.lamiary  1,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARi^DENER. 
3 
Sophro-Cattle.ya  x  eximia. 
\Vo  bring  again  to  notice  a  bigeneric  hybi’id  Orchid  of  much 
interest  and  beauty.  Tliis  was  raised  at  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  and  Sons’ 
Cliclsea  nursery'  a  year  or  two  ago,  and  plants  have  often  been  seen 
at  Drill  Hall  shows.  Cattleya  Bowringiana  and  Sophronitis  grandi- 
llora  are  the  respective  parents  of  it,  and  a  certificate  was  aAvarded 
in  1894.  The  sepals  and  petals  are  bright  purplish  rose,  the  lip 
))cing  darker,  and  pale  yellow  in  the  throat. 
The  Week’s  Cultural  Notes. 
With  the  new  year  comes  a  season  of  increased  activity  for 
Orchid  growers.  We  are  still  in  the  middle  of  winter,  it  is  true,  and 
the  treatment  will  for  a  time  be  the  same,  but  it  is  not  far  now  to 
look  forward  to  the  busiest  time  of  all  for  repotting  and  rearranging 
the  houses.  As  a  means  of  preventing  delay  later  on,  the  stock  of 
potting  materials, 
of  baskets,  pots, 
labels,  and  stakes 
must  be  looked 
over  and  replen¬ 
ished  when  neces¬ 
sary.  Nothing  is 
more  vexatious  at 
a,  busy  season  than 
having  to  keep 
valuable  plants 
waiting  about  for 
attention  because 
some  necessary 
item  has  been  for¬ 
gotten. 
Peat  for  the 
p  s  e  u  d  o  -  b  u  1  bous 
Orchids  may  be 
p  r  e  pared  b  y 
liaving  all  sand 
and  earthy  por¬ 
tions  removed,  re¬ 
serving  the  fibre 
for  mixing  with 
fresh  sphagnum 
and  other  mate¬ 
rials.  Crocks 
should  be  got  ready' 
and  washed,  old 
crocks  being  pre¬ 
ferable  to  new 
ones.  Stakes  and 
labels  are  far 
better  made  at 
home  than  bought, 
the  wood  in  the 
cheap  foreign 
stakes  being  re¬ 
sponsible  for  many 
fungoid  attacks.  Wash  up  all  the  small  pans  and  pots  likely  to  Im 
needed,  and  whatever  new  ones  have  to  be  obtained  get  them  in 
early  and  soak  them  well  before  use.  A  hot,  dry  pot  is  very  injurious 
to  the  growing  tender  points  of  the  Orchid  roots. 
The  beautiful  Dendrobium  Phalcenopsis  is  now  about  over  for 
the  season,  and  although  it  is  not  always  possible  to  keep  the  plants 
dormant,  they  are  really  all  the  better  for  a  good  rest.  I  have 
always  found  that  plants  growing  sluggishly  through  the  winter  and 
early  spi’ing  months  are  weak,  and  flower  but  poorly.  But  when  a  plant 
takes  a  good  rest  for  a  month  or  two.  and  then  comes  away  strongly, 
it  has  the  best  of  the  year  for  its  gi-owing  season,  and  is  correspond¬ 
ingly  healthy  and  free  blo<nning. 
Of  a  different  stamp  is  J).  chrysanthum ;  this  is  almost  always  in 
full  growth  in  winter,  and  the  best  place  for  it  is  a  light,  sunny' 
position  in  the  warmest  house.  If  repotting  is  necessary — that  is, 
if  the  plants  are  outgrowing  their  receptacle,  it  may  be  done  now, 
before  the  roots  are  too  far  advanced.  But  frequent  disturbance  is 
not  to  its  taste,  and  seldom  leads  to  free  flowering.  The  deciduous 
kinds  are  rapidly  advancing,  and  should  be  brought  on  in  batches, 
giving  the  early  ones  warmer  treatment  than  the  later,  so  as  to  spread 
tlie  flowering  over  as  long  a  i)eriod  as  possible.  In  all  cases  avoid 
ov(n'-abundant  atmospheric  moisture,  and  remember  that  the  pseudo- 
bulbs  if  plump  contain  ample  nutriment  for  the  needs  of  the  plants 
at  present.— H.  B.  11. 
Malmaison  Carnations. 
