handling back bulbs after they are taken off for repotting is to put a group of 
them together in a six inch pot and place the pot in a heavily shaded, warm part 
of the house. They then should be sprayed daily and examined frequently for 
signs of growth. When the divisions start to grow and root, they then can be 
potted up. During the active growing months, most back bulb divisions will start 
to grow almost immediately. When cleaning up the plant for repotting, cut off the 
old dead or excessively long live roots, retaining the healthy, active roots. 
When handling the osmunda, it is advisable to dampen it slightly. This will 
make it less dusty, less brittle, and more convenient to handle. It is difficult to 
explain how to repot a plant but basically when the osmunda is put in the pot 
try to avoid balling it or packing it in such a way as to restrict good drainage. 
Try to place the pieces in without balling and force the material around the plant 
and to the center of the pot rather than ramming the pieces in one on top of 
the other. If we could carefully arrange a mass of osmunda loosely around the 
plant and then take two halves of a pot and force them together with the result 
that the peat was firmly packed around the plant, we would have a graphic idea 
of how the peat should be placed. The beginner is apt to wonder why the com- 
mercial grower packs the osmunda so tightly around the roots when repotting. 
It is characteristic of Osmunda to soften up considerably after it has been in the 
pot for a few months and if it is not packed in tight at the time of repotting, sat- 
isfactory long term conditions are not maintained. 
SHADING 
Since we are dealing with growing things it is difficult to underestimate the 
value of proper light control for the plants we grow. In temperate regions such 
as the United States the light intensity and length of day varies greatly according 
to season. We must then try to maintain uniform light intensities for our plants 
by varying the shading on our houses. How much shading a house needs at a cer- 
tain time of the year and when it should be put on or taken off is determined by 
the locality of the grower. As the grower becomes accustomed to his plants, he 
will determine the amount of shading by the coloration of the leaves. Watch the 
color of the foliage. The leaves on a mature Cattleya plant should have a slightly 
yellow cast which indicates that the plant has a reasonably hard woody growth 
rather than a soft rank one. That is, if we seek the best flower quality. The best 
looking dark green plants are seldom the ones that bear the best flowers. Through- 
out the summer months the shading is at its maximum and can remain much the 
same, however, about the end of October it is advisable to take most of this off. 
If the house runs east and west, the north roof can be cleared of shading entirely. 
There are two periods when we must drastically adjust our shading; in the fall 
and in the spring. A word of caution here is advisable. It is better to gradually 
remove the shading and the same applies to putting it on rather than to suddenly 
subject the plants to sharp changes in light intensities. 
There are various methods of shading. Where a considerable expanse of glass 
is involved, a hot lime solution sprayed on the glass has a considerable degree of 
permanency and will last through a number of rains. This is made by taking 
(6) 
