FORCING GARDEN. 813 



ensifolium. Cypripedium insigne, and venustum. The 

 Vanilla planifolia may be cultivated in the same 

 way ; and it has been found, that if the retinaculum 

 be carefully removed from the top of the stigma, and 

 the anther turned down to the stigma, the very fragrant 

 fruit of this plant may be produced in our stoves. 



A principal object should be to imitate, in some mea- 

 sure, the native climate of these orchidacese; to give 

 them a .dry or hot season, a rainy or watering period, 

 and a cold or winter season. Generally speaking, the 

 dry season may include May, June, and July ; the wa- 

 tering period, August, September, and October; and 

 the cold season the rest of the year. 



The propagation of. these epiphytes is not in general 

 difficult. Many sorts form pseudo-bulbs, by means of 

 which they are readily multiplied. In others, if the rhi- 

 zoma or root-stock be divided, with a piece of- stem ad- 

 hering, there is little risk of failure. These plants 

 come into flower at all seasons of the year. The blos- 

 soms of many are beautiful, and of the most curious 

 structure ; and some are fragrant. 



THE FORCING GARDEN 



is only a department, but an important one, of the 

 Fruit Garden. ~ The term forcing is strictly applicable 

 only to those artificial processes by which vegetation is 

 in a considerable degree accelerated ; but in common 

 language it has been applied to all those operations in 

 which glazed frames or houses are concerned, though 

 they may be employed merely in aiding the common 

 progress of nature, or in counteracting the great vicis- 



*27 



