180 
THE FLORISTS JOURNAL. 
tree, or its appropriate sod, and if there were the other flowering 
plants, interspersed with little pools of water, and all the other 
accompaniments, we should have at least a taste of the scenery in 
a tropical season of bloom. In order to accomplish this, the 
plants, of whatever kind, would all have to be brought from the 
same locality; but this would reduce the treatment to the 
simplest matter imaginable, because the attendants on the house 
would have only to learn the characters of the seasons in the 
native locality, and imitate them as closely as possible. 
We throw out these observations merely as hints; but we 
think the plan an important one, and therefore we respectfully 
call attention to it, and shall be glad to receive the opinions of 
others—and the more freely these are expressed the better. 
ON THE CULTIVATION OF CATTLEYA. 
BY MR. P. N. DON. 
Cattleya, though not a very natural genus, is a most splendid 
one, and thus claims the greatest attention from the cultivator of 
the lovely tribe of orchidaceous plants. The best mode of treat¬ 
ment is to grow the plants in very large pots, and to have the pots 
filled up to within about two inches of the top with very large 
potsherds ; so that when the roots get through the peat they may 
have free scope to grow ; and by this means also the water gets off 
more freely than if they were potted with small potsherds. Over 
the potsherds should be laid the heathy portion of the peat, or the 
roots of the common pteris, or eagle fern, cut into lengths, as this 
will make an excellent drainage, and prevent any of the smaller 
portions of the peat from getting among the potsherds. The peat 
in which Cattleya are potted should be of the most fibrous nature, 
as much, so as that recommended for Stanhopea, in the October 
number of this work. The mounds on which they are placed may 
be from four to six inches in height, with the base about the width 
of the pot; and it should narrow toward the top, but not too 
much, the proper form being that of a sort of conoid. The plants 
are very adverse to any water lying about their roots, or, I should 
rather have said, about the bases of their pseudo-bulbs, the roots 
