61 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER'AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Octobeb 30, 1860. 
You cannot manage Achimenes as you propose. There is no 
one in all Suffolk who could do so by the same means. But the 
1st of January is the earliest time you can do Achimenes, and 
every week on to the end of April they will do to be sown. 
But why sow at all ? Roots are much less expensive in the long 
run.—D. B.] 
IS CLETHRA ARBOREA HARDY? 
Does Mr. Beaton mean to say (page 354), that Clethra arborea 
is grown at Kew as an entirely hardy plant ? We much want 
a good account of hardy-flowering shrubs. They deserve far 
more general cultivation than they get. Cannot The Cottage 
Gabdenek give us some papers ou them ?—H. M. E. 
[Clethra arborea is one of our oldest conservatory plants, at 
which people of taste turn their backs when they see it a huge 
skeleton of tall naked stems and half-clothed branches waving 
in the wind. Yet it might be made as inviting as those 
other evergreen old plants mentioned at Kew by our coadjutor, 
Mr. Beaton. We thought at the time he meant Clethra alnifolia, 
a very low, bushy shrub of the old school also ; but, probably, 
arborea was introduced by him for some private monition to the 
gardeners at Kew, or at some ancient country residences. 
We agree with you that we want more recent accounts of 
hardy-flowering and ornamental shrubs; but we fear, like the 
Clethra arborea, from the rage for novelties and fancy decora¬ 
tions, one could hardly get a hearing who took a rational view 
of the subject. Nurserymen do not find the subject inviting 
enough even to mention the names of such things in their 
catalogues ; and no instructor can be prevailed upon to hold 
forth to empty benches, or add to the contents of the waste¬ 
basket. But we shall look to it.] 
STOVE ORCHIDS. 
(Continued from page 35.) 
Oechids OK Blocks. —There are many of the most rare and 
very lovely Orchids that do not thrive well in either pots or 
baskets. In their native habitats they are found growing on 
branches of trees, the roots clinging to the branches or swinging 
in the air, from which they appear to draw their nutriment. We 
imitate this mode of natural growth by placing such plants on 
logs of wood suspended from the roof of the Orchid-house. I 
have used various kinds of wood for this purpose, and from 
many years of experience I have come to the conclusion that the 
branches of the Robinia pseudo-acacia are the best for them. It 
is the common hardy Acacia, commonly so called, a tree now 
well known. I use it without the bark, which easily peels off 
when the branches have been cut off for a year or so. The next 
best, when the Acacia cannot be procured, are branches of the 
Cork tree, then of the Oak, and lastly, of the Elder tree, any of 
which will answer the purpose. The Cork branches I have used 
with the bark on, because the bark of that tree does not so easily 
decay. The objection to logs with bark on is, that when the 
bark decays woodlice and other insects secrete themselves behind 
the bark, and issue thence at night to prey upon the young roots, 
Bhoots, or flower-stems. 
The way to fasten the plants to the logs is easy enough. The 
log being ready, with a piece of wire fastened to it to suspend it 
by, then have ready some small wire and some green moss. Hold 
the plant with the hand close to the log, and also some moss, 
then wind the wire round the log, catching hold of the plant at 
the same time, but be careful not to let the wire press too tightly 
on the plant. The part best to lay the wire upon is that named 
the rhizoma, or root-stock, which generally is of a hard woody 
texture, and, consequently will bear a gentle pressure. At the 
same time place a thirl layer of green moss on the log, and some 
on each side of the plant. If it should happen that the root¬ 
stock is soft and fleshy, a little moss should then be put under 
the wire to prevent it from cutting the root-stock. The plant 
will, when it begins to grow, put forth new roots, and even the 
old living roots will send out branchlets of new roots. Some of 
these will catch hold of the log and wrap round it. Then if the 
root-stock swells, and the wire appears to strangle it, let the wire 
be cut in pieces to prevent further mischief. Some delicate 
species are better without any moss excepting a bit under the 
wire. These species I shall give a list of in the group below. 
