bench. Watering and general care are also 
simpler. 
Diseases, Insect Pests and Control. Under 
cultivation Orchid plants are relatively clean 
in comparison with other foliage and flower¬ 
ing plants. If thrip or red spider are in evi¬ 
dence in the greenhouse, they might attack the 
young growths and it is important that other 
surrounding plants be kept clean. Orchid scale 
is quite common but not really serious and be¬ 
ing easily seen is quite as easily removed. 
We make a practice of spraying our plants 
about every two weeks with an effective in¬ 
secticide such as Wilson's O. K. or Red Arrow. 
We list these two materials. 
In spraying we use a pump with a very fine 
mist nozzle and try to cover all parts of the 
plant with the material. A soft, half-inch paint 
brush is handy in cleaning scale and dust 
deposits from the leaves and bulbs. Do not 
use coarse, wirey haired brushes. 
POTTING. 
The division "Potting," is a very important 
sub-heading of Culture, and while difficult to 
describe, the accompanying eight pictures, 
will assist in clarifying our word picture of 
the complete operation. 
In these remarks we refer 
specifically to the Cattleya fam¬ 
ily and its hybrids. Throughout 
this booklet we give our recom¬ 
mendations for composts and 
treatment of the different gen¬ 
era. However, in all cases the phy¬ 
sical fundamentals of potting are 
similar even though composts 
and degrees of firmness vary. 
Use only the best grades of 
materials, clean of foreign mat¬ 
ter. A good fresh Osmunda (Or¬ 
chid peat) fibre is tough and will 
not readily pull apart. When in 
storage for long periods it loses 
its life, turns brittle and should 
not be used. Sphagnum moss 
when specified should be a 
good quality live material. 
Time to pot. There is no set 
time or season for potting. So 
long as Orchids flower in all 
seasons of the year, then, so 
long they must be potted in all 
seasons. We do make certain 
exceptions as in the case of 
winter flowering Cattleya Spe¬ 
cies. After flowering they are 
dormant and while in this stage 
may be left until spring—provided root growth 
does not start. This is not so with the majority 
of hybrids, as they grow continuously and 
should be repotted immediately the flowers are 
cut. Do not wait until new roots appear as 
they are very likely to be injured or destroyed 
when repotted. A well established root system is 
essential for good strong plant growth. 
Selecting plants to be repotted. Orchid plants 
should not be repotted unless they have: 
(A) Outgrown their present receptacle; (B) Com¬ 
post decayed or sour; (C) Plant is in unhealthy 
condition possibly caused by faulty drainage, 
etc. 
Cut number 1, pictures three plants in vari¬ 
ous stages of potting condition. The two end 
plants have outgrown their pots and should 
be repotted. The center plant was repotted a 
year ago and still has "pot room," for another 
growth. 
Making ready compost. After selecting the 
plant to be repotted one should make ready 
the recommended suitable compost. In the case 
of Cattleyas and their hybrids we recommend 
a straight compost of a good grade Osmunda 
(Orchid peat) Fibre. 
Cut Number One 
Page Seven 
