midday sun. By this 
treatment judiciously applied, they will grow vigorously, 
and flower well, but never profusely; seldom, even on 
the stronger plants, producing more than two or three 
flowers at a time; but the colours are so splendid, and 
the flowers so large in comparison to the plants, that 
they are exceedingly striking and handsome. During 
the season of rest keep them dry and cool, syringing 
only just often enough to prevent the whole plant from 
shrivelling too much. 
Cirrhopetalum auratum (Golden C.); Alan ilia.—A 
curious and pretty plant. The whole flower when ex¬ 
panded is like an open fan. The upper sepals and 
petals are fringed with golden-coloured hairs, the lateral 
sepals have no hair, and are stained with purple. The 
general colour of the flower is yellow, mottled with 
crimson. 42s. 
C. candelabra (Chandelier-formed C.).—Another curious 
and ornamental plant from India. The plant when 
strong sends up a stoutish scape or flower-stem, to the 
height of nine inches; the flowers are placed in a circle 
round the head of the scape; the outer sepals and petals 
assume a downward direction, forming a fantastic re¬ 
semblance to a chandelier; whence its name. These 
outer petals are pink; the lower sepals and petals are of 
a light straw, streaked with purple; the lip is fringed at 
the margin, and is yellow. The leaves of the plant are 
small, and of a purplish colour. 84s. 
C. Chinensis( Chinese C.); China—Flower larger than 
the rest of the genus. The upper sepals and petals are 
purple; the lateral sepals are yellowish; one of the 
lobes is like a chin and tongue, which are continually in 
a state of motion when in flower, rendering it very 
amusing. 63s. 
C. Cummingii (Mr. Cumming’s); Philippine Islands.— 
The sepals and petals rich ruby; the lip is of the same 
colour. It is large and conspicuous. The whole flower 
forms a flat head with the sepals and petals drooping. 
The column on being touched moves backwards and 
forwards for a considerable time like the pendulum of a 
clock. 42s. 
C. Medusa (Medusa’s-head C.) ; Sincapore.—This has 
a flower like the last, with a flat head from, which the 
petals and sepals hanging down terminating in long 
wavy strings, so as to have a slight resemblance to a 
head of flowing-hair. They are of a pale straw- 
colour, the inner part spotted with pink. 42s.- 
C. Tliouarsii (Thouar’s C.).—Like all the genus, this 
is a very curious species. The sepals and petals are 
long and narrow, of an equal breadth; the colour is 
yellow, finely spotted with red, and fringed with bristle¬ 
shaped teeth, terminating in a long awl-shaped point. 
31s. 6d. 
Such is the description of the best known species of 
this curious, interesting genus. They are certainly not 
of a showy character like Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, or 
Loclias, but the exceedingly curious forms that the 
flowers assume, the little room they take up, aud their 
easy culture, render them objects worthy of being in every 
collection, however small. The only objection against 
their being more generally grown is their comparative 
scarceness and high price; but as there are several 
collectors now out in their native localities, it is to be 
hoped they will be sent home in such quantities as to 
bring them within the reach of every orchid cultivator. 
Culture. —The mode of growing these is very simple. 
They should be placed upon logs, of a size suitable to 
them, and have a little moss attached to each block. The 
Indian house is their proper place, in a temperature of 
75° to 85°, during the season of growth. The atmosphere 
should be as moist as possible, and the syringe freely 
used every day. As soon as the year’s growth is per¬ 
fected they should be kept moderately dry and cool; 
that is, they should only bo syringed when the pseudo¬ 
bulbs appear to be shrinking ; and the temperature 
should be reduced to 60°. By such treatment they will 
grow and flower satisfactorily. 
