September  29  1898, 
250 
JO  URN  A  L 
OF  HORTICULTURE  AND 
COTTA CxE  GA  RDENER. 
only  stunted  flower  spikes,  although  in  the  case  of  Hyacinths  the 
number  of  bells  on  a  spike  would  plainly  show  what  results  might 
have  been  obtained  had  the  treatment  been  suitable. 
Bulbs  of  all  descriptions  should  be  unpacked  as  soon  as  possible 
after  they  are  received,  for  if  left  in  their  packing  material,  especially 
if  the  weather  is  the  least  damp,  they  quickly  become  mouldy,  and  in 
some  instances  begin  to  rot.  After  unpacking,  those  not  required  for 
immediate  potting  should,  if  possible,  be  placed  on  shelves  in  a 
perfectly  dry  room,  so  that  they  may  be  kept  firm  and  hard.  When 
large  quantities  come  to  hand  it  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  find  room  for 
them  on  shelves  ;  in  such  instances  it  is  a  good  plan  to  place  them  in 
baskets,  as  the  air  can  then  play  freely  among  them.  Those  intended 
for  potting  shortly  after  being  received  I  like  to  expose  to  full  sun¬ 
shine  for  a  few  hours,  as  I  olten  find  when  unpacking  them  that  they 
feel  somewhat  damp  and  clammy,  but  after  being  exposed  in  the  open 
air  for  a  few  hours  on  a  dry  day,  or  on  the  stage  of  a  house  where  the 
atmosphere  is  dry,  they  become  hard  and  firm  to  the  touch,  a  condition 
“  old  hands”  like  to  note  when  engaged  in  the  work  of  potting  or 
boxing. 
Compost. 
In  preparing  this,  the  principal  point  to  bear  in  mind  is  to  form  a 
mixture  in  which  the  roots  will  work  quickly,  as  when  once  abundance 
of  these  is  secured  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  feed  with  liquid  or  chemical 
manures  to  assist  in  developing  the  llowers  to  their  fullest  size  and 
typical  colour. 
I  am  convinced  that  thousands  of  bulbs  annually  turn  out  com¬ 
parative  failures  through  using  too  much  manure  in  the  potting 
compost.  In  winter,  when  root  action  is  comparatively  sluegish,  the 
young  roots  of  bulbs  will  absolutely  refuse  to  penetrate  soil  contain¬ 
ing  manure,  especially  when  it  happens  to  come  in  contact  with  the 
bulb.  IIow  many  of  us  may  recall  to  mind  having  at  various  times 
seen  bulbs  start  promisingly,  and  then  suddenly  cease  to  grow.  On 
turning  such  out  of  the  pots  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  find  roots 
about  an  inch  in  length  with  the  points  browned  or  decaying,  and 
numbers  of  minute  insects  preying  upon  them. 
This  state  of  affairs  may  usually  be  traced  to  the  presence  of 
unsweetened  manure  in  the  soil,  with  the  hosts  of  insects  such 
material  always  contains.  In  the  case  of  later  collections  of  bulbs 
which  have  been  potted  in  similar  compost  the  results  may  be  satis¬ 
factory  enouarb,  because,  when  the  days  begin  to  lengthen,  and  the 
sun  gets  more  power,  root  as  well  as  top  growth  receives  a  greater 
impetus,  and  the  plant  is  able  to  battle  successfully  against  adverse 
conditions. 
After  trying  many  experiments  to  ascertain  the  most  suitable 
compost  for  potting  bulbs  for  early  forcing  in,  I  now  adhere  to  a 
simple  one,  which  I  find  answers  admirably;  it  consists  of  rather  light 
loam  and  leaf  soil  in  equal  parts,  with  a  liberal  addition  of  sharp 
sand.  The  loam  should  be  stacked  for  twelve  months  previous  to 
use,  and  the  leaf  soil  be  perfectly  sweet  and  free  from  insects — that 
which  decays  while  placed  in  thin  layers  is  always  better  than  that 
taken  from  a  large  heap  several  feet  in  thickness.  If  the  latter  must 
perforce  be  employed,  I  like  to  spread  it  out  in  the  sun  to  get 
thoroughly  dry  before  using  it. 
