22 CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS APRIL. 



Young plants of such as eventually require baskets may, whilst 

 they are small, be advantageously placed 011 blocks of wood ; 

 and when such have made pseudo-bulbs that are likely to flower, 

 they may for a year or two be placed in a proportionate-sized 

 basket without being taken off the log. The plant will grow 

 much better than if it was torn off the block at once on trans- 

 ferring it to the basket. As the block will in time decay, the 

 plant can then be easily detached from it when it needs a new 

 basket, and will have done much better with the log in the 

 basket than without it. 



SUMMER TREATMENT. 



In describing the summer treatment of these beautiful plants 

 there will necessarily occur some slight repetitions of operations 

 already alluded to. I allude more particularly to the modes 

 of potting, basketing, and blocking, and also to watering and 

 syringing (for full directions on these important points see 

 former instructions). I consider the [summer months in the 

 Orchid-house to be April, May, June, July, and August, and 

 I think it will be most useful if I give the heads of the operations 

 for each month separately. 



APRIL. The days will now be of nearly equal length with the 

 nights. The sun will frequently be powerful during the middle 

 of the day. When that is the case shading should be resorted 

 to. The blinds should be let down by ten o'clock in the fore- 

 noon on the eastern side (if the house is a span-roofed one), 

 drawn up at noon, and let down on the western side till three 

 o'clock. Syringe the plants lightly, especially those on blocks, 

 every fine morning. Keep the air of the house moist, and 

 increase the heat from 5 to 10 more than last month, especially 

 during bright sunshine. Finish potting all plants that are 

 growing. Stanhopeas and other species that flower downwards 

 through the soil should not be potted or put in new baskets till 

 the bloom is over, for fear of injuring the flower-stems. To 



