ORC 



[ 588 ] 



ORC 



the application of heat to the tanks un- 

 advisable. Another advantage is the pre- 

 vention of the attacks of insects, such as 

 woodlice and slugs. These destructives 

 cannot travel through water ; and as the 

 plants stand, as it were, upon a number 

 of little islands, they are protected both 

 day and night from these devouring ene- 

 mies. Care, however, must be taken 

 that the citadel itself does not harbour 

 them. The cockroach and woodlouse 

 often secrete themselves during the day 

 amongst the rough pieces of turf and 

 broken pots used as drainage. If there 

 is any suspicion that these enemies are 

 in these secret places, they must be dili- 

 gently sought for, by visiting the houses 

 with a bull's-eye lantern by night, and 

 catching them at their depredations. 

 Pursue them with all your diligence. 

 Should the tender roots, or flower-shoots, 

 still appear to be eaten occasionally, take 

 the severe measure of turning the plants 

 out of the pots, and search for the 

 vermin amongst the peat and potsherds, 

 and when they are once entirely got rid 

 of, take care to place the plants so that 

 their leaves do not come in contact with 

 anything that will form a bridge for the 

 insects to travel on. 



Hanging up Plants on Loys or in 

 Baskets. Large-headed nails, or hooks, 

 may be driven into the rafters, or strong 

 iron rods, well painted, may be suspended 

 along the roof over the walks, and strong 

 iron hooks, shaped like the letter S, 

 placed at proper distances to hang up 

 the various kinds of plants that require 

 such situations. "We recommend the 

 situation for these to be over the walks, 

 to prevent the water, when applied upon 

 the plants, falling on the stages or shelves. 



Where these plants are numerous, it is 

 advisable to devote a part of the house 

 to them. Underneath would be a con- 

 venient situation for a cistern to contain 

 the rain water that falls upon the roof 

 the best of all water for watering purposes. 



Cistern. This is almost indispensable. 

 The one in the orchid-house at Messrs. 

 Henderson's is formed with slate one inch 

 thick. The great use is the heating the 

 water for syringing and watering pur- 

 poses. Another u^ and an important 

 one too, is for dippmg the blocks with 

 the plants on them ; also to dip the 

 Stanho'peas, Gongo'ras, and other plants 

 in baskets. When those plants begin to 

 grow in the spring they require a good 



steeping, and the cistern offers a proper 

 place for that purpose. Two or three 

 hours will not be too much to steep them. 

 The peat during the time of rest becomes 

 dry and hard, and requires this wetting 

 to soften it, especially if the plants are 

 to be shifted into new baskets. 



As orchids require frequent syringing, 

 sometimes twice or thrice a day, we have 

 made use of pots garden-pots, in fact, 

 without holes. These are placed round 

 the house, near the hot-water pipes, at a 

 small distance, about six or nine feet 

 apart. Our readers that are in the habit 

 of syringing will immediately perceive 

 the great saving of time and labour by 

 having these pots so handy. Instead of 

 having the water to carry in garden 

 watering-pans, these pots, being kept 

 constantly full of warm water, are always 

 ready. 



Syringing in Winter. During the dark 

 days of winter the operation of syringing 

 requires considerable judgment. A large 

 number of orchids will be at rest, re- 

 quiring but little water, especially those. 

 in pots. Others, on logs, must be syringed 

 on such mornings as the sun is likely to 

 shine. There are, however, a few plants, 

 even in pots, that are much benefited 

 by the free use of the syringe at all 

 seasons of the year. Huntle'ya viola'cea 

 and H. melea'gris are two plants much 

 improved by this mode of treatment; 

 and the reason they are so improved is 

 evident enough, when we consider the 

 situation in which they grow naturally. 

 Dr. Schomburgh found them growing on 

 moist rocks, near to a cataract, on a river 

 (Essequibo, we believe) inBritish Guiana. 



All the Indian tribes that have no 

 pseudo-bulbs require more syringing in 

 winter than those that have such reser- 

 voirs of vegetable life to sustain them. 

 The generic or family names of such as 

 we mean are Ae'rides, Angr&'ciim, Pha- 

 Iteno'psis, Renanthe'ra, Saccola'bium, Sar- 

 ca'nthus, and Va'nda. All these have a 

 simple stem, clothed with leaves. If 

 exposed to a Ligh, dry heat, the leaves 

 and stems will shrivel much more than 

 is beneficial to their health ; therefore, 

 whenever a shrivelling is perceived, let 

 them have a gentle syringing, thoroughly 

 wetting the whole plant. This will re- 

 vive them, and keep them fresh and 

 healthy. 



Syringing in Spring and Summer. It is 

 during these two growing seasons that 



