THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, September 11, 1860. 
359 
for Vines inside the house, that border being ehamberod, and 
heated, or otherwise, then I would plant the Vines at the back 
of the house, and train the rods down under the rafters, or rather 
in the middle of the sashes. By so doing, I should expect the 
soil in which the roots were growing, to obtain the greatest benefit 
ot sunlight. If the border were made outside the house in the 
usual way, then I should plant the Vines at the front of the 
house, and train them up under the glass in the customary way. 
I believe that all fruit trees are benefited by having the soil in 
which they grow exposed to solar action. The floor inside of a 
vinery is in this respect inferior to an outside border, as in the 
first case the shading from the sun must be considerable. Eor 
early forcing, however, there are the great counterbalancing ad¬ 
vantages that the soil is more easily heated and kept in the desired 
state as respects moisture, &c., unless, indeed, the border outside 
be covered with glass, or, at best, wooden covers. 
I have thus so far answered the inquiries of “ W. B. ; ” but I 
trust that, before commencing operations, some coadjutors and 
correspondents will give him and the rest of us the benefit of 
their practice and observation in this respect. R. Fisk. 
WEEDS ON GEAVEL WALKS. 
Many of your readers who live within an easy distance of a 
chemical manufactory will be glad to learn how to destroy effec¬ 
tually from thence the weeds on their garden walks. 
Any manufacturing chemist will be glad to supply the resi¬ 
duum from the manufacture of ether, at one halfpenny per pound. 
Mix six parts water with one part of this material in a glazed 
earthen vessel, then let a man and boy be employed, the one to 
pour the liquid from an earthen jug over the weedy walk, the 
other to well rub it in with a worn-out broom or scrubbing 
brush; no watering-pan to be used, or it would destroy it in an 
hour. Care, too, must be taken that it does not fall upon the 
clothes or hands, as the acid is extremely powerfid. 
The weeds die almost immediately, nor will any for a long 
period spring again. It also utterly destroys the dwarf green 
moss which is so apt to grow on walks in damp, shady places. 
Walks operated upon twice a-year in this way will effectually be 
kept clean and neat at a very slight cost. 
Care should be taken not to apply it within two inches of the 
edge of the lawn lest it should destroy the grass.— Cottage 
Gardener’s Friend. 
[What effect has it upon shoes ? To prevent injury to them 
ought not the walks to be well watered after the acid has been 
applied, and before they are walked upon?—E ds. C. G.] 
HAEDY OECHIDEOUS PLANTS. 
[Continued from page 343.) 
In Pots. —The advantages of growing hardy Orchids in pots, 
arc:—1st. The more complete command over the season of growth 
and the season of rest. If they are in pots they may be watered 
just as they require that element, giving them when first starting 
into growth a moderate quantity, just sufficient to moisten the 
soil, and gradually increasing it as the roots and foliage ad¬ 
vance in action ; and when the bloom is over and the foliage 
begins to decay, the water can be withheld and gradually reduced 
till the plants are completely dormant. Then the soil should 
be as nearly dry as possible, and kept so till the growing season 
returns. 2ndly. When in pots they can be easily and safely 
removed, and placed under shelter in severe weather ; for although 
they are quite hardy, yet, being in pots, the frost would enter 
through the sides of the pots and endanger the safety of the fleshy 
tubers. In the meadows or thickets the turf or the fallen leaves 
protect them sufficiently. The situation for the pots in summer 
should be on the warm east border, and the pots should always 
be plunged up to the rim. When at rest remove them into a 
cold frame or pit, and shelter them by a covering on the glass in 
hard frost. Keep the glass on in wet weather, but draw it quite 
off on dry, fine days. 
In Borders. —Some of the stronger-growing species, however, 
will thrive well in a border prepared for them, with the proper 
soil for each species. This border should be formed with boards 
or slates at the sides, raised six or eight inches above the general 
level of the ground ; and the bed of soil should be well drained 
and kept an inch or two below the edgings. Then when the 
leaves are decayed, the border may be covered either with boards 
or hoops, and oiled canvas, to throw off the heavy autumn and 
winter rains. For heavy rain, and, consequently, saturated soil 
is certain death to these lovely plants. 