J  he  exact  proportions  of  the  vai'ious  ingredients  used  to  prepare 
a  suitiible  compost  for  this  very  popular  flowering  plant  must  vary 
according  to  the  character  of  the  loam  at  hand.  If  this  is  of  medium 
texture,  containing  a  fair  amount  of  fibre,  I  would  advise  to  mix  it 
with  three  parts  of  the  same,  one  part  peat,  one  part  good  leaf  soil 
(composed  of  Oak  leaves),  and  one  part  biumt  refuse,  with  a  goodly' 
dash  of  sharp  sand,  some  finely  broken  crocks,  and  a  little  soot.  On 
the  other  hand,  should  the  loam  be  heavy  and  less  fibrous,  use  more 
peat  and  leaf  soil,  and  dispense  with  the  burnt  refuse,  and  also  ado 
some  poiuided  charcoal.  1  much  prefer  using  some  half-inch  bones 
on  top  of  the  crocks  in  preference  to  any  patent  manure  mixed  with 
the  soil  for  their  final  potting,  as  I  believe  it  to  be  more  beneficial  in 
this  ^yay,  as  it  feeds  the  plants  at  a  critical  time  when  the  buds  are 
swelling.  Have  your  soil  well  mixed  quite  a  month  before  it  is 
required  for  use. 
My  practice  is  to  commence  layering  about  the  second  or  thii  d 
week  in  -July'.  Select  the  desired  numljer  of  plants  with  as  many 
good,  healthy,  and  clean  layers  as  y'ou  require.  Any  good  open  gritty 
soil  will  answer  thp  purpose  for  layering,  such  as  comes  from  the 
potting  bench.  .Just  mix  some  finely  sifted  old  mortar  rubble  and 
plenty  of  sand ;  this  will  form  an  ideal  compost  for  layering.  Hsc 
some  close  frames,  raising  the  soil  to  within  a  few  inches  of  the  glass, 
and  leave  a  little  head-room  for  the  layers.  Keep  close  until  rooting 
has  taken  place, 
which  Avill  occur 
in  about  three 
weeks.  During 
that  time  keep 
them  shaded  from 
scorching  suns,  and 
syringe  them  twice 
daily.  The  syringe 
is  very  beneficial, 
and  keeps  down 
insect  pests. 
So  soon  as  they 
commence  to  root 
admit  air,  at  first 
sparingly,  but 
gradually  increase 
it,  so  as  to  insure 
a  sturdy  groAvth. 
In  a  month  from 
the  time  of  layer¬ 
ing  they  will  be 
rooted  sufficiently 
for  the  first  potting. 
I'se  large  60’s, 
then  place  them  in 
a  span  frame,  and 
for  the  first  few 
days  pay  attention 
to  their  Avants  re¬ 
garding  syringing 
and  shading  until 
they  establish 
themseh'es.  After 
this  air  them  freely 
night  and  day  till 
the  cold  frosty 
Aveather  begins.  I 
recommend  the 
span  frames  in 
preference  to  any  other.  oAving  to  the  convenience  for  admitting  air 
all  round  the  plants  and  keeping  off  rain  Avithout  being  closed.  When 
the  plants  are  groAving  freely  in  the  60-pots  judgment  must  be 
used  when  Avatering  tlie  plants,  and  also  as  to  Avhen  they  are  in  a  fit 
state  to  be  shitted  on.  My  advice  is  never  to  alloAv  a  cheek  to  the 
plants  in  their  early  stages  of  groAvth ;  therefore  pay  strict  attention 
to  their  Avants,  and  see  tliat  they  do  not  get  root-bound  in  these  small 
pots,  as  the  Avant  of  timely  potting  results  in  many  failures.  Always 
get  them  shifted  on  before  the  roots  get  matted  together,  I  shift 
them  from  60’s  into  32’s  (5in.),  and  make  that  their  final  potting,  but 
great  care  must  be  taken  now  regarding  their  Avatering,  as  there  is 
so  little  root  action  during  the  autumn  and  Avinter  months,  that  it  is 
an  easy  matter  to  get  them  over-Avatered. 
I  should  like  to  deal  Avith  this  all-im])ortant  matter  more  exten¬ 
sively  if  time  and  space  would  permit,  as  I  believe  here  lies  the  key 
to  success.  My  advice,  in  short,  is  to  pay  very  strict  attention  to 
Avatering,  and  never  Avater  a  plant  unless  you  are  sure  there  is  not 
sullicient  moisture  left  to  keep  it  groAving,  and  never  alloAv  an  inex- 
'  perienced  hand  to  perform  this  duty.  But,  of  course,  the  plants  Avill 
I  rec^uirc  a  more  liberal  supply  Avhen  they  are  in  full  groAvth  and 
throAving  up  their  floAver  spikes.  They  Avill  need  attention  then  tAvice 
a  day,  and  even  then  the  same  care  is  necessary.  1  like  ahvays  to 
Iceep  my  i)lants  as  near  as  possible  to  the  roof  glass,  and  to  keep 
them  always  free  from  insect  pests  by  fumigating:  l)ut  above  all.  free 
Sophro=CattIeya  x  eximia 
