orchids: how to (iuow ihk.m successfully. 61 



the roof and running down the sash bars on to the plants, 

 saturating them and eausing loss of the young growths and pseudo 

 bulbs. This is uiost to be feared in the Warm house, where the 

 roof is Hatter and a larger amount of moisture is required for the 

 I)lants, or in cases when the house has not been j)ioj)erly con- 

 structed for Orcliid cultun;. Horticultural l)uilders have of late 

 paid much greater attention to this subject, the sash bars being so 

 constructed that all condensed moisture on the roof is collected and 

 carried away by means of a channel or fuirow, formed on either 

 side of the sash bars. If the drip is found to be very troublesome, 

 in the absenc(! of these furrowed sasli bars, it can b(; dealt with, to 

 a gi'cat extent, by fastening small stiips of zinc in the form of a 

 gutter to carry away the water. 



EvAPORATiXG TROUGns, to fit upon the pipes, are invaluable 

 aids to the assimilation of moisture with the atmosphere, and for 

 lielping to keep down such insect pests as thrip and aphis. By 

 keeping the troughs regularly supplied with watei-, and placing in 

 them any waste tobacco or other substance containing nicotine, the 

 fumes arising therefrom will have a beneficial effect upon the 

 plants. 



MANUEE AID TO ORCHIDS. 



This is somewhat dangerous ground to tread upon, but a few 

 words on the subject must be written. The structure of an Orchid 

 and method of deriving nourishment being so different to that 

 of most exotic plants, it behoves the cultivator, before applying 

 manure as he does to other plants, to consider what is the proper 

 manure to use, and how and when to apply it. Orchid gi-owers 

 have no doubt used manures, some are still doing so, but hs a rule 

 their experiments are made entirely in the dark, sometimes with 

 good results, and at other times the plants give no evidence of any 

 improvement but are frequently the worse for its application. My 

 own experience, gained by practice in cultivation, is, that as a rule, 

 harm would be done by applying artificial manures to the roots of 

 the plants, as advised by some growers, unless under exceptional 

 conditions. Growth can be assisted by applj-ing manure aid 

 atiuosi^herically, and all the help that (jpiphj-tal Orchids require at 

 our hands is, that the compost should be kept sweet and sound, 

 and not allowed to get into a sour and decomposing state, using 

 clean soft water and administering pure aii-, on eveiy favourable 



