1870.] WINTER-BLOOMING ORCHIDS. 123 



embody many of the special features that have from time to time been suggested 

 and described as to the manner in which an Orchid-house should be erected. In its 

 present form it seems to be a model Orchid-house for amateur growers, and seems 

 likely to prove an admirable house of its kind for nurserymen also. It is a span- 

 roofed structure, 45 feet long, 15 feet 6 inches wide, and 9 feet high in the centre. 

 The outer walls are 2 feet 6 inches high, and on this wall there is a 2-feet glazed 

 frame on which the roof rests. Along the apex of the roof there is a good sub- 

 stantial wooden coping, under which a roller is fixed, which, when suitable ma- 

 terials for shading are fastened to it, will be used either for keeping out the bright 

 rays of the sun in summer, or for keeping out frost in severe weather in winter. 

 The house is divided into four compartments. The first is a lobby (5 feet by 4), 

 which must be entered before reaching the other divisions ; so that, let the con- 

 dition of the external atmosphere be what it may, no cold draughts are admitted 

 into the Orchid-house proper. The first division, after passing through the 

 lobby, is 11 feet in length, and is intended for cool Orchids and flowering speci- 

 mens. This is no doubt a great point in connection with Orchid culture, as not 

 only do the flowers last much longer in such a structure, but their beauty is seen 

 to greater advantage and much more pleasure by ladies than when the plants 

 are regularly kept in the hot and damp atmosphere of the growing -house. 

 The second division, which is called the East Indian House, is 19 feet 6 inches 

 in length, and the third, or Cattleya House, is 20 feet long. Down the centre 

 of the two latter compartments is an open tank, containing three hot- water pipes 

 for giving off moisture. The tanks are kept filled by a pipe and taps from the 

 reservoir outside. These pipes are also perfectly under control, as, by using 

 valves placed in the cool-house, the temperature can be raised or lowered as 

 required. At the end of the Cattleya House a compact and useful potting-shed, 

 heated by hot water, is attached. This being entered from the house, greatly 

 facilitates the operation of potting, &c. And here, again, is a precaution against 

 draught. Under the floor of this shed is a spacious tank, which receives all the 

 rain-water from the roof. Pipes are laid from the hot-water tank in the house 

 to this cistern, so that warm or chilled water can be easily had when required, 

 either for watering the plants or for any other purpose. The hot- water pipes for 

 heating the houses are arranged along the outer walls, and provision is made for 

 regulating the temperature in each house, by having separate stop-valves fitted to 

 each set of piping. Ventilation has also been provided with the same care to prevent 

 the introduction of cold currents of air. This is effected by having small apertures 

 made in the outer wall, just below the heating medium, so that cold air, be- 

 fore passing into the interior, must first come in contact with the hot pipes, 

 and so become somewhat warmed. The ventilation is effected simply by a suffi- 

 cient number of small sliding glass-frames for the requirements of each house. 

 Another important feature is the staging, which is open, both in the breadth that 

 runs down the centre over the tanks and around the sides ; the latter also, in- 

 stead of being fixed close up to the wall, have a space of about 6 inches between 

 them, for the heat to pass into that portion of the house which in most other 

 erections is the coldest part — i.e., that portion of the stage nearest the glass. The 

 stages being made open, the genial humidity which rises from the tanks is allowed 

 to pass freely amongst the plants throughout the house, and the paths can be 

 kept comparatively dry, which is a pleasure scarcely dreamt of where no tanks 

 of this kind are provided." 



For this capital description of the details of Mr Bull's Orchid-house we are in- 

 debted to the ' Gardeners' Chronicle ; ' but since this report was taken, Mr Bull 

 has added one other improvement of considerable merit. Finding that the moist 



