HABITATS OF TROPICAL ORCHIDS. 11 



There are so-called observers of nature who blame the 

 cultivator for many of his acts, and he has perhaps suffered 

 more wrong at the hands of this class of persons upon the 

 matter of shading, than upon any other. "We are frequently 

 told that in a state of nature such and such plants grow in 

 most exposed situations — situations open to the full effects of 

 a tropical sun, and that nothing can be more erroneous than 

 the manner in which we use "blinds" for the purpose of 

 keeping away the bright light of that luminary. There are, 

 no doubt, exceptions to this rule ; for instance, many of the 

 Australian Dendrobes, such as D. higibbum, D. siqyerbieus, D. 

 Goldiei, the Indian D. formosxim, &c., we have grown with 

 the best results, without the slightest shade. All we can say in 

 answer to the objectors is that they totally lose sight of the fact 

 that our plants are growing under glass, which has the power 

 of burning up the leaves and thus disfiguring our plants for 

 years, if not for hfe ; and that sunlight under glass is very 

 different to that in the open, where the wind counteracts its 

 burning properties to a certain extent. A little practice would 

 soon teach such persons how erroneous their ideas are on this 

 point, and they would soon sink their so-called natural treat- 

 ment, had they to be responsible for the effects produced thereby. 

 In leaving this part of our subject, we must add that plant - 

 growers are now keenly alive to the advantage of strong sun- 

 light for their plants, but that they are too practical to allow 

 more than is advantageous to them under the artificial cir- 

 cumstances in which they are j)laced. 



