PREPARING ORCHIDS FOR TRAVELLING. 17 



not receive any water for two or three days, and should be 

 allowed just enough to keep them slightly moist. When it 

 is probable that the plants will come into blossom earlier than 

 is wished, the time of flowering may be successfully retarded 

 by taking them to a cooler part of the house, or even putting 

 them in a greenhouse, keeping them slightly shaded during 

 the brightest part of the day. Dendrobiums are very easy 

 to retard, if they are wanted to bloom later in the season. 

 Dendrobium nobile, D. pulchellum, D. macrophyllum, D. densi- 

 florum, D. Farmeri, D. Pierardi latifolium, these generally 

 bloom daring winter, but I have kept them back until June ; 

 and by having a succession of plants you may have the Or- 

 chid-house gay with Dendrobiums from January to June. 

 All the Dendrobiums will bear cool treatment while at rest, 

 and all can be kept for late flowering. The treatment they 

 require in a warm greenhouse is to have but little water, 

 only enough to keep them from shrivelling ; the temperature 

 should not go below 40, and the pseudo-bulbs must be kept 

 dry, or the flower-buds are apt to rot. When the plants are 

 wanted to flower, move them into the Orchid-house, and keep 

 them shaded from the sun. Phajus Wallichii and grandi- 

 folius may be kept back in the same way as 'the Dendro- 

 biums. 



Remarks on preparing Orchids for travelling to a 

 Flower Show. 



These plants require great care in packing and tying, for 

 many are very tender. Their flowers being often large and 

 waxy, some of them require more packing than others. I 

 have seen many a plant spoiled by not being carefully packed ; 

 and it is a vexatious thing to have a fine specimen spoiled 

 during its journey to the place of exhibition. They will 

 travel as well forty miles as ten, if they are properly packed. 

 I have had a good deal of this work to do, and a few hints on 



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