610 
THE QARDBNING WORLD. 
July 30, 1904. 
Among the Orchids. 
Dendrobiums.— Young plants of the deciduous section., 
either seedlings or propagated in the early spring of 'the year, 
which have tilled the pots with root®, may be now carefully 
turned out and repotted. It is not advisable to disturb the 
ball of soil, and it may lie transferred to another pot in the 
same process as that adopted for the repotting of any ordinary 
plant. If the new roots have become attached to- the sides of 
the pots, it isi advisable to carefully break the pot so that 
there may he as little damage as possible in the removal of 
the broken pieces. The mixture of one-third partly decayed 
leavesi, with the remaining portion of chopped sphagnum, a 
little peat and sufficient rough sand to make the compost 
porous, will he found suitable for the repotting purposes, 
lie-potted plants must be protected from the direct rays of the 
sum until the roots are enabled to get hold of the new com¬ 
post. A hot, highly humid atmosphere is also desirable, and 
every encouragement is necessary to produce rapid growth. 
The evergreen section of Dendroibiuinsi that are now develop¬ 
ing their pseudo-bulbs will require liberal moisture treat¬ 
ment, and plenty of light must, be given to enable the growths 
to become properly matured and ripened. 
Where black or yellow thrips are troublesome it is de¬ 
sirable that they should be exterminated as soon as possible. 
This is best done by spraying the plant® overhead at regular 
intervals and fumigation with some 'safe vapouriser. Ini fact, 
in, all the divisions', fumigation at regular intervals is necesi- 
sary to' keep; the plants free from insect pests. We find 
the liquid XL All- vapouriser to act satisfactorily generally, 
but there are a, few plants, such as Coelogyne ciristata, in it® 
varieties, which should always be removed from the house 
before fumigation; takes -place. 
In the - cool house', Disas and a few of the weak-growing 
Maisdevallias should be removed. M. tovarensis, especially 
while in bud or flower, is particularly affected ; the white 
flowers become sufficiently tinted with rosy-pink to make 
them appear to be a, totally different variety. Fumigation 
does not appear tor affect the flower-buds of C'ypripedium 
niveum or C. bellatulum, but the hybrids of C. niveum in the 
early -stageis are oftenl affected by it, and the C. bellatulimi 
hybrids will not stand the fume® during the winter month®, 
turning into a 'transparent green at. first, then changing to a 
deep' brown! filled with a decomposing moisture; with these 
exceptions', I have experienced no difficulties' from the use 
of the vapouriser mentioned above. 
The principal employment among the Orchids, for the next 
few weeks will be in cleansing the plants. Where new 
growths' are being so abundantly produced insect pests, such 
as scale and red spider, will make their appearance, and if 
permitted to' remain they soon cause permanent disfigurement 
to the growths' and foliage of plants. In the Cattleya house 
there is a. brown scale imported with Cattleya, laibiata autum- 
nalis which is, difficult indeed to be rid of, and! can only be 
held in check by close observation' and carefully sponging the 
bulbs and foliage. Often the young leaves will be found in¬ 
fested with them immediately they are expanded. Though in 
a small state at first they quickly grow and become so closely 
and firmly attached to the leaves that, they make an indention, 
or depression 1 , and permanently mark them so a® to cause 
disfigurement that gives an unsightly appearance. A little 
soft soap mixed with the water is a good solution to' use ini the 
can when, sponging, but one often ha® to touch or scrape them 
carefully off with a pointed stick before it, is possible to dis¬ 
lodge this kind of scale; in, doing this, care must be taken, to 
avoid scratching the leaves,. H. J. 
Mr. Geo. Robert Faire, of 23, Abingdon Road, Leicester, 
died on the 7th inst., at the advanced age of 76. He was for 
many years engaged in business in the town, and was a well- 
known judge of Roses and other flowers, in which capacity he 
officiated for years at the Abbey Park Flower Show. 
Celsia arcturus. 
Of the many perennials appropriate to pot culture Celsia 
Arcturus ranks, among the best, particularly when flowering 
in its second year. No one need be disconcerted in the 
growing of these wonderful plants. The result® of labour 
spent upon them should always suggest some degree oi 
success, and be gratifying even to the cultivator who can 
afford them but slight attention. 
The' long, beautiful yellow spikes make a remarkable dis¬ 
play, especially when the plants are grouped together in sinal] 
clumps in the greenhouse or conservatory, with a few light 
dot plants interposed. Their peculiar shade of colour is "de 
sirable at the present time, as against those of the Geraniums. 
Fuchsias, Begonias and Campanulas. The dark centre ci 
each flower seems to impart more lustre and brightness tc, 
the pale yellow ground. 
T'liei inflorescence is indefinite, thereby opening its bloom; 
from the bottom upwards. The plant commences flowering 
when the spike is comparatively young. As the tennina 
spike goes out of flower it i® supplanted by lateral and slighth 
smaller ones, thus keeping up a continuity of bloom foi 
several weeks. 
A few remarks on the growing of Celsias may benefit those 
whose efforts have not been over successful, though by n< 
means futile. 
To have Celsia arcturus ini bloom at the present season, sot 
in pots in February in, the cool greenhouse. The seed shout 
be distributed evenly and thinly, and covered very slight!; 
with fine soil. As nearly every seed germinates, tlie ad 
visibility of thin, slowing will be readily seen. 
Whom the seedlings are large enough, they should b 
pricked! off into pans, and loiter into 3-in,, pots. When thes 
pots are filled, with roots, a shift into 6-in. should subsequent! 
.follow, flowering taking place in that size the first yea: 
After blooming the seed trusses should he cut off and tli 
seed kept, for further use. The plants may then be stored i 
a corner of a cool frame, which, locality they also flourish i 
at, any period of their growth, granted they are not frosted. 
In the following spring they will again be repotted an 
grown on, to' flower in! the latter’ months of summer. 
Some people prefer to treat Celsia® as annuals, diseardin 
them after their first flowering; but they never can have i 
this manner the enormous size of flower-trusses to be pre 
cured ini the second year. They must not be allowed t : 
become pot-bound, or the consequence will he the appearanc 
of flcw.er-spikes, prematurely. 
Therefore the plant® ought, by all mean®, to be ked 
nourished with plenty of root-food, which should take tli 
form of good rich loam, with enough sand to keep the compos, 
open, a small quantity of leaf-mould, a sprinkling of soo, 
and a fair amount of any plant manure, such as Thomson’ 
The plants may be liberally fed with liquid with ven 
noticeable effect. James P. Dickson. 
Swertia longifolia. 
Many of the members of the Gentian, family have the 1 
flower® strangely ornamented with fringes, sometimes cove 
ing the whole surface of the corolla. In other case® the hah' 
.or out-growths are confined to particular spots. Swert' 
longifolia, has four-lobed white flowers', having a, large, tv 
lohed green gland toward® the base of each segment, reeal 
ing what occurs in Zyga.denu® elegans. These glands ai 
surrounded by an iris or fringe of hairs. Some other specie 
of Swertia, on the other hand, have two' small protuberance! 
at the base o : f the segments. The leave® are spathulat© an 
mostly confined to the base of the plants'. The stem grow: 
about 16 in. in height, and bears its flowers towards the to 
similarly to some species of the taller growing Gentians. Tli 
species comes from Persia, and has been, flowering for soon 
time past, on the rockery at Kew. 
