284 BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS 



there is no special Cattleya house the temperature of the inter- 

 mediate house may range 10 higher than the cool house. The 

 third is the "Cattleya house," of which the temperature averages 

 10 higher than that of the cool house. The fourth is the " East 

 India house," which must range at an average of 15 higher than 

 the cool house. 



It is not absolutely necessary that every Orchid grower should 

 possess four houses ; such an elaborate equipment is only necessary 

 when Orchids are being specialised. And specialising Orchids is 

 somewhat of a luxury. By the time four substantial houses have 

 been erected and furnished a good deal of money has been spent. 

 A person who is sufficiently well off to afford what is required 

 can also afford the services of a trained grower, in whose ex- 

 perienced hands we can leave him, being certain that he will 

 benefit more from practical advice on the spot than from any 

 which we can give him in these pages. 



We must not, however, dispose of the general amateur so 

 lightly. He cannot scatter big cheques about among horticultural 

 builders and Orchid specialists. He cannot drop into an auction 

 room during the luncheon hour and bid in hundreds of pounds 

 for a rare species. Our advice to those amateurs of moderate 

 means who want to devote a good deal of attention to Orchids is 

 that they build one moderate-sized house, and divide it into two 

 compartments, one of which is kept warmer and moister than the 

 other. They will thus be able to grow several of the most beau- 

 tiful kinds, which we will now proceed to consider. The four 

 most important genera of Orchids are: 



Cattleya. 



Cypripedium. 



Dendrobium. 



| Odontoglossum. 



Genera that are not quite so important, yet beautiful and de- 

 sirable, are : 



