166 
THE FLORIST'S JOURNAL. 
round, tapering, fleshy stems, covered for nearly two thirds of 
their length by a thin membranous coat, and the narrow, lan¬ 
ceolate, acuminate leaves, though more particularly by its flat, 
undivided lip, that of the Cattleya being more or less rolled up 
and three-lobed; and in culture, though it agrees with respect 
to temperature, the supply of moisture, and general manage¬ 
ment, yet it almost refuses to vegetate if attempted to be grown 
in a pot, in the manner usual with the former genus. This, 
perhaps, may be accounted for by the fact that it is at all 
times extremely impatient of stagnant moisture, and as the old 
roots are not so persistent as with most other Orchidese, it 
becomes doubly important that no accident or injury be sus¬ 
tained by the young ones, or, as a matter of consequence, a 
severe check will be given to the entire plant. 
The manner in which we have seen it grown to the greatest 
advantage, is upon billets of wood, with little or no covering, 
and suspended from the roof of a house, having a comparatively 
low temperature. It must be understood we do not mean solid 
blocks of wood, which would have an ugly, heavy appearance, if 
cut large enough to hold only a moderate number of stems, but 
a peculiar kind of small platform, made by cutting a number of 
stout oak stakes into lengths proportionate to the size of the 
plant, and fastening three or four, or more, longitudinally to¬ 
gether, in the manner of a raft, and on these another layer 
crosswise, securing the whole tightly one to another. This 
kind of basket, if we may so term it, offers a broad surface for 
the roots to extend over, and the interstices retain some mois¬ 
ture without its being present in any quantity, and afford the 
plant a ready means of becoming firmly established, beside 
facilitating the management by the ease and certainty with 
which the supply of water can then be regulated. These billets 
should be of sufficient size to carry the plants several years, 
as they do not succeed if frequently removed. In order to 
properly secure new plants to the wood, it is sometimes neces¬ 
sary to use moss about the lower part of the stems, but as 
little as possible should be employed, for it offers a refuge 
for snails, woodlice, and other insects, that they will not fail to 
make use of, and then but small chance is left to the new roots, 
which are invariably bitten off as fast as they are protruded. 
The general management of Barkeria may, as we have before 
remarked, be referred, in almost every particular, to that proper 
