26 OKCHIDS I HOW TO GROW THEM SUCCESSFULLY. 



by means of a cord and a simple apparatus, which any carpenter can 

 fix. These roller blinds should be affixed by the end of February, so as 

 to be ready for use when wanted, for it is frequently found that without 

 such shading bright sunshine will do much damage early in the spring, 

 even to plants which are able to stand the full blaze of the sun in 

 summer, and that is brought about by the plant having passed through 

 months of dull weather perhaps with weeks almost sunless and, 

 being in consequence in a less hardy state tha'n usual, are unable to 

 bear a sudden burst of sunshine of a few hour's duration. If shading 

 is neglected, the foliage gets burnt and damaged, checking growth 

 and giving an unsightly appearance to the plants ; it is therefore most 

 important that after a long spell of dull weather the plants should be 

 gradually accustomed to stronger light and sunshine. The roller blind 

 system of shading is far better than colouring the glass with whitewash 

 or other similar preparation, which keeps the house too dark in dull 

 weather for the wellbeiiig of the plants, whilst, in bright weather, the 

 temperature of the house is likely to get much too hot and dry, 

 bringing on the propagation of various insect pests. The sides and ends 

 of the house may be permanently shaded by colouring matter through 

 the summer, but this should be washed off again in September. 



Various materials may be used for blinds, but there is one manufac- 

 tured for the purpose, which can be purchased of our leading nursery 

 and seedsmen; this is made of various textures, the thicker material 

 suitable for shading Cool-house Orchids, and the thinner for plants 

 requiring less shading. The blinds should be taken down in the 

 autumn some of them, may be dispensed with at the end of September 

 and, when quite dry, can be stowed away until the following spring. 



Another system of shading, and perhaps for Orchids the best of all, 

 is that shown in Fig. 10. This is made of strips of deal, a quarter 

 of an inch thick and an inch wide, and as long as the depth of the roof 

 of the house they are made in about six feet lengths. Thus a house 

 18 feet long would require three lengths for one side, and, as these are 

 so easily rolled up, all that is needed is to place them on the wooden 

 framework above the glass, and rolling or unrolling them by the hand, 

 or by cord and pulley, as necessary. They are made by tying the strips 

 together with twine, leaving space between each strip of from a quarter 

 of an inch. There is now a greatly improved method of making lath 

 blinds by machinery (see Walters & Co.'s advt.) 



THE ATMOSPHEEE. 



Attention having been given to Stoking, Heating, Ventilation, and 

 Shading, as already advised, much has been done to create a suitable 

 atmosphere for the plants to live upon. Amateurs will do well to see 

 that it is not in any way stuffy or close, as stagnant air is as 

 objectionable and injurious to plants as to human beings. Water is an 