It  is  not  everyone,  however,  who  can  obtain  good  leaf  soil.  An 
excellent  substitute  for  it  may  be  found  in  the  dry  portions  of  manure 
taken  from  the  surface  of  an  outside  Yine  border.  If  this  was  placed 
here  six  or  nine  months  ago  it  will  by  the  present  time  crumble  easily 
when  touched,  and  be  perfectly  sweet.  Cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse  also 
answers  well. 
Potting  and  Boxing. 
Roman  Hyacinths,  Tulips  of  the  Due  Van  Thol  type,  and  Paper 
White  Narcissus,  are  well  known  as  good  bulbs  for  early  forcing. 
When  grown  principally  for  supplying  cut  flowers  the  simplest  and 
most  convenient  method  is  to  set  the  bulbs  in  boxes.  The  depth  of 
these  2^  inches  for  Tulips  and  Hyacinths,  and  an  inch  deeper  for  the 
Narcissus.  If  the  compost  is  passed  through  a  three-quarter-inch 
sieve  the  rough  portions  answer  for  placing  in  the  bottoms  of  the 
boxes,  no  other  drainage  being  required.  Over  this  a  thin  layer  of 
the  finer  soil  should  be  placed,  the  bulbs  set  so  as  to  stand  just  clear 
of  each  other,  and  the  interstices  filled  in  with  soil  pressed  firmly,  the 
crown  of  the  bulb  being  just  covered. 
Although  it  is  a  common  practice  in  the  case  of  Roman 
Hyacinths  and  Tulips,  to  lift  some  of  the  bulbs  as  soon  as  the  flowers 
begin  to  show  colour  and  place  them  in  pots,  I  still  like  to  pot 
some  into  their  flowering  pots  in  the  first  instance,  for  if  the  bulbs 
are  evenly  selected  simultaneous  flowering  may  generally  be  relied 
upon,  and  plants  so  treated  last  in  flower  longer  than  those  trans¬ 
planted.  Six-inch  pots  are  good  ones  to  employ,  and  when  the  bulbs 
are  packed  in  closely  they  will  hold  from  seven  to  nine,  a  sufficient 
number  to  make  a  nice  display  in  one  pot,  and  one  good  potful  is 
worth  two  or  three  thin  ones. 
After  potting,  the  soil,  if  somewhat  dry — as  it  ought  to  be — should 
be  well  watered,  the  boxes  placed  in  the  open  air,  and  covered  with  a 
layer  of  cocoa-nut  fibre  or  coal  ashes  3  or  4  inches  in  thickness  ;  when 
the  latter  substance  is  used  a  layer  of  leaf  soil  ought  to  be  placed  on 
first  to  prevent  the  ashes  from  coming  into  contact  with  the  bulbs, 
as  ashes  in  a  fresh  state  are  injurious  to  the  young  growths  of  bulbs. 
—II.  D. 
(To  be  continued.) 
ZYGorETALUM  GaUTIERI. 
Many  of  the  species  in  this  genus  are  very  difficult  to  cultivate, 
but  this  pretty  plant  has  of  late  been  well  grown  in  most  collections. 
Several  tine  specimens  I  recently  noted  were  doing  grandly  on  Tree 
Fern  stems,  the  roots  evidently  enjoying  the  natural  roughness  of  this 
material.  Though  not  a  very  showy  plant,  the  subdued  tints  of  its 
blossoms  go  well  with  other  Orchids.  The  sepals  and  petals  are 
greenish  yellow  marked  with  chocolate,  the  lip  of  varying  shades  of 
purple.  The  species  is  a  native  of  Brazil,  and  was  sent  by  M.  Gautier 
to  M.  Verschaffelt,  of  Ghent,  in  1867. 
Cattleya  Loddigesi. 
