PACKING ORCHIDS FOR CONVEYANCE TO EXHIBITIONS. 41 



to a cooler part of the house, or even putting them in a 

 warm greenhouse, keeping them slightly shaded during the 

 brightest part of the day. Dendrobiums are very easily thus 

 retarded, if they are wanted to bloom later in the season. 

 Dendrohlum nobile, D. pulchellum, D. macrophyllum, D. 

 densiflorum, D. Farmeri, and D. Pierardi latifolium, gene- 

 rally bloom during winter, but I have kept them back until 

 June ; and by having a succession of plants, the Orchid house 

 may be gay with Dendrobiums from January to June. Nearly 

 all the Dendrobiums will bear cool treatment while at rest, and 

 all can be kept for late flowering. To insure this, place them 

 in a warm greenhouse and give but little water, in fact, only 

 just enough to keep them from shrivelling ; under this treat- 

 ment the temperature should not fall lower than 40°, and the 

 stems must be kept dry, or the flower buds are apt to rot. 

 They should be shaded from the sun, so that the flower buds 

 may not be excited. When the plants are wanted to flower 

 they should be removed to the Orchid house, and still kept 

 shaded from the sun. Pliajus Wallichii, P. grmidifolius, 

 Ly caste Skinnerii, and many others may be kept back in the 

 same way as the Dendrobiums. We have had ample proof 

 this year by taking these plants to shows ; we exhibited 

 sixty-five specimens in Brussels, and not a plant was injured. 

 Our plants were taken more safely than those that lived a 

 few miles ofi". The reason was we took proper care to pack 

 well and give no water, and go according to the rules laid 

 before my readers. 



