90 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[June, 
I must abandon dealing with the construction 
and heating of the Orchid-house, and look 
upon it as ready for receiving the various species 
that the culturist elects to grow. 
The first important item to provide for and 
prepare is what, in the ordinary way of potting, 
is called “ soil.” Now, there are two classes 
of Orchids which no one ought to be at a loss 
to separate for cultural purposes, the one 
epiphytal, the other terrestrial. These two 
sections require separate and distinct prepara¬ 
tions in the way of root-feeding. The former 
abhors soil; the latter takes to it like other 
plants. The epiphytal division is far the most 
important, as comprising not only a sweeping 
majority of species, but as combining gorgeous¬ 
ness of colouring, aromatic or fragrant odours, 
fairy forms—in fact, all that is interesting 
and attractive, winning over thousands, and 
holding them spell-bound by their charms. 
One could enlarge on this point, but it is not 
needed. Look at the results of sales, both 
public and private, and if this be not the 
cause, then buyers are what we, in Scotland, 
call “daft” l The preparation of material for 
the root-comfort and feeding of these epiphytal 
plants, then, must not be “ soil,” as it is gener¬ 
ally known in the gardening art. It must be 
something elastic, enduring, and sweet. 
There are four articles which should be at 
command at all times in the potting-shed. 
First, potsherds; second, charcoal; third, 
sphagnum ; and fourth, fibre. There is no diffi¬ 
culty about the first two, and there need be no 
lesson inculcated about them, only they should 
be clean. About sphagnum there is some 
contrariety of opinion, as some prefer what is 
called living sphagnum. There is no doubt 
that live sphagnum is needed, if for nothing 
else but top-dressing ; but it is not impera¬ 
tive that it should be used throughout the pre¬ 
paration, or, to use a term better understood 
for mixture purposes, prescription. In time, of 
course, in the body of compost, from suffoca¬ 
tion it would die. It is better, in fact, to have 
at hand a portion of decaying sphagnum, 
which is usually found in bogs, and cuts up 
with the spade into nice cubes. I always 
think there is more feeding about this than 
about the top-layers, which command the 
largest attention. The fibre is possibly the 
most important ingredient, as it is supposed to 
contain materials which infuse strength into 
the growing plants. This fibre is often not 
very comeatable, as it must be tough, and such 
as to withstand the force of decomposition for 
as great a length of time as possible. Un¬ 
doubtedly such peat as is recognised as Wimble¬ 
don peat is about as good as can be had. Of 
course, it must be rid in great measure of its 
earthy particles, unless for particular species. 
A very good fibre is obtained in woods—pine- 
woods, for instance—where the trees are not 
too thick of themselves, or where coppice for 
game-cover is not too prominent. It is better 
in the selection to have it from a peaty than a 
loamy soil, and where we can, as it were, tear 
it off the surface—scalp the surface, in fact; 
that is the kind of fibre I prefer to all others. 
These four articles which contribute to the 
general prescription for epiphytical orchids, 
should be housed and kept dry. The live 
sphagnum, on the other hand, must be kept in 
layers and moistened, to be used as required 
for top-dressing. 
As to the proportions of these four articles, 
that depends much upon the plants, their con¬ 
dition, and the system of watering at the root 
and of moistening the atmosphere which may 
be adopted. The further I go, the more diffi¬ 
culty I feel in passing over what it may be 
necessary to descant upon, as there are many 
ways of doing things, none essentially wrong, 
and all arriving very near to the same goal. 
Suffice it, then, that all distichous-leaved plants, 
such as Aerides, Saccolabium , Vanda , Phal- 
cenopsis, &c., cannot endure in the slightest 
degree anything of the nature of earthy particles 
in and about their roots, so that the first three 
articles named can only be used with impunity, 
and the sphagnum almost in the least propor¬ 
tion of the three. But again crops up the 
question of system. Some suspend in baskets, 
some place in pots and pans, some have low 
moist houses, others have airy dry ones ; and 
hence a prescription suitable for the one might 
be very damaging if used for the other. A very 
sensible way out of the difficulty would be to 
suggest that those using dry airy houses should 
have the sphagnum, as being the best moisture¬ 
holding medium, in the greatest proportion of 
the three, and vice versa, in the low damp 
houses. But then comes in the question of 
constitution, which I cannot touch upon here. 
Pseudobulb ous plants, such as Cattleya , 
Odontoglossum , Oncidium , and other cognate 
