ORCHID HOUSES. 33 



should be upright sashes on both sides of the house, with glass 

 from twelve to fifteen inches high, but not made to open. 

 Many Orchid growers object to side sashes, and generally 

 recommend brickwork up to the spring of the roof : but that 

 is not, in my opinion, the best plan ; on the contrary, I would 

 advise any one about to build an Orchid house to have upright 

 sashes on both sides and at each end. From experience I have 

 found that Orchids do best with abundance of light, which is 

 the only way to get good strong ripe pseudobulbs fit for 

 flowering. Small houses are best. In different parts of the 

 country there exist large houses, but in no instance have I seen 

 plants growing well in them ; such houses take a great fire to 

 keep them at the proper night temperature, and after all, they 

 seem ill adapted to the wants of the plants. I would advise 

 all large Orchid houses to be pulled down or turned to other 

 purposes, and their places to be occupied by small ones ; the 

 expense of the operation would soon be saved in the reduction 

 that would take place in the cost of pipe and fuel. I have used 

 single roofs for thirty years, and have always found them to 

 answer well, but of late the double-roofed houses have come 

 into use with many Orchid growers ; but in no one instance 

 has any improvement in the health of the plants been visible 

 to me, indeed the contrary rather ; and unless I can see that 

 they are a decided improvement, I shall advise all young 

 growers to keep to the single roof. I never have believed in 

 the double-roofed house, and there must be a real improve- 

 ment before I recommend what is not likely to surpass the 

 single roof. It appears strange to me to see growers of these 

 valuable plants jump at such novelties before they have been 

 well tried on a small scale by some one who understands the 

 treatment of this race of plants. 



Since the above remarks upon double -roofed houses 

 appeared in the third edition of this work, many of the 



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