78 



Nymphcea Rubra, Hind. Kummul, Red Flowering Lotus. In 

 tanks, flowers about the close of the rains, of a dark crimson 

 colour. 



Nymphcca, Stellata. This plant is common in ponds and tanks. 

 The flowers are blue. 



GEnothera, Drummondii Nana. Improved Evening Primrose, a 

 trailing plant, with large sulphur coloured flowers, open from 4 

 o'clock in the afternoon, till noon the next day, is a great stand by 

 in the hot season when few other flowers are left, often throws 

 out 50 to 100 blossoms at that time of year, will not do well in 

 the rainy season, but should be sown in November, one plant in 

 good soil will cover a large space, three or four grouped together 

 make a fine bed of yellow. 



Orchid- Growing. In Bengal orchid houses are constructed 

 after the plan of the Native pan or betel inclosures. Walls and 

 flat roof of stout posts and bamboos form the basis for a light 

 frame work, or trellis on which coarse grass is thinly fastened. 

 Roof and sides equally. The grass being so disposed as to cut of 

 all direct solar rays, without inducing any appreciable darkness. 

 Orchids, though impatient of direct exposure to the sun, neverthe- 

 less delight in abundance of light. In such a house, they should 

 be staged in pots which have plenty of holes in their sides to 

 admit the air, and escape of water. The potting material is lumpy 

 charcoal and pieces of brick in about equal parts. As regards 

 watering from November till February, no water as a rule should 

 be given them. In March, the flowering season, a little only is 

 given to the plants as the flower buds get fairly set, the ground 

 however, may be watered freely night and morning. When the 

 flowering season is over, an abundance of water at night and the 

 whole house syringed, the floor saturated three times a day to 

 keep a humid atmosphere. When the rains set in they get an 

 abundance of water naturally. 



This appears a better plan of treating orchids in a dry climate 

 like this, than sticking them with mud and cowdung on the 

 branches of trees. 