Potting and Planting .—As will be easily surmised, the best 
season for repotting is just when the buds begin to sw'ell. As 
soon as that is perceived, prepare the different soils for them by 
i placing a sufficient quantity under cover to dry and become 
| moderately aired. Prepare also larger clean pots and plenty of 
drainage. Broken unburnt limestone makes a good drainage 
for kinds that require chalky loams. For others, broken garden- 
pots will be better. Such as are in pots should be brought from 
their winter quarters and placed handy near the potting-bench, 
then drain several sized pots to be ready', and then carefully turn 
the balls out of the pots. Pick away quite as carefully the old 
drainage and part of the soil, being careful not to wound the 
tubers or fibres. All dead roots, of course, should be removed. 
Then place some of rougher parts of the compost over the drain¬ 
age, and upon that a sufficient quantity of soil to bring the ball 
neai-ly level with the rim of the pot. If the plant is strong, and 
evidently larger than it was at the last shifting, then give it a 
larger pot; but if not, one of the same size, but a fresh one, will 
answer. Fill the fresh compost in round the ball, cover the 
top of it a bo at half an inch, or in proportion to the size of 
the plant; but beware of deep potting, for that is injurious to 
the plant. When the pot is full press the new soil down gently, 
and give the pot a smart rap or two on the bench. Level the 
soil, and then that plant is finished potting; place it on one side, 
and take the next in hand ; and so proceed till all are finished. 
Then replace them in the frame, or plunge them in the raised 
border; but give no water for several days till the buds begin to 
push through the soil. Then water in such proportion as the 
plants require. 
The management of such as are grown in borders in respect to 
removing the soil is rather difficult, for the tubers are so tender 
that if once bruised the plant is irrecoverably injured. The only 
way is to open a trench at one end, and with a small fork 
gradually pick away the soil till a plant is undermined, then 
carefully lift it up and place it in a box as gently as possible, 
keeping it covered till replanted, and so proceed till there is a suffi¬ 
cient space emptied of plants. Let then the old soil, or at least 
a part of it, be taken away, and a sufficient quantity of fresh 
compost put in to fill up the space. Then take up more plants, 
and fill up the new portion of the bed and replant immediately. 
By so doing the roots will be but a short time exposed to the air; 
the least shrivelling by being exposed injures the succeeding 
year’s growth. Proceed in this manner till the whole collection 
is replanted, filling up the end of the bed with the plants reserved 
in the box for that purpose. Then give a gentle watering to 
settle the soil about the plants. They will require no further 
care, excepting keeping clear of weeds and a constant look-out for 
insects to destroy them. 
Propagation. —By Seeds .—Many species of these hardy 
Orchids seed freely, and ripen it perfectly. Save the seed as 
soon as it is ripe, and fill some wide shallow pans with the proper 
compost. Scatter the seed upon the surface, and cover it with a 
very thin layer of moss. Keep this just moist constantly by 
sprinklings of tepid water, given either by the syringe or a fine- 
rosed watering-pot. Place the pans in a cold frame to protect 
them from heavy showers, and shade them from bright sunshine 
till the seedlings have made somo progress ; then inure them 
gradually to bear the open air and full light. Keep them in 
those pans through the first winter and second summer, pro¬ 
tecting them from hard frost, and allow them to rest in winter 
the same as older plants. In the spring of the second year they 
should be separated and planted singly, either in Bmall pots, or, 
which is better, in a border prepared as described above. With 
care bestowed upon them they will flower the third or fourth 
year. If the grower is successful in raising a quantity of the 
best species, he will be enabled to sell the surplus, or exchange 
them with others for such species as he does not possess. 
By Division. —The tuberous-rooted species when they thrivo 
send forth side-shoots, and these become plants. At the time of 
repotting or replanting these young tubers may be parted from 
the old plants, but they must be handled very carefully, so as 
not to bruise them in the least; for, as I observed before, a 
wound, be it ever so slight, is fatal. Observe, also, to pot each 
species in the same kind of soil as the old plants grow in; also 
take care to expose the tubers as short a time as possible to the 
open air, for these small tubers suffer more from being dried even 
than the larger ones. Pot them carefully, and label every one 
