Orchid Culture. 197 



sashes also ; they should be two in length on each side of the roof; 

 the lower one should be about two thirds the length of the roof, and 

 fastened on with screws, and each alternate upper one should be 

 made to slide, for the purpose of ventilation, which will be considered 

 more fully under the head of air. I think glass, about ten inches by 

 twenty, would be the best size* and the best double plate German 

 glass should be used in glazing, as it is of the greatest importance that 

 the glass should be ^olear. The sash bars and also the rafters should 

 have a small grove down them on each side, which will carry the 

 drip to the bottom of the sash, and prevent it dropping on the plants. 

 Great care must be taken that the laps of the glass are very close, and 

 the glazing done very thoroughly, it being of the greatest importance 

 that the roof should be tight. 

 . Arrangement. — The arrangement of the East Indian house should 

 be by a platform around the sides ; there should be a space of one inch 

 between this platform and the front wall, to allow the hot air to pass 

 up directly to the lower part of the glass, which is always the coolest. 

 This platform must be made water-tight, so .that it can hold about one 

 inch of water, and must be filled up with fine pebbles, and the plants, 

 during the growing season, should stand on the pebbles, with the plat- 

 form filled with water, and during winter, or their season of rest, the 

 water may be drawn off*. This arrangement will not only produce 

 moisture, but protect the plants from the wood-lice, which are so 

 destructive to orchids. In the centre there may be an open tank, with 

 a small pipe running through it, attached to the hot-water pipes, which 

 will keep the water warm and produce a continual moisture, which 

 will be very beneficial to the plants ; and over this tank may be sus- 

 pended those plants that grow in baskets and on blocks. This arrange- 

 ment may be made to have a very pretty effect by arranging the sides 

 of the tank with rock-work, and planting out ferns and lycopods, which, 

 in the temperature of the orchid house, will grow very rapidly, and 

 soon present a beautiful appearance. The tank need not be the full 

 size of the centre of the house ; you can have it any size you please ; 

 and in the room unoccupied by the tank, pedestals may be placed, 

 made in the shape of fern pillars, if you v/ish, and planted with ferns 

 or lycopods, and on the top some specimen plants placed, which would 

 also add very much to the appearance of the house. In addition to 

 this, if room permitted, I would procure a good size limb of some hard- 

 wooded tree, — oak would be best, — and plant it in the ground, and 

 on it I would fasten such orchids as would grow in the temperature of 

 this house throughout the year. 



