28 



COOL ORCHID GROWING. 



hj a glass partition and door, so as to allow of one compart- 

 ment being kept ratlier warmer or drier than the other, as 

 might be required. The staging or side benches will be about 

 ^ feet wide and about 4 feet high, or one compartment 

 might have the benches 3 feet high, so as to give more 

 head room to larger plants. These benches should be 

 -either stone or slate slabs placed upon cast-iron sup- 

 ports. Iron is better than wood, which will naturally 



Span Roofed Cool Orchid House, partly below ground. 



decay quickly in a humid atmosphere, and might give way 

 •suddenly, causing sad damage. This really happened in the 

 case of a celebrated collection near Manchester not long ago, 

 •and did very serious damage to some of the finest Phalae- 

 nopsids in this country. In the centre of the house a cistern 

 may be constructed, into which all the rain-water from the 

 roof might be conducted for use inside. As has been already 

 ■explained, moisture is essential to the well-being of all 

 Orchids, and as bare slate benches speedily become dry after 