In  its  better  forms  this  is  a  lovely  plant,  and  some  of  the  hybrids 
raised  from  it  are  also  very  fine.  In  a  large  collection  the  flowers  will 
be  found  to  vary  very  considerably  in  colour,  the  finest  being  those  of 
the  violacea  type,  with  deep  rosy  tinted  sepals  and  petals,  and  a  bright 
purple  lip.  It  is  one  of  the  easiest  of  Bpecies  to  grow,  very  free 
flowering,  and  it  blooms,  moreover,  at  a  time  when  Orchids  are  scarce. 
It  may  be  grown  in  an  intermediate  house,  in  pots  well  drained, 
containing  a  compost  of  rough  peat  and  moss,  with  abundance  of 
finely  broken  crocks  and  charcoal.  It  is  very  subject  to  the  attacks 
of  a  troublesome  white  scale. 
Oncidiuh  incurvum  album. 
This  is  a  pure  white  form  of  the  type,  and  a  chaste  and  beautiful 
variety.  In  shape  the  flowers  are  exactly  the  same  as  the  ordinary 
form,  the  only  colouring  being  a  yellow  centre  to  the  lip.  The 
graceful  spikes  rise  to  the  height  of  a  yard  or  more,  and  are  very 
freely  branched.  The  plant  thrives  well  in  pots  of  medium  size,  in  a 
compost  of  equal  parts  of  peat  and  loam.  Water  must  be  very 
plentifully  supplied  while  active  growth  is  going  on,  but  liter  while 
the  llowers  are  open  a  drier  atmosphere  and  less  water  at  the  roots 
are  necessary.  It  must  never  be  sufficiently  dried  to  cause  the  pseudo¬ 
bulbs  to  shrivel. 
ODONTOGLOSSUM  B1CTONENSE. 
Although  an  old  species,  and  in  a  manner  looked  down  upon, 
the  flowers  look  very  pretty,  and  come  in,  moreover,  at  a  useful 
time.  The  pseudo-bulbs  are  large,  roundish,  and  bear  a  couple  of 
large  green  leaves.  The  species  is  one  of  the  most  variable  as  to 
colour  ;  the  generally  accepted  type  having  yellow  sepals  and  petals 
heavily  blotched  with  chestnut  brown,  the  heart-shaped  lip  rose 
colour.  0.  bictonense  likes  rather  more  warmth  than  the  majority  of 
kinds,  and  fairly  large  pots,  the  water  supply  being  kept  going  well 
the  year  through.  It  is  a  Mexican  species  discovered  by  Mr.  G.  lire 
Skinner,  and  sent  home  by  him  to  Mr.  Bateman  in  1835. 
Odontoglossum  grande. 
Without  doubt  this  is  one  of  the  most  useful  and  beautiful  species 
in  cultivation,  and  so  easily  grown  that  no  one  at  all  acquainted  with 
Orchids  need  have  any  fear  of  not  succeeding  with  it.  The  blossoms 
are  so  well  known  that  I  need  not  describe  them,  but  give  a  few  lines 
on  its  culture.  With  me  it  thrives  admirably  in  a  cool  shady  fernery, 
the  house  being  below  the  Surrounding  level,  and  providing  the  kind  of 
atmosphere  0.  grande  delights  in,  and  a  similar  one  to  that  in  which 
it  grows  naturally  in  Guatemala.  As  the  roots  are  somewhat  larger 
than  those  of  0.  crispum  and  its  allies,  a  very  rough  compost  may  be 
given,  the  pots  also  being  larger  than  those  usually  advised  for  these 
species. 
The  plants  do  not  relish  frequent  disturbance,  so  when  repotting  is 
in  progress  let  it  be  done  thoroughly,  and  allow  no  old  and  sour 
material  to  remain  about  the  roots.  Better  than  this  it  would  be  to 
wash  every  root  in  tepid  water,  and  cut  away  all  decaying  ones,  but 
usually  with  care  one  may  take  out  everything  likely  to  do  any  harm. 
After  potting  give  the  plant  a  little  water  only  until  the  roots  are 
getting  well  into  the  new  compost,  but  when  growing  freely  an  abun¬ 
dant  supply  is  necessary,  and  this  must  be  kept  up  until  the  plants 
have  flowered  and  the  new  bulbs  completed. — II.  R.  R. 
