134 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



East Indian Orchids, such as Aerides, Saccolabiums, Yandas, 

 Phalamopsis, Dendrobiums, and many others requiring a high tem- 

 perature, with a considerable degree of moisture. The Mexican 

 Orchids, most of which come from a cooler climate, not so saturated 

 with water, of course require less heat and moisture, but these 

 should have a considerable degree of warmth during their growing 

 season. 



Water should be administered with great care, especially in the 

 case of plants just starting into growth, as, if watered too profusely, 

 the young shoots are apt to be affected by the moisture of the house 

 and by what is termed damping off; whilst, therefore, the shoots 

 are young, only enough of water should be given as is sufficient to 

 keep the peat in which the plants are grown moist. As they advance 

 in growth, more may be given ; and when the pseudo bulbs are about 

 ball grown, they may have a good supply at the roots. My practice 

 is to shut up the house, in the spring of the year, about three 

 o'clock ; and in May, June, July, August, and September, I shut it 

 up about an hour later, when the heat of the sun is on the decline. 

 I then usually give a gentle syringing with water as nearly as may 

 be of the same temperature as that of the house. In fine weather, 

 the temperature from sun heat will increase frequently as high as 

 95°, or even more, but I never have experienced any injury from 

 this, so long as the house was saturated with moisture, in which 

 case there is no fear of any injury to the plants. The house should 

 be dried up once' a day, if possible, by means of ventilation. In 

 syringing, be careful not to wet the young shoots too much. The 

 syringe should be furnished with a fine rose, so as to cause the water 

 to fall on the plants in imitation of a gentle, fine shower of rain ; 

 but this syringing should only be done after a hot summer's day. 

 Those plants which are growing on blocks of wood should be 

 syringed twice a day in the summer time ; and I also find it a good 

 method, during the growing season, to take the blocks down and 

 dip them in water till the wood and moss are thoroughly soaked in 

 water. This is also a good mode of getting rid of many insects that 

 harbour in the moss, such as the woodlouse and cockroach ; when 

 the moss is soaked, they will come to the top, and then they may be 

 easily killed. Rain or pond water is the best. 



Among orchids, some are termed terrestrial, by reason of their 

 growing in earth ; such are the plants of the genera Phaius, 

 Calanthe, Bletia, Cyrtopodium, Cypripedium, etc. — all derive 

 nourishment from the ground. Epiphytes, the other great class, 

 inhabit trees, from which, however, they derive little or no nourish- 

 ment. These are by far the most numerous and most interesting. 

 They are found adhering to the arras of living trees, whilst some of 

 them delight in very elevated situations upon high trees. Others, 

 again, grow upon low trees, some on rocks and mountains, some on 

 trees overhanging a river, and some near dripping rocks ; the latter, 

 of course, require a particularly damp atmosphere to grow in. 

 Others are found in woods, where scarcely any sun can penetrate ; 

 these like a shady, moist atmosphere, whilst those in more elevated 

 situations do not need so much shade as the last. A knowledge of 



