8 COOL OllCHID GROWING. 



with one of the finest collections in the world, he demon- 

 strated its usefulness, and gave an impetus to cool Orchid 

 growing which is at present rapidly on the increase. Having 

 visited many establishments where cool Orchids are grown, 

 I must admit that I never found them the reverse of healthy, 

 except where moisture was sparingly applied or a dry atmo- 

 sphere maintained during the winter months. I would more 

 particularly recommend imported Odontoglots, which happily 

 are now imported in large quantities, to be potted and placed 

 in a cool house, in order to start them into growth. If 

 healthy strong pieces, they will start far better than in a 

 hot temperature. Imported plants do not require so much 

 water as established plants ; still a moist atmosphere must be 

 preserved, in order to prevent loss from the bulbs by evapora- 

 tion. Carefully shade them from the bright sunshine, or 

 evaporation will impair their energies, even if a humid 

 atmosphere is maintained at the same time. This last remark 

 is worth the attention of plant growers, its truth having 

 been demonstrated by no less an authority than Dr. 

 MclS'ab, of the Cirencester College. I am well aware that 

 ^respiration is essentially requisite, more especially in the case 

 of strong vigorous plants, but to expose unrooted or sickly 

 plants to the sun is the quickest and surest way of thoroughly 

 sapping their life's blood, and can only end in extreme 

 debility of constitution, from which they rarely again recover, 

 and in some cases actually die. It may be argued that in 

 the tropics certain species are fully exposed to the sun, 

 and flourish in the most exposed positions best. This I would 

 not deny, because I have elicited it from gentlemen of 

 integrity, who themselves have gathered specimens of Den- 

 drobes, more especially of D. formosum, in like positions. 

 Still in the tropics they are in a state of nature, with the air 

 freely playing round them, and are not subjected to the inter- 



