October  8,  1903. 
325 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Dendrobium  x  Yenus. 
This  handsome  and  large-flowered  hybrid  resulted  from  D. 
J'alconeri  and  D.  nobile.  The  stems  are  long  and  slender,  and 
of  the  parts  of  the  flower,  the  sepals  are  bright  I’ose  at  the  tips, 
paler  at  the  bases;  the.  petals  are  white,  tipped  with  rose,  and 
the  lip  has  a  rich  maroon  blotch,  without  qny  yellow  in  the 
throat.  No  Dendrobium  can  stand  so  much  rest  as  this  one,  and 
it  must  have  it,  in  order  to  assure  its  flowering.  Sometimes  it 
is  rather  shy  in  this  respect. 
The  Week’s  Cultural  Notes. 
The  spikes  of  Calanthe  Veitchi,  C.  vestita,  and  their  varieties 
are  now  advancing  rapidly,  and  the  plants  must  be  so  placed  that 
they  receive  the  maximum  of  light.  The  leaves  are  beginning 
to  give  way,  oonsequently  root  action  will  be  very  sluggish,  aiud 
no  good  x>urpose  will  be  served  by  watering  at  all  freely,  while 
manure  will  also  be  wasted.  Keep  the  plants  well  apart,  avoid 
damping  the  spikes  or  bulbs,  and  keep  the  temperature  well  ux>. 
In  a  stagnant,  cold  atmosphere  the  colour  of  the  flowers  will  be 
I>oor  andl  washy,  but  give  the  plants  the  opposite  condition,  and 
there  are  few  more  beautiful  sights  in  winter  than  they. 
Zygopetalum  Mackayi  is  a  winter  flowering  species  that  comes 
in  with  the  Calanthes,  but  reciuireis  different  treatment.  It  is  ever¬ 
green,  and  forms  bulbs 
and  growth  at  the  time 
the  flower  spikes  are 
also  developing.  Here, 
theUj  is  a  case  for  ample 
nourishment  right  up  to 
the  time  the  blossoms 
open.  I  have  had  large, 
old  plants  of  this  species 
under  my  care  a  yard 
and  'upwards  across,  and 
these  seemed,  able  to 
stand  almost  aquatic 
treatment.  But  it  is 
different  with  weak  and 
badly  rooted  — ■  perhaps 
overpotted — •  specimens, 
and  I  know  of  few 
Orchids  more  difficult  to 
rescue  from  an  unhealthy 
state,  or  more  easily 
managed  when  strong 
and  well  established. 
A  more  difficult  plant 
in  most  hands  is  Z. 
inaxillare,  the  reason 
being  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  persuade 
the  roots  to  enter  any 
compost,  no  matter  how 
carefully  prepared.  It 
thrives  best  upon  a  block 
made  of  a  piece  of  Tree 
Fern  stem,  this  being 
partially  sunk  in  a  pot 
filled  with  crocks.  It  is 
now  in  flower,  and  suffi¬ 
cient  moisture  must  be 
allowed  to  keep  the  growth  in  good  condition,  while  the  spikes 
•must  not  be  allowed  to  remain  on  long  enough  to  distress  the 
plants.  This  pretty  jdant  is  often  kept  far  too  hot,  and  the  cool 
end  of  the  Cattleya  house  is  quite  warm  enough  for  it.  In  greater 
heat  thrips,  its  worst  imsect  enemy,  attacks  it,  weakening  and 
eventually  killing  the  plant. 
The  Butterfly  Oncidiums,  O.  Krainerianum  and  O.  papilio, 
are  still  producing  a  few  flowers,  and  must  be  kept  warm,  and 
allowed  ample  light.  Remove  a  little  of  the  sphagnum  moss  from 
about  the  roots,  if  it  appears  to  be  holding  too  much  moisture, 
and  cutaway  a  few  of  the  older  spikes.  Although  these  would  pro¬ 
bably  flower  again  if  left  on,  the  blossoms  will  be  larger  and 
brighter  in  colour  from  the  new  spikes,  these  usually  pushing 
in  plenty  during  the  early  summer  months.  Remove  Dendro¬ 
bium  chrysanthum  to  a  warm  house  after  flowering  if  growths 
are  starting,  and  keep  it  gently  moving  during  winter.  Just 
before  the  new  roots  appear,  i.c.,  when  the  growths  are  aboiut  4in 
long,  is  the  most  suitable  .season  for  repotting. — H.  R.  R. 
A  Talk  on  Ferns.* 
Considerable  care  is  required  in  raising  Ferns  from  spores. 
