ORCHTDS. 57 
plants under glass demand skilful treatment—all 
their surroundings are unnatural, and with insect 
pest on one hand, mildew on the other; an amateur 
stands betwixt the devil and the deep sea. . Under 
those circumstances common plants become 
really capricious—that is, being ruled by no 
principles easy to grasp and immutable in opera- 
tion, their discomfort shows itself in perplexing 
forms. But such species of orchids as a poor man 
would think of growing are incapable of pranks. 
For one shilling he can buy a manual which will 
teach him what these species are, and most of the 
things necessary for him to understand besides. 
An expenditure of five pounds will set him up for 
life and beyond—since orchids are immortal. 
Nothing:else is needed save intelligence. 
Not even heat, since his collection will be 
“cool” naturally; if frost be excluded, that is 
enough. I should not have ventured to say this 
some few years ago—before, in fact, I had visited 
St. Albans. But in the cool house of that palace 
of enchantment with which Mr. Sander has 
adorned the antique borough, before the heating 
arrangements were quite complete though the 
shelves were occupied, often the glass would fall 
very low into the thirties. I could never learn 
distinctly that mischief followed, though Mr. 
