284 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 7, 18G0. 
useful for low-growing plants, or for such that- are deciduous. 
This shelf will be a suitable habitation when they are at rest. 
The house may either be heated with an ordinary flue covered in 
with dished tiles or flags, or, with what is better, hot-water pipes, 
with troughs to hold water fixed upon them. 
Contrivances for giving air should be provided abundantly, 
both for letting in large supplies of fresh air, and for letting tho 
over-heated air escape out at the highest part of the roof. That 
part may be made with a board a foot or more broad. At in¬ 
tervals of a foot apart, the board should be cut into long squares, 
and each of these hinged at one side, and a rack at the other. A 
long iron rod connected by a lever with each of those hinged 
pieces, should be so contrived as to turn round by a wheel and 
pinion at one end. By turning this each hinged piece will rise 
and thus give air and let out the heated air when necessary. To 
admit fresh air at tho bottom or lower part of the house, I have 
always found sliding panels in the wall the most convenient. 
These are made by first fixing a frame of wood in the bricks, 
and allowing it to project out sufficiently to allow the panel or 
shutter to slide in a groove cut in the frame outside the wall. | 
The openings m the wall opposite the panels should be level with j 
the pipes or flue. The air then becomes warm in passing over 
the heated surface, and is more beneficial to the plants. These 
contrivances of course apply to a house devoted entirely to tem¬ 
perate-loving Orchids, and approximating means should be 
adopted where possible to a greenhouse where other kinds of 
plants besides Orchids are grown. In such a house Orchids will 
do well, if every other point of culture is properly attended to. 
Soil. —There are two classes of Orchids distinguished by the 
terms epiphytal and terrestrial —that is, the first class grows on 
trees, and the second in the ground. 
Epiphytal Orchids require a compost of moss, fibry peat, 
charcoal, and broken pots. The best sort of mo3S is sphagnum, 
a white kind that grows in swampy places. Eibry peat may be 
got from a dry common where Heath and the common Brake 
abound. The moss should be chopped small, and the peat 
broken into small pieces, and the fine particles sifted out; what 
remains in the sieve is that which must be used for Orchids. 
The moss and peat in equal parts, two of each, and one of broken 
charcoal, and one of broken pots, tho whole well mixed together 
in a moderately dry state. 
Eor ground or terrestrial Orchids, chalky loam, sandy peat, and 
leaf mould, in equal parts, are a good compost, though some thrive 
well in strong loam; and for others an addition of caky, dry 
cowdung should be used. In my list, I shall mention such as 
require these peculiar soils. The different materials for the 
various composts ought to be obtained in the summer months, 
and laid up ready for use in some place sheltered from excessive 
rains. 
Potting. —The season for this operation is later than for stove 
Orchids, because they do not start so early into growth. That 
is the criterion to guide the cultivator. He must observe when 
the plants are beginning to grow and then pot them. A wide 
rather shallow pot for epiphytal Orchids is the best, and if 
ordered at the pottery costs no more than an ordinary pot. Eor 
ground Orchids, the common-shaped pot is the best. If old pots 
are used they should be scrubbed quite clean, and allowed to 
become dry before using. New pots fresh from the pottery 
should be put into water for an hour or two, then allowed to 
become dry before using. Eor Orchids that grow on trees, the 
pots should be thoroughly drained with broken pots. In fact, 
the pots should be half filled with drainage. Over the drainage 
place a layer of moss and charcoal. Let the size of the pots be 
in proportion to the size of the plants. Having got ready the pot, 
then take the plant and turn it out of its pot, and pick away all 
the old stuff and drainage. If it does not come out easily, it is 
very likely prevented doing so by the roots adhering to the side. 
If so, pass a thin, long-bladcd knife carefully between the root 
and the pot. If that cannot be done without injuring the root, 
then break the pot in pieces very gently, and such pieces of the 
pot as hold the roots let them remain so, and put them altogether 
into the new pot. Hold the plant in one hand and work in the 
fresh compost, with the other. Let the centre of the compost 
be ruised a little above the rim of the fresh pot, so that tho plant 
will stand as it were on a little hillock. Most likely it will be 
rather loose in the compost at first; and, therefore, to keep it 
steady, put in some short sticks close to the pseudo-bulbs. 
