THE ORCHID HOUSE. 57 



house by entirely dispensing with shelves, staging, and 

 tables, and fixing in the ground large branch- 

 ing trunks of trees with the bark on. The 

 Orchids are fastened to these, nestle on the 

 forks, climbing ferns and tropical plants are 

 twined round the trunk, and terrestrial plants 

 may be made to grow in the hollows of the 

 trunk, and thus the interior of the house may 

 resemble a tropical forest. The plants suc- 

 ceed perfectly under this treatment, and the 

 effect produced is charming. 



This mode of culture, however, requires great 

 care, as the plants are thus more exposed to 

 the attacks of insects and being fixed in posi- 

 tion cannot, at the resting season, be removed 

 to the cooler house. 



However the plants are arranged they should 

 not be allowed to touch or rub each other; 

 there is nothing gained by crowding, but both 

 the health of the plant and the general effect 

 may be destroyed. It is better to grow a dozen plants 

 well than a hundred poorly, and free light and air are 

 essential to the health of Orchids. 



HEATING. 



There is nothing better for heating an Orchid house 

 than hot water. The heat thus obtained is more equal, 

 moister, and less exposes the plants to a change of tem- 

 perature, than either steam or hot air. In these two latter 

 methods the pipes lose their heat as soon as the fire goes 

 out, while in the former, the heat is retained for several 

 hours. A proper regulation of the heat is one of the req- 

 uisites for the successful cultivation of Orchids. 



