ORC 



590] 



ORC 



the blind may be stored away in some 

 dry shed or room till the days lengthen, 

 and the sunshine becomes dangerous to 

 the well-being of the plants. 



The proper amount of Heat, Moisture, 

 and Air the Plants require at all times of 

 the year. The power of heating should 

 be more than is required in ordinary win- 

 ters, in order to be prepared for those 

 very severe ones that sometimes occur. 

 It is always easy enough to give less heat 

 in moderate weather by having less lire 

 applied under the boiler. The degrees 

 of heat required we shall now give for 

 all the year. 



Our readers will perceive that the 

 lowest temperature at all seasons is in 

 the morning; that is,, before the fires are 

 stirred. The heat in the mornings in 

 summer will depend upon the heat of 

 the atmosphere out of doors ; the rest of 

 the day may be regulated by giving air. 

 The principle of having a lower tempera- 

 ture during the night is perfectly natural. 

 The variations even in tropical countries, 

 in that respect, are great. 



Watering with the Garden-pot. As a 

 general rule, let it be- laid down never to 

 water an orchid except it requires it ; 

 therefore, in commencing to water, ob- 

 serve each plant well, but quickly, and 

 water accordingly. An orchid requires 

 watering when it is growing and dry. 

 The quantity to be given depends, again, 

 upon the stage of its growth. If the 

 young shoots and new roots are just be- 

 ginning only to make their appearance, 

 they require a very moderate quantity ; 

 but, as then the plant ought to ba re- 

 potted, and the new, fresh compost is, or 

 should be, moist of itself, the water must 

 be. withheld until the surface, at least, feels 

 quite- dry to the touch. Again, the water 

 should be applied at a small distance from 



the young shoots, which ought never to 

 be saturated, or even wetted, especially 

 either in the dark, cloudy days of winter 

 or of early spring. In summer, when 

 the heat is increased, the sun shining, 

 and air given, the operator need not be 

 so nice, as the extra water will soon 

 evaporate, and dry up even from the young 

 and tender shoots. When the young 

 shoots begin to form pseudo-bulbs, the 

 quantity of water may be increased, care 

 being taken that it does not lodge in the 

 leafy sheaths which surround the green 

 or young bulbs, especially of Cattle' y as. 

 We have often seen a year's growth de- 

 stroyed by allowing the water to lodge in 

 those tender parts. The way to remedy 

 this is with a sharp knife, or a small 

 pair of scissors, to slit open to the bottom 

 the sheaths that hold the water; but 

 this is an operation that must be done 

 very carefully, without injuring the young 

 pseudo-bulb, or the cure will be as bad as 

 the disease; for, if you wound a pseudo- 

 bulb, ten to one it will perish. As soon 

 as these sheaths turn yellow, and not 

 before, they may be entirely removed 

 safely. When in that state they will 

 easily part from the bulb without injuring 

 it, if carefully pulled off. When the 

 growths are young, whether the water is 

 applied with the rose or spout alone, it 

 will generally be quite sufficient to wet 

 the earth or compost only round near 

 the edge of each pot. If the water is 

 poured indiscriminately all over the sur- 

 face of the compost, especially in the 

 early season of the year, the consequence 

 will be to endanger the young shoots. At 

 that season, and in that state, if the water 

 is slushed upon the plants, it will cause 

 several, if not all of the tender young 

 growths to perish ; but as those growths 

 begin to approach their usual size, and 

 the warm, long, sunshiny days prevail, 

 that is the critical or very time orchids 

 require an abundance of water. 



Giving Air. The method we recom- 

 mend to give air by is with wooden 

 shutters, let into the wall at intervals of 

 four feet between each, on each side of 

 the house. The wooden shutters, or 

 doors, should be 2 feet long by 15 inches 

 broad. A frame of wood ought to be 

 fitted into the opening in the wall, to 

 hang the shutters on. These should 

 swing on the centre with two iron pins, 

 so that when they open they will be hori- 

 zontal, and let the air into the house 



