CHE REFERENCE LIBRARY - Pole Shift Survival Information

374 THE NVRSERY-.16,4 iVTi.4 I,
lings. ,ifter sterilization, the jars should 1~1 allowc~l to stand for a
few rlayL Tl wsv in lvhich molds develop should 1~ discarded. The
sterile jilrs n;:i)7 then IW inoculate(l with the root-fungus from the
spcGes of orchid to \vhich the seed-plant belongs,. For this purpose,
portirjns of infcctc4 ro0t.s should be cut into small pieces wit,h a
steriltk knife ilIlt scxttered o\‘er the sphagnrllll scc(l-bed. Great
c:trc sh~ultl 1~ c,lwr\-cd at all times to avoid the introduction of
foreign sp!!ros from the air. It should also 1~ l,orncb in mind that
onI\- thcb cw\-c~rw1 roots contain the fungus, and that generally on13
tl~‘soft tissues from ‘,- to I inch hack from the root-tip are most
al~l~nrlantl)* infcv*tcd. As soon as t.he root-fungus has grown through
tlw sp1xlgtNln1, the se&, should he sown in the jars. In the col-
Iwtion and hi~tnclling nf thtl SC-ads, all possible precaution should be
t;lli1’11 to prej-cnt cc~nt~~niin~~tioll.” R,ecent experience does not
cvnfirrii th nc*ccssity of the fungus in all cases, biit. the aseptic
ilIlt cvntrollccl methods of germination are good.
I)irisiojl. -- Tlic I,al,liinpedil~lll~s (greenhouse cypripedirmis) afforci
an c~sample of the way in which tlii-ision may be emplo)-ccl. The
soil is shaken from th(x roots and by the aid of a sharp knife the plant
is se\-crtvl into as man>- pieces 3s arc required. It. is always advisable
ti, lea\-~3 ant, or more leading growths to each portion. This method
r[liiy he practiced for the increase of phaius, masdevallia, sobralia,
atlu, thv e\-ergrcY~n scbction of calanthe, and all of similar habit.. In
nearl>- aI1 thoscb kincls in which the ps~~~~dr~bull~s are united by a
procunibcbnt rhizolne, sudi 3s occurs in cattleyas, the process is
s;lo~~~r. 1 t set’lns to IN> natural for thvse plants to continue year after
year, producing 8 single growtt.h from the old pseudobulb. To
obtain additional “ leads,” the rhizomes shouhl be cut through in
earl>- sprin,, cr two or three pseudobulbs being reserved to each piece.
.1
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bud
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will then push from the base of each pseudobulb nearest the
t.fll-iSiOil, i3ild a iiF%* lea d is formiid. The pieces should not, ‘be separated
until this is well established, and three years may sometimes
ix required. IIzliu, catasetum, cwlogyne, lycaste, cymbidium,
q-gopetalum, odontoglossum, oncidium, miltonia, and the like, are
treated in this manner. Fig. 51.
&Ltti,up. -- This method is available for those kinds with long
jointed stems, like dendrobium and epidendrum. Just before the
plants begin to grow, . say in February, the old pseudobulbs are cut
up into length s, and laid on a moist warm surfa.ce, such as a pan
of mo.is in a propagating-frame. Young offshoots will shortly
appear at the nodes, and when large enough are potted off with the