A  .shallow  pan  should  bo  used,  half  filled  with  broken  x>ieces  of 
Xmts,  or,  better  still,  with  mortar  from  an  old  wall,  and  then 
filled  within  one-half  inch  from  the  top  with  fine  sifted  soil, 
which  should  bo  scalded  with  boiling  water,  and  drained,  before 
the  spores  are  sown,  so  as  to  kill  the  germs  of  fungus  or  insects 
detrimental  to  the  growth  of  young  Ferns.  The  s^iores  should 
be  scattered  over  the  surface  without  covering  them  with  soiL 
A  pane  of  glass  should  be  put  over  the  pan,  and  the  latter  should 
be  placed  in  a  saucer  of  water,  which  will  keep  the  soil  suffi¬ 
ciently  moist.  Keep  the  pan  well  shaded  until  the  sx)ores  are 
visible  as  minute  ijlants. 
The  chances  of  getting  new  varieties  by  intermixing  are  not 
very  great,  but  it  is  the  only  way  to  get  any  at  all,  except,  per¬ 
haps,  a  chance  seedling.  In  selecting  the  spores  care  should  be 
exercised  to  take  them  from  that  portion  or  form  of  the  plant 
wliich  is  most  desired.  For  instance,  if  a  crested  form  is 
wanted,  the  spores  of  the  crested  part  of  the  plant  should  be 
taken,  and  the  certainty  of  getting  crested  seedlings  is  thereby 
much  increased.  The  minute  plants  should  be  taken  up  in 
small  patches  and  pricked  off  carefully,  and  when  they  are  estab¬ 
lished  and  fit  to  be  handled  they  should  be  divided  and  iiotted 
off  singly.  Plants  that  have  several  crowns,  or  have  creeping 
rhizomes,  are  easily  increased  by  division.  Some  species  jiro- 
duoe  small  bulbs  alone,  or  at  the  end  of  the  frond.  If  those  are 
removed  and  placed  on  soil  they  form  plants. 
A  preparation  of  soil  which  suits  almost  all  Ferns  is  a  mix¬ 
ture  of  two  parts  of  good  loam,  one  part  of  sharp  .sand,  and 
one  part  of  leaf  mould.  The  latter  is  indispensable  in  raising 
Ferns  to  perfection.  If  the  soil  does  not  contain  sufficient  lime 
a  sprinkling  of  the  same  will  be  found  very  beneficial.  Repot¬ 
ting  of  Ferns  should  not 
be  overdone,  as  it  is 
known  that  the  most 
luxuriant  growth  is 
made  when  the  inside 
surface  of  the  pot  is 
covered  with  a  network 
of  roots.  Ferns  like 
moisture,  and  the  ab¬ 
sence  of  water  is  shown 
by  the  shrivelling  of  the 
old  fronds. 
In  herbaceous  plants, 
or  plants  wdth  woody 
texture,  the  young 
growth  wilts  first.  If 
the  latter  stock  has  been 
kept  too  dry  the  ball 
can  be  .soaked  and  the 
plant  will  recover ;  but 
with  Ferns  it  is  quite 
different,  as  this  ti’eat- 
inent  has  seldom  any 
effect  on  them,  with  the 
exce^Dtion  of  a  few' 
varieties.  Repotting  can 
be  safely  performed  at 
any  time  of  the  year, 
but  the  best  time  in  the 
.stove  house  is  in  Febru¬ 
ary,  and  in  the  cool 
house  in  March.  In  any 
case  it  is  best  to  repot 
before  the  plants  start, 
to  make  young  growth. 
The  pots  should  be  clean 
and  dry,  as  in  any  other 
case  the  rootlets  will 
stick  to  the  sides  of  the  pots ;  and  if  the  plants  require  re¬ 
potting  again,  they  will  suffer  greatly,  as  it  will  be  found 
impossible  to  remove  them  from  the  old  pots  wdthout  breaking 
a  quantity  of  live  roots.  New  pots  will  absorb  a  great  quantity 
of  water ;  therefore  they  should  be  soaked  in  water  and  dried 
again.  As  the  first  and  second  waterings  would  be  absorbed 
by  the  ix)ts,  the  balls  will  become  dry,  to  the  detriment  of  the 
plant.  Although  Ferns  need  moisture  at  all  times  of  the  year, 
drainage  is  most  important.  In  their  natural  state  most  of  the 
Ferns  grow'  in  jjartly  decayed  vegetable  matter  of  a  soft  texture ; 
therefore  they  should  be  potted  firm,  but  not  hard. 
Moisture,  proper  atmosphere,  and  temperature  are  the  most 
essential ;  the  soil  is  only  of  secondary  consideration.  The 
ventilation  should  bo  managed  .so  that  the  plants  are  not  in  a 
direct  draught;  but  a  close,  stuffy  atmosphere  is  more  in¬ 
jurious  than  an  excess  of  ventilation,  and  more  so  in  the  stove 
*  By  N.  Bu’.terbach,  tefore  the  Jlonmouth  County  (X..J.)  Horticultural  Society. 
