sively raised in building up as here described with peat : it 

 does not terminate in the shape of a cone, but is carried up 

 nearly square, being merely rounded a little at the top. 

 Unless the plants are very healthy, but very little water is 

 given at the roots, and in winter very little or none, the 

 great desideratum in the cultivation of Orchidaceae being to 

 preserve the roots, which, by over-watering, especially in 

 winter, are almost sure to be destroyed. 



" The general temperature of the house ranges from 60 

 to 85 degrees ; in the afternoon, during the growing season, 

 it is shut up early and the paths well watered, and once or 

 twice a week a little water is sprinkled on their heads. I 

 find great advantage in having a tan bed in the house to 

 plunge the plants in, the heat from the tan circulates through 

 the peat and potsherds, and causes the plant to grow with 

 great luxuriance. It might be objected to this method of 

 growing Orchidaceae, that wood-lice would damage the 

 plants ; I have followed this plan for two years, and do not 

 know an instance of damage ' by them ; indeed, the tan is 

 too moist to harbour any kind of insects. In order to make 

 this account as intelligible as I can, I will detail the manner 

 in which a young plant was treated: — On the 20th of May 

 last year I received a very small damaged plant of a new 

 Stanhopea; I allowed it to get perfectly dry, it was then 

 potted, and placed in a strong bottom heat, with a strong- 

 heat above ; the plant began to grow in about a fortnight, 

 and at the end of July had perfected a small bulb ; the plant 

 was then kept dry about a fortnight, and was again placed 

 in a strong bottom heat, and in a temperature never lower 

 than 70 degrees, but often amounting in the day to from 

 90 to 100. By the end of September it had perfected a 

 second bulb, considerably larger than the first. The plant 

 was again dried on a hot flue for a fortnight, and then re- 

 moved into a larger pot, and elevated a little above the sur- 

 face ; it was again replunged into a strong bottom heat, and, 

 by the end of December, had perfected two more bulbs, 

 making four since its commencement. I should here ob- 

 serve that the plant had but one bulb when I received it ; — 

 the plant was now dried for a month, then re-potted, and 

 placed, as before, in a strong heat ; about the first week in 

 April the plant had made two more perfect bulbs, the process 



