INTllODUCTION. 9 



vention of a glaring crystal roof and a close unhealthy at- 

 mosphere rendered arid by the dry and unnatural heat ema- 

 nating from the hot water apparatus. It has been justly ob- 

 served that " circumstances alter cases," and this is especially 

 correct in the case in point, where on one side we have a plant 

 in a state of unfettered, or rather, unperverted nature, and 

 on the other, the same plant, perhaps, surrounded by a compli- 

 cated series of artificial circumstances and conditions, between 

 which a continual warfare is going on instead of perfect 

 harmony and peaceful repose. 



Again, we are frequently told that Orchids require houses 

 to themselves, but really, in all truth, a greater or more absurd 

 fallacy could not easily be promulgated. One would almost be 

 led to infer from this that Orchids were exclusive, and occupied 

 some particular portions of our globe, to the utter exclusion of 

 all other vegetation. We can grow the Palms, Melastomads, 

 Begonias, Ferns, and Peperomias in an ordinary plant stove, but 

 the Orchids which have grown side by side with them in 

 their native habitats must be placed in a structure called 

 an "Orchid house" ere they can be expected to succeed 

 in our gardens at home. There are hundreds of plant 

 stoves in this country in which Orchids might be grown 

 as well as in the best Orchid house ever made, were it 

 not for the superstitious principles entertained by many on the 

 above point. 



It may be taken as a rule that wherever tropical Ferns and 

 fine foliage plants succeed, there also Orchids, or at least many 

 of them, would luxuriate, often with far greater chances of 

 success than when placed in our so-called " Orchid houses," 

 which, however desirable, are not absolutely essential to 

 Orchid culture. 



