2392 



ORCHIDS 



ORCHIDS 



be placed along the back of the side beds to throw the 

 heat against the eaves and protect the plants from direct 

 heat before it has assimilated the moisture of the 

 house. 



The New Granadan house should be a lean-to struc- 

 ture of northern aspect, with a wall of stone or brick 

 along the south side to protect it from solar influence as 



much as possible 

 (see Fig. 2657). 

 The glass should 

 be protected by 

 canvas roller 

 shades raised 15 

 or 20 inches 

 above the glass 

 on framework. 

 One side of the 

 canvas should be 

 tacked along the 

 top of the house, 

 and the other to 

 a round wooden 

 roller 3 or 4 

 inches in diam- 

 eter and as long 

 as convenient to 



2658. Cross-section of New Granadan 

 orchid house to show solid beds and 

 methods of heating and shading. 



draw up; the 

 two ropes should 

 be fastened to 

 the ridge, carried down beneath the shade around the 

 roller, and up over the top to a single pulley near the 

 ends; thence through a double pulley in the center 

 and down over the top of the shade to the ground. By 

 these ropes the shade can be raised and lowered in 

 cloudy and bright weather at will. (See Fig. 2658.) 

 Solid beds and piping similar to the other orchid 

 houses can be used, or as in Fig. 2658; viz., a flow and 

 return down each side connected with valves so that 

 either or both sides may be used as desired. 



Shading of some sort on the glass is necessary for all 

 orchid houses from early February until November, 

 and in some cases also in the winter months, to protect 

 the plants from the sun. It may be of canvas, as in 

 Fig. 2659, or consist of whitewash or paint applied 

 directly to the glass. Whitewash made from fresh lime 

 is perhaps the best to use, as it is easily removed in 

 autumn. The first application in February should be 

 light, following it with a second coat a month later, 

 and, if necessary, a third in July. This will wear off 

 gradually and in most cases should be entirely removed 

 in December. It is easily removed with a stiff brush. 

 There are also patented shadings. 



The two great horticultural groups. 



Orchids are horticulturally divided into two large 

 sections: terrestrial and epiphytal, the former embra- 

 cing those that grow on the ground and derive their 

 nutriment more or less directly from it; and the latter 

 those that usually attach themselves to rocks and 

 trees, and derive a greater portion of their nutriment 

 from the atmospheric gases and accidental deposit of 

 decaying leaves, or grow among the various ferns and 

 vines, which grow in abundance on the rocks and trees 

 of the moist, wooded tropics, absorbing the various 

 elements of their slowly decomposing humus. 



Terrestrial orchids grow at various altitudes, and are 

 widely distributed throughout both hemispheres, the 

 polar regions and arid deserts excepted. Many are 

 deciduous and tuberous-rooted; some grow from under- 

 ground rhizomes; others are pseudobulbous and decid- 

 uous, while not a few have reed-like stems. Examples 

 of terrestrial orchids are catasetum, calanthe, cyrto- 

 podium, most cymbidiums, some of the cypripediums, 

 disa, goodyera, govenia, habenaria, lissochilus, many 

 masdevallias, microstylis, neottia, orchis, pogonia, 

 peristeria, phaius, sobralia, spathoglottis, all of which 



should be sought under their special genus headings 

 in other portions of this work for cultural directions. 

 They differ very essentially in structure, and in many 

 cases require a special method of treatment for indi- 

 vidual plants of the same genus, as Habenaria for 

 example, where some are found growing in rich, turfy 

 loam exposed to sun, while others inhabit wooded, 

 swampy locations. 



Many species of terrestrial orchids nearly or quite 

 defy successful treatment under cultivation from lack 

 of knowledge regarding the mineralogy of their native 

 habitats, or from the plants being practically saprophy- 

 tic on certain species of decaying vegetation, or growing 

 only in connection with the mycelium of special fungi, 

 which may assist them in making proper growth. 



The hardy species, when a general collection is 

 grown, should be cultivated in pots in coldframes, as 

 many need protection during winter and others require 

 shade which can be supplied by painting the glass. 

 Our native hardy species, however, do best planted out 

 in a properly constructed rockery, laid out in pockets 

 so that each may receive its proper compost. 



The more tropical species cymbidiums, cypripe- 

 diums such as C. insigne, Phaius grandifolius, P. macu- 

 latus and P. Wallichii, sobralias and some other ever- 

 green species thrive best in the Mexican or cool end 

 of the Brazilian house. 



Ansectochilus, tropical goodyeras and cypripediums, 

 spathoglottis, and several genera of like nature, 

 require the same general treatment as epiphytal orchids, 

 with temperature of the East Indian department at all 

 seasons. 



Bletias, catasetums, cyrtopodiums, calanthes, many 

 lycastes, tropical liparis and microstylis, Phaius 

 Humblotii and P. tuberosus, thunias and many other 

 deciduous and semi-deciduous species, should be grown 

 in the East Indian, or warm end of the Brazilian 

 department, and during the resting period should be 

 placed in the Mexican department, allowing them only 

 sufficient water to keep the plants in sound condition. 



Epiphytal orchids are found chiefly in the humid 

 forests of tropical countries, often along streams where 

 they receive their moisture in the dry season. A few 

 grow in open grassy situations or among brush. These 

 consist chiefly of climbing epidendrums of the E. evectum 

 section, a few oncidiums of the caulescent type (the 

 distance between the pseudobulbs often denoting a 

 year's growth), and some of the terete vandas, and 

 others. 



Aerides, phalaenopsis, vanda and the epiphytal cypri- 

 pediums are distributed throughout India, Malay 



2659. Method of shading orchid houses. 



Peninsula, Cochin-China, Celebes, Borneo, Philippine 

 Islands, Java and some of the Oceanic islands, usually 

 following the moist forests of mountain ranges, occa- 

 sionally at high elevations. With one or two exceptions, 

 as Vanda c&rulea, all do satisfactorily in the East 

 Indian department, reserving the warmest part for 

 phatanopsis, which, as a rule, grows nearest the 

 sea-level. 



Angrsecums are natives of Madagascar and tropical 

 Africa, with one isolated species, A . falcatum, which is 

 from Japan. They grow in humid, shady locations, 

 where they can receive a copious supply of water at 



