HINTS ON COLLECTING ORCHIDS. 17 



Cases in which Orchitis are scut home ought to be made 

 s roug, and roofed with good stout glass uot easily broken ; for 

 we have often found plants spoiled by the glass being fractured. 

 Through an accident of this kind, salt water and cold air may 

 get in, both of which are very injurious. All cases should 

 be air-tight and water-tight, except a round hole at each end, 

 covered with wire gauze inside and out, to allow the damp air 

 to escape. To prevent the glass being broken, the best thing 

 to place over it is some strong iron wire, or perforated zinc, or 

 stout and broad wooden bars. The sash bars ought also to be 

 made very strong, and the case must not be placed during the 

 journey too near heated surfaces or fires in the ship. We have 

 seen many boxes of plants spoiled by being set in such posi- 

 tions, the leaves being completely dried up. They ought to 

 be placed in a moderately warm situation, but by no means 

 near any fii-es. Many plants also arrive in this country in a 

 dead or dying state, from the effects of full exposure to the 

 rays of the sun ; this, however, may be obviated by simply 

 painting the glass white inside, but it must be allowed to 

 become thoroughly dry before being fastened down. 



During the past year or two an immense quantity of 

 Orchids have been sent to this country, a large proportion of 

 which have proved to be dead upon arrival. This may per- 

 haps be assigned to several causes, but the rapacious appetite of 

 the collector is the principal one, the boxes being overcrowded 

 by his sending home thousands instead of being satisfied 

 with a few dozens, and as a consequence all have arrived 

 dead. Another probable cause of this loss is, that they may 

 have been gathered at the wrong season. All this is sad to 

 contemplate, involving as it may do the extermination of the 

 plants in their native homes, besides loss of time to the 

 collector, which, combined with the loss of money, causing 

 vexation and disappointment to the trade cultivator at homo. 



