OKC 



[589] 



OKC 



the syringe is most beneficial, and then 

 they should be deluged almost with 

 showers from the syringe, taking the 

 precaution to allow them to become dry 

 once a day. They are sure to become 

 dry enough during the night. Let the 

 water from the syringe be milk-warm 

 rain water, and let it fall gently upon 

 theplants, thus imitating natural showers 

 of rain as much as possible. We have 

 found the plants much refreshed in 

 summer by a gentle syringing, when it 

 was actually raining out of doors. In 

 truth, if such a thing could be managed, 

 we should be glad to expose them, during 

 the gentle, warm showers of April, to the 

 rain that falls from the clouds. We are 

 quite sure it would do them good. It is, 

 however, the plants on logs that benefit 

 most by the use of the syringe, both in 

 winter and summer. Of course, they 

 require the most when they are making 

 fresh roots and growths ; but even when 

 at rest they must be syringed occasionally, 

 to prevent the roots and pseudo-bulbs 

 from shrinking too much. In that state, 

 the finest-rosed syringe must be used, to 

 prevent so much water falling upon the 

 plants (if any) below. 



During the seasons when the syringe 

 is used most freely, should any of the 

 plants have perfected their growth, and 

 consequently require less water, place 

 such in a corner of the house by them- 

 selves, and syringe them less frequently. 

 Towards the end of summer the whole 

 of the plants ought to be perfecting 

 their growths, excepting the Indian ones 

 above-mentioned and the Huntle'yas. 

 These grow, more or less, all the year, 

 but others must have an entire rest; 

 therefore, cease syringing so much as 

 soon as you think there is a fulness and 

 ripeness about the pseudo-bulbs, showing 

 that they have made the growth for the 

 year. If you continue syringing as much 

 as ever, there is danger of starting them 

 again into growing prematurely, and then 

 you will have weak, puny shoots, and in- 

 jure both the flowering and growth for 

 the ensuing season. It is impossible to 

 give any particular time when to cease 

 syringing, or watering at the root with a 

 garden-pot; experience and observation 

 must guide the cultivator. In general, 

 we may say the quantity of water, whether 

 applied with the garden-pot or syringe, 

 ought to be considerably lessened towards 

 the end of summer that is, about the 



end of August. The pseudo-bulbs ought 

 to be then fully formed ; and, whenever 

 that is the case, they require much less 

 water. By the middle of October the 

 water ought to be entirely withheld, ex- 

 cepting just enough to prevent the plants 

 from shrivelling. 



Shading. We use a kind of canvass 

 called " bunting." It is thin and open in 

 the mesh, yet just close enough to pre- 

 vent the rays of the sun striking through 

 the glass, and injuring the flowers and 

 leaves. We shall try to describe how it 

 is applied. First, a pole about two inches 

 in diameter, of the length of the house, 

 or rather longer, is made of deal, and 

 quite round. At one end a kind of wheel 

 is fixed, of larger diameter than the pole 

 (about one-third). On each side of this 

 wheel a round board is nailed, projecting 

 beyond it about three inches. These 

 boards are about three quarters of an 

 inch thick; and are bevelled off from the 

 inside. When this is done, it forms a 

 groove. This is intended to receive the 

 cord, it being nailed to the wheel. The 

 canvass is then nailed to the long pole, it 

 having first been sewn together of the size 

 of the house. The pole, with the canvass 

 attached to it, is then laid upon the house, 

 a flat piece of wood 2 inches wide, and 

 a quarter of an inch thick, is nailed to 

 the highest point of the house, and the 

 canvass is tightly stretched and nailed to 

 the flat piece of wood, using some narrow 

 woollen lists, stretched along it previously 

 to driving in the tacks. This prevents, 

 in a great measure, the canvass from 

 tearing off with the winds. Then, taking 

 hold of the cord now wrapped round the 

 wheel, and pulling at it, the wheel turns 

 round, and, of course, the pole also ; the 

 canvass wraps round it, and, at last, is 

 rolled up at the top ; the cord is then 

 fastened to a long kind of button, and there 

 remains till shade is required. The cord is 

 then unfolded, and the pole let gradually 

 down to the bottom, where some pieces 

 of wood stop it from going off the house, 

 or tearing away the canvass from the 

 top. It may be made to last longer, by 

 having weather-boards fixed on the top of 

 the house to receive the canvass when 

 rolled up under it, thus sheltering it from 

 the rain, which is the great cause of its 

 decay. Care must be taken, when it is 

 rolled up, that it is perfectly dry. During 

 the dark, short days of winter, when the 

 sun has not power to injure the plants, 



