HEATING. 3 



may have an equal share of light at all hours of the day, the 

 position of the house should be placed to run from east to west. 

 The morning sun will then send its beams on the east side at 

 noon, when its strong power might be injurious, the rays will be 

 slanting on the plants ; and the afternoon sun will enlighten the 

 western side to the latest hour. 



This house should have a division one part to be devoted to 

 East Indian species, and the other to such as are from the more 

 temperate climes of the western hemisphere. Generally speaking, 

 this latter house should be 10 or 15 cooler than the first. When 

 the Indian species are in bloom, the flowering season may be 

 prolonged by bringing them into the cooler house. 



HEATING. When orchideous plants are making their annual 

 growth they require the greatest amount of heat. To economise 

 fuel, then, the season of growth should be during the last month 

 in spring and the summer. The best mode of heating and most 

 easy to manage, is by hot-water pipes, with a tank on the top of 

 the ascending pipe. This mode of heating suits Orchids the best Of 

 any, it can be so easily regulated. Apply it then in sufficient 

 power to give the most heat when the plants are growing. Some 

 may object that the season of growth does not come uniformly 

 to all species of Orchids. True ; but that propensity to grow in 

 autumn or winter may, by judicious and persevering care, be 

 altered and changed just as easy as forcing Roses at Christmas, 

 or Grapes in May j and, as is well known, when once the habits 

 of a plant are once changed, that change becomes every season 

 more fixed on the plant, till at last its season of growth is com- 

 pletely altered, and remains so as long as the cultivator pleases. 

 These facts are well known to the forcing-gardener, and hence the 

 plant-grower may by the same means set all his plants their 

 season of growth, and compel them, as it were, to continue to 

 keep that season year by year ; only let him have power over his 

 means of heating, which he may have by a boiler and hot-water 

 pipes, and plenty of them. I observed above, that the pipes 

 should have a tank upon them ; that tank should be, during the 



