Iu4 CEOHLDS: HOW TO GROW THEM SUCCESSFULLY. 



WINTER TREATMENT. The treatment is also very simple in winter. 

 A temperature ranging from 50 to 60 should generally be had if 

 possible. It may fall even to 40 in very cold weather, but for short 

 periods only. The atmosphere should then of course be pretty dry, 

 and it would naturally be so unless a great deal of water was thrown 

 down, because the extra heat of the pipes would tend to dry the 

 atmosphere. It may rise above 60 on warm sunny days. 



VENTILATION should be freely given both night and day when the 

 outside weather is mild and damp, as it so often is, but less when 

 it is colder, and then by means of the bottom ventilators only. There 

 will also be periods when it is so cold that it is best to keep all 

 ventilators tightly closed. Much less moisture distributed about the 

 house is required than in summer. When it is mild and moist outside, 

 and but little if any fire heat is wanted, as is often the case, whole days 

 may pass by without it being necessary to damp or water at all, the 

 outside air, if allowed to enter, being sufficiently charged with moisture. 

 At this period one should be particularly careful not to over water 

 at the root. Make a point of keeping the whole of the plants, no matter 

 in what stage of growth they are, whether the new pseudobulb is 

 wholly, or only partly matured, on the dry side. Do not however keep 

 them dust dry so as to cause shrivelling the pseudobulbs should 

 always maintain their plumpness. Those amongst them that are 

 forming their growth should have only little more water afforded than 

 those that are completed. They will then move steadily but surely 

 along. If the house is well exposed to light and air, it is a good plan 

 to lightly syringe overhead in winter also, doing it in lieu of can watering, 

 choosing the morning of a bright day, so that the foliage may to some 

 extent again dry up before night. If the house has a northern aspect 

 where the winter sun is unable to reach it I would advise greater 

 caution in this respect. 



SHADING. O. crispum, to be well grown, must be hardily grown, 

 and with this end in view we must subject them to treatment most likely 

 to bring it about. Of course we must shade from the sun during the 

 summer, but do not shade more than is really necessary. If they are 

 staged near the roof glass a thin coating of " whitewash " or " summer 

 cloud" may be painted on and allowed to remain the whole summer, 

 but in addition to this removable blinds should be had for use when the 

 sun is shining. If they are staged a long distance from the glass, then 

 the last named removable shading should alone be used. 



By growing them too densely shaded we get long drawn-up, 

 spindly foliage, unable to support its own weight. The foliage should 

 rather be shorfc and standing erect without the aid of any support 

 whatever. Its colour should be a healthy deep green, with here and 

 there a reddish or bronzy tint. This state of affairs can only be 

 brought about by exposing your plants to good light short of actual 



