174 
THE florist’s JOURNAL, 
when to withhold them: for if continued but a short time 
after the completion of the first growth, the plant commences a 
second, and consequently does not bloomand on the other 
hand, if it is withheld beyond the proper period, the plant lan¬ 
guishes, becomes sickly, and finally dies. With no genus is this 
of more importance, or the effects sooner visible, than with the 
one under consideration. The Stanhopea usually begins grow¬ 
ing about the latter end of July or the beginning of August, when 
they should be well supplied with moisture, and be placed in a 
warm, perhaps the warmest, situation in the growing-house. 
Moisture, in our opinion, is better supplied in the form of steam 
or vapour than to be poured into the earth in which they are 
placed; for these plants, unlike some other genera, form but 
few roots, and those are small, so that it appears most probable 
that the leaves are the absorbents and conductors of the requi¬ 
site food. 
Another point in which we differ from some cultivators is, in 
the time at which the moisture should be administered. It is 
a very general practice to syringe and steam Orchidese early in 
the morning; but a very slight observation of the economy of 
nature will make apparent the time at which plants in an indi¬ 
genous state receive the greatest amount of this description of 
moisture, —- it is in the evening ; and in tropical countries to a 
much greater extent than with us: in fact, it is on the night 
dews that vegetation in such situations mainly depend ; and we 
therefore prefer the evening as the most proper time for the 
application of water, whether it be in the form of exhalations 
or in any other manner. 
The whole of this genus throws its flower-stem from the base 
of the pseudo-bulb downwards; so that they should be placed 
in open baskets composed of billets of wood, with interstices 
between each billet of about two inches : the basket should be 
shallow, to allow the flower-stems to protrude a sufficient dis¬ 
tance to show the flowers to advantage; or a stout branch of 
oak, having three or more prongs, forms an excellent receptacle 
for plants of this description: whatever is the form of the 
basket, or the manner of growing, sufficient space should be 
allowed to serve the plant for several years, as they do not 
succeed if frequently shifted; indeed, they seldom flower at all 
until well established. The soil in which they delight is peat, 