The potting season is a good time to cleanse the leaves of the 
plants, and to clear off any scaly insects that may be on the leaves 
and pseudo-bulbs. The best implement for this purposo is a 
piece of thickish soft leather tied to a stick. This, when used, 
does not injure the tenderest leaves. 
Proceed thus with every plant till all that are beginning to 
grow are finished. Then with a syringe wet the compost by 
forcing the water on it strongly, which will press down the com¬ 
post, rendering the surface compact and smooth. 
T. Appleby. 
(To he continued.) 
PELARGONIUMS IN POTS. 
(Continuedfrom page 275.) 
In draining, place the first crock, or oyster-shell, with the 
convex side over the hole in the bottom of the pot, which will 
so far guard against worms. Above that there should be three- 
quarters of an inch deep of drainage in a 48-sized pot, and more in 
proportion to size, the drainage being placed as loosely as pos¬ 
sible, and with a layer of green moss, and a sprinkling of soot 
over it. A little of the roughest soil being placed over that, the 
pot is now ready. The plant is now turned out of its pot, and 
the soil about the roots being, as we have seen, rather dry, it 
crumbles easily from the roots when the ball is broken carefully 
through the fingers. Some prefer leaving a portion of the old 
soil about the roots ; but in general I like to clear the whole of 
it away. The roots are then examined :—if any are decayed or 
unhealthy they are cut away; if any are excessively long or 
straggling they are shortened ; but, in general, when they are 
nice and fresh, and well at home, I leave them untouched, 
though at times I have pruned them back to within six or nine 
inches or so of the collar, and the plants did well. I must hero 
mention a little matter that may be of importance to amateurs. 
Sometimes their plants make gross, gouty, unequal shoots after 
this repotting, because they will water them so. Well, to guard 
against this, I would recommend them to dip the disearthed 
roots of half a dozen or so plants at a time in water at about 60° 
for ten minutes, and take them out and let them drain a little 
before potting them. In most cases, the first or second size less 
will be the most suitable pot for this potting. Eor instance, if 
the plant was in a 16-pot, transfer it, according to the health 
and vigour of its roots, to a 24 or a 32. Be careful that the 
collar of the plant—the point whence roots and stem proceed— 
is not sunk deeper than before, and that the roots are so spread 
out as to be packed nicely all through the soil, put rather firmly 
about them. Place the plants now, if possible, under glass, keep 
rather close during the day, shade for a few hours if the sun is 
bright, and when thus shaded sprinkle the tops very slightly 
from the syringe, making tho syringing a sort of misting. 
Another such syringing may be given in the afternoon, after a 
warm day, and the glass being shut down will encourage rapid 
growth; but air must be given back and front at night, to pre¬ 
vent the shoots spindling. If the roots are dipped as above, and 
these very gentle sprinklings over head, no water will be wanted 
at the roots for a number of days—not until fresh roots are 
making their way into the new soil. Then gradually give more 
air and free exposure to sunshine ; and if during September and 
the first part of October, the weather is fine, the plants would 
be better if fully exposed. In changeable, rainy weather, it would 
be best to have the lights over them, and with the sashes elevated 
three or four inches, back and front, that there may be no con¬ 
fined atmosphere about them, which, except in the case referred 
to, the whole tribe abominate. Where a pit or frame cannot bo 
had for such a purpose, a few moveable lights are extremely 
useful, which can be supported on a rail back and front. When 
frames are used at this period, the plants will be benefited by the 
frame being elevated on bricks at the corners, so that the air may 
pass at will at the bottom, ns well as by the sashes at the top. 
Winter Management.— By the middle of October it would 
bo desirable to house the plants where, by means of fire heat, 
they could have an average night temperature of 45°, and 
abundance of air during the day. The slower the plants grow 
on this side of Christmas the better they will bloom in May 
and onwards. In cold, frosty weutlier, we would let the plants 
get from 5° to 8° lower than the above, in preference to giving 
them much fire heat. In very severe weather neutralise the 
drying of the atmosphere by Blightly dewing the plants, and 
sprinkling the shelves and floors. In dull, muggy weather, 
though rather warm, light a brisk fire chiefly during the day, 
to dry the air and keep it in brisk motion. Let cleanliness bo 
thoroughly attended to; allow neither pots, nor soil, nor leaves, 
