248 THE FLORAL WORLD AXD GARDEN GUIDE. 



The second we will name the intermediate house, the temperature to 

 be 55" in the winter, and from 70° to 80° through the summer. The 

 last we will term the cool house, and iu this the temperature must be 

 from 45° to 50*^ through the winter, and from 60° to 65° in the 

 summer. 



The whole of the species require a plentiful supply of water at 

 the roots when they are growing, combined with a moist atmosphere. 

 But in the Avinter, when they are at rest, the atmosphere must be 

 much drier, and they should only have enougb to keep them in 

 health. Those with large fleshy bulbs will only require sufficient to 

 keep them from shrivelling, but those with no bulbs, the Aerides 

 and Vandas, for example, will require rather more moisture, even 

 when at rest. The epiphytes will mostly thrive in fibrous peat or 

 sphagnum moss, in pots or baskets. A few grow best on blocks 

 suspended from the roof, and the terrestrial kinds grow well in 

 fibrous loam, chopped up roughly, and mixed with about one-fourtli 

 its proportion of horse-droppings. They must have as much light 

 and air admitted to them as is consistent with their safety. The 

 latter must be carefully managed to prevent the plants receiving a 

 check from its blowing directly upon them, more especially when the 

 sun is rather bright and the air keen^ — such weather as we have in 

 March, for instance. Ventilators should be fixed in the side walls 

 opposite the hot-water pipes, and then the air becomes warmed 

 before it reaches the plants ; and others in the roof, to allow the 

 escape of the heated air. Air-giving must be regulated by the state 

 of the weather ; double the amount being admitted when the air is 

 warm and soft than when it is cold and keen. During the winter 

 months sufficient air will find its way through the laps of the glass 

 without opening the ventilators. The plants require full exposure 

 to the light at all times, excepting in bright sunny weather, from 

 March to September, and then they must be protected from sunshine 

 by means of tiffany tacked over the roof of the house, or by movable 

 blinds of the same. When the plants are in flower through the 

 warmer months of the year, they should be removed to a lower 

 temperature, and where the atmosphere is much drier than that in 

 which they were growing, to preserve the flowers in full beauty as 

 long as possible. In the winter it is not safe to remove them from, 

 the orchid-house when they are in bloom, neither is it of any con- 

 sequence ; for, as a matter of course, at that period the temperature 

 is lower, and the atmosphere drier, than it is through the summer. 

 Atmospheric moisture must be maintained by throwing water on 

 the floors. 



Aerides require stove treatment, and should be potted in 

 sphagnum moss, mixed with plenty of crocks broken rather small, 

 and a few lumps of charcoal, with plenty of moisture when growing, 

 and never quite dry. The best are — A. Feildingi, A. Larpenfcs, 

 A. Lohhi, and A. odoratum majus, all of which have blush and rose- 

 coloured flowers. 



Akguloa. — A. EucJceri and A. Cloicesi are the two best. They 

 have large bulbs, with flag-shaped foliage and yellow flowers. They 

 should be grown in a cool house, potted in peat. 



