270 orchib-gbower's manual. 



which proclaim them to be plants of more than ordinary 

 value. 



They all require the same kind of treatment, and an East 

 Indian heat, together with a good supply of water during their 

 growing season, for the various species are found in Java, 

 Borneo, Sumatra, in Manilla, and some few of them in the 

 Burmese territory, where the heat is high, a natural condition 

 which ought to be imitated under artificial circumstances as 

 nearly as possible. They are found growing on the branches 

 of trees in damp, moist places, and on bare rocks where, 

 during the rainy season, an immense quantity of water falls. 

 Nevertheless, they are of easy culture, and if properly attended 

 to are seldom out of order ; but since they have no thick 

 fleshy pseudobulbs to support them, they require, in order to 

 grow them to perfection, somewhat more care and attention 

 than the majority of this order. Thus, they need more 

 moisture at their roots during the growing season — in fact, 

 they should never be allowed to get dry, for if so, they are 

 apt to shrivel, and often lose their bottom leaves, which spoils 

 their appearance, the beauty of these plants consisting almost 

 as much in their having good foliage as good flowers. The 

 growing season is from March to the end of October, during 

 which time the temperature by day should range from 70° 

 to 75°, allowing it to rise to 80° or more by sun heat, pro- 

 vided the house be shaded, for the sun is very apt to scorch 

 their thick fleshy leaves ; if so scorched they vrill soon decay and 

 spoil the plant ; sometimes they will do better in one part of the 

 house than the other ; this has been found out by the cultivator, 

 if they do not do in one part, move them to another. The 

 night temperature should range from 65° to 70° in March and 

 April ; afterwards it may be allowed to rise a few degrees 

 higher. During their resting season, from the end of October 

 to February, the temperature should range from 60° to 65° by 