Size of the Blocks .—When the plant is large it should be 
plac ed upon a large block, but in order to lessen its weight it 
may be split in two. Such large blocks should have a stronger 
wire, which should be fastened to each end and suspended from 
the centre. Small plants, on the contrary, should have small 
logs, and the wire fastened to one end only, and a loop twisted 
at the other end to suspend it by. 
I have been rather minute in describing the different operations 
of potting, basketing, and blocking, which if carefully and 
rightly performed at the proper season will leave the plants 
ready for the next equally important operations of watering and 
syringing — operations that require particular and constant 
attention during the whole period of growth. 
Wateking. —Plants in pots and baskets, when newly placed 
in fresh compost and just beginning to grow, sending forth new 
roots and shoots, should have very moderate supplies of water, 
and that should be given round the edges of the pots or baskets, 
so as not to wet the plant at all. I use for this purpose at that 
season a small pot, with a long small spout without a rose. The 
operator lias with such a pot a greater power over the quantity 
of water he ought to give to each plant. When the young shoots 
have half formed their new pseudo-bulbs, and the days have 
become longer and the sun more powerful, more water may be 
given, and it may be extended close up to the plant. As a 
general rule, let the operator observe never to water an Orchid 
till it requires it, and let the quantity given be in proportion to 
the size of the plant and its state of growth. At the base of 
each new pseudo-bulb there is a kind of sheath. This sheath 
holds water ; and when that bulb is young this water, lodging 
in the sheath in dark cloudy days, will have a tendency to rot 
the young shoot. In such a case the sheaths had better be 
carefully torn open to let the water escape. As the pseudo-bulbs 
increase in size and maturity the sheaths decay, and may then 
be removed entirely. When the pseudo-bulbs have reached this 
stage the greatest quantity of water should be given. Many 
of the Dendrobiums may be deluged with water daily; for 
upon the free application of water at that state of growth 
depends the full development of the growths. In their native 
climates there is, as is well known, a rainy season—that is, it 
rains heavily almost every day for many weeks: therefore it 
behoves the cultivator to give abundance of water, in order to 
get his plants well grown when the growing season takes place, 
more especially if the summer should be hot and dry. When 
the pseudo-bulbs have attained what the grower may judge their 
full size, then gradually reduce the quantity of water till the 
dax-k days of autumn arrive, and then no more should be given 
than will prevent the shoots from shrivelling too much. Fre¬ 
quently in winter once a-month a small supply of water will be 
necessary. 
Sykingikg. —The same precautions must be used in syringing 
as I have described above for watering with the garden-pot. It 
may be freely used during the summer morning and evening; 
but in spring and autumn the syringing should be done only in 
the morning, when the sun is likely to break forth clear during 
the day. To create a moisture in the air in the evenings of such 
days syringe the pipes and paths only. In all cases be careful 
not to syringe over the flowers, for the least drop of water will 
injure their beauty. T. Appleby. 
(To he continued.) 
MAKING A PIT FOR TENDER BULBS. 
It is well known that the Belladonna Lily, Ixias, Irids of the 
tenderest kinds, Alstromerias, many of the hardier Amaryllids, 
Japan Lilies, Agapanthus, &c., bloom well for years when 
planted at the foot of a fruit wall of a hothouse, or even green¬ 
house. They would do almost equally well at the foot of any 
other wall where they could be treated with plenty of moisture 
and sun when growing, and comparative dryness and protection 
when at rest; the whole of these would do equally well in a 
small pit—say five feet wide : the bottom thoroughly drained, 
an open stratum of rubble above that, of nine or twelve inches, 
and a staple of sweet, sandy loam of eighteen inches, over all. 
This would enable all the bulbs to be planted deep enough, and, 
provided that the bottom was solid below the rubble, there 
would not, in the case of the larger bulbs, be much chance of 
their roots getting too deep. 'With such a convenience, the 
staple soil could be regulated with peat or rotten leaf mould, 
according to the requirements of each kind; and, once estab¬ 
lished, the bulbs would bloom with a vigour that could rarely 
be met with under mere pot culture. As such a pit would need 
protecting only in the winter and spring months, the height of 
