TREATMENT OF PLANTS IN BLOOM. 33 



TEEA.TMENT OF PLANTS IN BLOOM. 



"HERE are many Orchids that when in flower may 

 be removed to a much cooler house than that in 

 which they are grown, or even to a warm sitting- 

 room. The advantage of keeping the plants during their 

 period of flowering in a cool and dry atmosphere, rather 

 than, as is frequently the case, in a hot and moist house, is, 

 that in the former case the flowers last much longer than they 

 do when retained in the warmer and moister atmosphere. 

 Perhaps there are not many cultivators who have studied this 

 point more than we have done, and we have never found the 

 plants to be injured by this treatment. Some imagine that if 

 they are put in a cool place they will sufier damage ; but this 

 has not occurred in our experience. During the time they 

 are in a room or cool-house, the temperature should not 

 fall below 50° at night ; the room or house should be kept 

 quite dry ; and before they are removed from the stove they 

 should be put at the coolest end of it ; or if there are two 

 houses, those that are in the hottest should be moved to the 

 coolest for a few days before being taken into the room, and 

 they should be allowed to get nearly dry, that is, they should 

 while in the cool apartment receive but very little water — 

 only enough to keep the roots moist. 



We prefer to have a house or easily accessible compart- 

 ment set apart for the reception of flowering Orchids, where 

 during their flowering season they can be treated according 

 to their special requirements. If they are kept in the grow- 

 ing house they soon become spotted, and the damp injures 

 the flowers and causes them to decay. We have such a house 

 and find it a great advantage for prolonging the flowering 



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