IX 



The first great step in the improvement of orchid 

 culture was " the heating of glass-houses by means of hot- 

 water pipes, which were first used for this purpose on a 

 small scale by Mr. Anthony Bacon, at Aberaman, in 

 Glamorganshire, and afterwards by the same gentleman 

 at Elcot, near Newbury. The inventor of the process is- 

 said to have been a Mr. Atkinson " (Veitch, I. c.^ 

 pp. 122, 123). 



The same writer sums up in the following words the 

 chief features' of modern practice : — " Larger and more 

 airy structures, with separate compartments for different 

 climates (for large collections even separate houses); a 

 lower average temperature ; the admission of more light 

 and air ; and a better system of heating, shading, and 

 ventilation " (I. c. p. 124). 



It must, however, be admitted that a considerable 

 number of species still refuse to submit to horticultural 

 conditions. Cattleya citrtna, many species of Oncidiumy 

 and the beautiful Cingalese Dendruhium MacCarihice 

 are examples familiar to every orchid grower. 



One species, however, that is usually found to be 

 intractable, Diacrium hicornutum, has always been 

 grown at Kew with little difficulty. On the other hand 

 it seems impossible to grow Disa grandijlov'a there with 

 the success that attends its cultivation at Edinburgh and 

 Chatsworth. Perhaps the most baffling genus of all is 

 Ana'ctocJdlus, the species of which, under apparently 

 identical conditions, will sometimes flourish with facility, 

 while at other times, for no discoverable reason, they 

 refuse to grow at all. 



l;jo99 h 



