THE COOL HOUSE 



contains about three thousand plants, mostly Odonto- 

 glossums. It is a 'lean -to,' of course. Not all the most 

 successful growers use this form of building. Baron 

 Schroder's world-famous Odontoglots dwell in an oblong 

 structure which receives an equal quantity of light from 

 every side. Even the hardiest of epiphytal orchids are 

 conscious of influences which we cannot grasp, and those 

 who understand them are unwilling to lay down fixed rules. 

 But experience shows that under ordinary conditions cool 

 species thrive in a ' lean-to ' better than in a house of full 

 span. It may be because the back wall retains moisture and 

 gives it out all day steadily, whilst the air is saturated and 

 dried by turns if fully exposed to a hot sun. Or it may be 

 because the full light of a span-roof is too strong in most 

 situations. A collector once told me that he often found 

 Odontoglossum Pescatorei so buried in Lycopodium as to be 

 invisible until the flower-spike appeared. Evidently such a 

 plant does not need strong light. Both causes operate, 

 perhaps. At least the broad fact is so well established that 

 one might almost fancy Baron Schroder's Odontoglots would 

 do better, if that were possible, in a 'lean-to.' 



There are three glass partitions, but from either door the 

 full length of the house is seen ; a pleasing vista even when 

 there are no flowers — all smoothly green on one hand, rocky 

 bank upon the other, studded with ferns and creepers and 



