AN ESSAY. 193 



so on, for all categories of plants. And if any one 

 imbued with the contrary idea will pay me a visit I 

 shall try to convince him, or them, of their error, not 

 in idle talk, in which I perhaps indulge too much, but 

 by and with material facts. 



I have said that orchids can be grown in a mixed 

 collection of plants and (if no other way of heating) 

 heated with the old antiquated flue system (if properly 

 constructed). Old fogyism, I fancy I hear some one 

 murmur. OLD ! 1 admit it, no matter what sympathy 

 I may cherish for old things. I dortt recommend it. 

 But I say that with a little good will, a little more 

 "brain and intellectual oil, and, above all, not depending 

 too much on "biped machines on your assistants" 

 on your men, but try to be men yourselves to be the 

 " deus ex* machind," and you will find the machinery 

 will run smoothly enough, abstraction of unforeseen 

 accidents, of course. 



Here I was to close my verbiage, when a sudden 

 idea seizes me, reminds me that I must follow the un- 

 dulating current of my conceptions and fill up the sort 

 of hiatus, chasm in my above digressions. My mere 

 affirmations that orchids may be grown in a mixed col- 

 lection of plants, etc., is too loose, too indefinite to 

 convince people who think for themselves. I feel I 

 must explain myself in a more explicit manner. "We 



* The main spring of the machine. 

 13 



