4 ORCHID-GROWEE S MANUAL. 



February, March, and April, they must be exposed to an 

 atmosphere of 110° in the shade. That the fresh-grown 

 pseudobulbs are by this means reduced in size or shrivelled 

 there can be no question ; and in some of the mountain 

 Orchids this reduction takes place to such an extent as to 

 render it doubtful whether they are the same plants, when first 

 seen at the end of rains." Now take the case of these plants 

 under culture ; the growing or rainy season past, their supply 

 of water would be gradually diminished, and they would be 

 exposed to the full effects of the sun with plenty of air, but 

 only so long as they could withstand this treatment without 

 shrivelling ; should this condition ensue, or should exhaustion 

 from any other cause arise, the cultivator steps in, and by 

 judicious treatment preserves the strength and consequently 

 the health of the plant, whilst the plants in their native 

 localities must bear the full power of the scorching sun, let 

 even death be the result. Here, then, I say is a proof that 

 art does in some instances assist nature. 



Nearly all epiphj^tal Orchids are subject to a period of rest, 

 growth taking place during the rainy season, while their rest- 

 ing period occurs dm'ing the dry season. Under cultivation, 

 however, we have to alter considerably the circumstances, and 

 make our dry season also the coolest, which is the reverse of 

 what the plants experience naturally ; but this seems to be the 

 most judicious plan we can adopt, for it would simply be mad- 

 ness to endeavom' to force our Orchids to make their growth 

 during the winter months, and rest them dming the summer. 

 The best season of rest for the majority of Orchids is from 

 about the beginning of November until the end of February. 

 This long period of drought predisposes the plants to blossom, 

 and also prevents them from making weak and sickly growths, 

 which would undoubtedly be the case in our short, dark, and 

 sunless days of winter. 



