12 
THE FLOKISTS JOURNAL. 
ON THE CULTIVATION OF DENDROBIUM. 
BY MR. P. N. DON. 
This, though far, very far from a natural genus, is still a very 
interesting and beautiful one. The habits of some of these species 
differ much ; and their flowers are so various in their forms, that 
no person could believe that they belonged to the same genus. 
In fact, it speaks little for the botanical acumen of the orchideous 
botanist, when he can unite plants of such dissimilar habits to¬ 
gether. I consider it one of the greatest points of beauty in the 
formation of genera, that they can at once be recognised without 
the necessity of examining those minute parts, the pollen masses. 
In truth, the greater portion of orchideous genera are a mass of 
confusion, as far as regards their generic construction ; and their 
cultivation is as ill understood, as far as regards the flowering of 
them. In Dendrobium, we seldom see a number of species in 
flower at one time ; and when we do, we seldom see them flowered 
to perfection ; they are usually to be seen with only one, two, or 
three flowers on a plant, which can give no idea of their beauty* 
We have often seen very large plants of Dendrobium, and also of 
other genera, that never had flowered, and yet were growing in a 
healthy and vigorous state. The cause of this is, that the plant 
has been always kept in an excited state, and never had any rest; 
so that it could never ripen its wood, or pseudo bulbs, and 
prepare for flowering. Instead of being a growing and flowering 
plant, it was made entirely a growing one. Its habits thus 
being altogether changed, the plant continued to grow on, and 
never prepared for flowering. When Dendrobiums flower, it is 
not that their habits are well understood, it is because the plant 
is able to flower under any circumstances ; but many of the most 
beautiful, and at the same time the most delicate, seldom or never 
flower ; and when they do, it is only with one or two flowers. 
But if they were properly treated, they would flower in the 
greatest splendour. Many persons fancy that, if they can grow 
their plants, that is quite enough, without flow r ering them. They 
also think that, if they keep their plants always in a healthy 
growing state, they will be sure to flower: but this is not 
natural, for nature has not placed those plants in situations where 
they could always be growing ; it has placed them in situations 
