96 ORCHID- grower's manual. 



wliicli the base of the lip is articulately affixed, the underside 

 being produced into a spur at the back. Numerous species 

 and varieties are recorded, natives of India, the Malay 

 Archipelago, and Eastern Asia, extending to Japan. 



Culture. — The species of Aerides are among the most 

 beautiful of Orchids, many of them uniting every good quality 

 that a plant can possess. Even when not in bloom the 

 plants themselves are interesting objects, and give a tropical 

 character to the collections in which they are found. The 

 stems are straight or slightly bent, the leaves being attached 

 on opposite sides, and they are nourished by large fleshy 

 roots, shooting out horizontally from near the base. The 

 flowers, which are rich and waxy, proceed from the axils 

 of the leaves, and extend in delicate racemes one or two 

 feet in length, while their fragrance is so powerful as to 

 fill the house in which they are grown with a grateful 

 perfume. 



These plants are of easy culture, and if properly^ attended 

 to seldom fail to do well. They are found growing on the 

 branches of trees, generally on such as overhang streams of 

 water ; and to grow them in anything like perfection the 

 climate in which they grow wild must in most respects be 

 imitated. We find they succeed best with a good supply of 

 heat and moisture during their growing season, which is 

 from about March to the latter end of October, During that 

 time we keep the temperature, by day, from 70° to 75°, 

 allowing it to rise to 80° and 85°, or even higher, provided the 

 house is shaded from the rays of the sun. The night tem- 

 perature should range from 65° to 70° in March and April, 

 and afterwards it may rise five degrees higher. In the 

 autumn and winter months the temperature should average 

 from 60° to 65° by night, while by day a little more heat will 

 be of benefit to the plants ; they like a liberal supply of 



