September  5  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
215 
The  Week’s  Cultural  Notes. 
The  bulbous  section  of  Orchids,  consisting  of  Pescatoreas, 
WarscewiczellaB,  Bolleas,  and  similar  plants,  are  often  in  active  growth 
now,  and  must  be 
encouraged.  They 
like  a  comparatively 
shady  position,  not 
a  dense  shade,  but 
a  kind  of  subdued 
light  like  that  thrown 
by  a  group  of  larger 
plants  or  a  fairly 
heavy  growth  of 
climbers  on  a  roof. 
In  the  middle  of 
summer  this  would 
not  be  sufficient,  but 
now  it  is  necessary 
to  consolidate  the 
growth  as  it  is  made, 
for  these  kinds  are 
rather  erratic  in  their 
habits,  and  unless 
steadied  down  a  little 
in  autumn  are  apt  to 
throw  out  growths 
later  on,  which  will 
be  moving  sluggishly 
during  the  winter, 
and  most  likely 
flowerless.  Encou¬ 
rage  them  now,  then, 
and  get  the  growths 
well  finished  while 
there  is  plenty  of 
light  and  warmth 
without  much  fire 
heat  ;  they  will  rest 
naturally  in  winter 
and  come  away 
strongly  in  spring. 
Any  of  the  Moth 
Orchids  that  are 
growing  upon  the 
stages  should  now  be 
suspended  near  the 
roof-glass  if  possible. 
There  is  no  com¬ 
parison  in  the  two 
positions,  as  when 
suspended  the  air  and 
light  reaches  every 
part  of  the  plant,  to 
its  benefit.  I  have, 
in  fact,  seen  a  collec¬ 
tion  that  was  only  in 
very  moderate  health 
restored  to  vigour 
simply  by  being  sus¬ 
pended,  although 
previously  the  plants 
were  only  a  foot  or 
so  from  the  glasp. 
The  pretty  Den- 
drobium  cbrysan- 
thum  will,  by  now, 
be  getting  out  of 
flower,  and  the  plants 
must  be  placed  in  a 
cool  light  house  to  rest  awhile.  It  is  impossible  in  most  cases 
to  prevent  its  growing  in  late  autiimn  or  early  winter,  but  the 
longer  it  rests  previously  the  stouter  the  growths  will  be.  Tne 
plants  should  not  be  repotted  until  after  the  Dew  leads  have  made 
some  progress  and  are  about  to  commence  rooting  on  their  own 
account  ;  if  done  earlier  they  are  apt  to  decay  with  the  least 
OSCIDIUM  LEUCOCHILUM. 
overdose  of  moisture.  D.  phalaenopsis  must  be  kept  well  going 
until  the  flowers  are  opening,  and  after  these  are  past  it,  too,  takes 
a  long  rest. 
Vanda  teres  is  now  well  established  in  the  new  baskets  or 
rafts,  and  growing  very  freely.  Ample  heat  aad  moisture,  and  a 
perfectly  open  and  unshaded  position,  must  now  be  given  it,  the 
syringe  being  freely  plied  about  the  roots  and  leaves  on  hot  days 
at  closing  time.  Old  leggy  specimens  of  Vanda  suavis,  V.  tricolor, 
and  others  may  still  have  attention  in  the  matter  of  lowering 
them  in  their  pots  and  covering  the  air  roots  with  compost.  This 
will  cause  the  latter  to  push  out  laterally,  and  will  materially 
strengthen  the  plants  as  well  as  improving  their  appearance. 
Oncidiam 
leucochllum. 
Experienced 
growers  will  see  here 
an  old  and  popular 
favourite,  one  that 
can  usually  be  de¬ 
pended  on,  and  com¬ 
bines  a  noble  habit 
with  great  beauty  of 
flowers.  The  blos¬ 
soming  period  is  very 
uncertain,  but  the 
huge  spikes  of  yel¬ 
lowish-green  flowers 
spotted  with  dark 
brown  are  always 
handsome  and  im¬ 
posing.  Furthermore, 
these  spikes  remain 
fresh  for  several 
weeks.  This  species 
(from  parts  of  Mexico 
and  Guatemala)  re¬ 
quires  intermediate 
house  treatment,  and 
must  have  water 
afforded  to  its  roots 
all  the  year  round. 
Odontoglossums. 
It  would  not  be 
easy  to  say  which 
is  the  most  popular 
genus  of  Orchids  in 
cultivation,  but  in  all 
probability  if  it  were 
possible  to  take  a 
poll  of  the  number  of 
plants  of  each  genus, 
that  the  Odonto¬ 
glossums  would  c  me 
out  very  near  the  top 
of  the  list.  No  one 
who  grows  Orchids 
at  all  can  afford  to  do 
without  0.  crispum 
and  0.  Pescatorei. 
Few  would  care  to 
be  without  the  showy 
0.  grande.  Such 
plants  as  these  are 
welcome  everywhere, 
and  there  are  many 
such  comprised  n 
the  genus.  Indeed, 
it  is  very  doubtful  if 
in  the  whole  lot  there 
is  a  single  species 
that  is  not,  well  worth 
growing,  many  of 
the  smeller  flowered 
sorts  bting  interest¬ 
ing  on  account  of 
their  rich  and  varied 
tints  of  colour. 
In  the  earlier  days  of  Orchid  culture  this  love  y  genus  was  in  very 
ill  favour.  If  orchidists  reasoned  at  all  they  must  have  argued  that 
because  a  moderate  amount  of  heat  was  good  for  the  plants  they 
knew  that  inhabited  the  lower  regions  of  the  tropics,  that  therefore 
more  heat  must  be  better,  and  the  poor  Odontoglossums  were  trans¬ 
planted  from  their  high  a'pine  habitats  and  set  in  hothouses  to  stew 
