ORC 



[ 594 ] 



ORC 



at each end, as near it as possible with- 

 out splitting. The instrument used to 

 bore the holes with is a very small steel 

 rod, about six inches long, with a wooden 

 handle ; it is filed to a point at the end 

 intended to bore the hole with. We find 

 it convenient to have two or three, for a 

 reason we shall state presently. After a 

 certain number of rods are cut and 

 smoothened, they are taken to a place 

 where there is a small, clear, red fire ; 

 the sharp end of one of the borers is put 

 into it about one inch. As soon as that 

 is red hot, the other is put in, the heated 

 one drawn and thrust into the rod very 

 near the end, and held there as long as it 

 continues to burn its way without much 

 pressure. If too much force is used, 

 the wood will be apt to split. As soon, 

 therefore, as the instrument ceases to 

 burn its way through, it is replaced in 

 the fire. The other by this time will be 

 red also ; this is then taken out of the 

 fire, and applied to the hole. This ope- 

 ration is thus performed with each bore 

 alternately till the hole is made through 

 the rod. The description of this opera- 

 tion takes up considerably more time 

 than the operation itself. It is quickly 

 and easily done, as any of our readers 

 may prove on trial. After as many rods 

 are bored as may be wanted at one time, 

 the next thing is to put them together. 

 The articles necessary for this are some 

 copper wire and a few flat-headed copper 

 nails. Each basket will require four 

 lengths of wire, the length of each to be 

 in proportion to the size of the basket 

 they are intended for. They should be 

 long enough to meet at least eight inches 

 above the top of the smaller sized baskets, 

 and from a foot to eighteen inches above 

 the larger ones. At the end of each 

 piece of wire make a loop so large that 

 it will not draw through the holes ; then 

 lay the first two rods, and upon them, 

 for the smallest basket, lay three others; 

 nail these three to the two outside rods, 

 thus forming a sort of raft, to use a 

 nautical term for want of a better ; turn 

 this over, and underneath it put two 

 other rods, to form the other two sides 

 of the basket; then draw the four 

 pieces of wire through the holes at each 

 corner, the looped end being under 

 neath. Continue to lay a pair of rods 

 alternately, drawing the wire through 

 each till the basket is of the required 

 depth. The smallest size, three rods 



deep ; the two next, four deep, and so on. 

 When that is done, make four small 

 pointed pegs, and drive them into each 

 hole at the four corners. This will fasten 

 the rods in their places, and prevent them 

 from everstarting upwards ; then draw the 

 wires together at the top, twisting each 

 pair over each other, and fasten them with 

 a piece of fine wire. Your basket is now 

 complete and ready for use. 



Loys. None are so good as the wood 

 of the Acacia, commonly so called, but 

 which really is the Bobi'nia pseu'do- 

 aca'cia. Its wood is firm, and does not 

 soon decay. The next best is the oak. 

 In all eases we strongly recommend the 

 removal of the bark; our objection to 

 retaining it being, that it only serves as a 

 hiding-place for wood-lice, small snails, 

 and other destructive insects, besides re- 

 taining in winter too great a quantity of 

 moisture. The wood should be procured 

 a year before it is used, and then the bark 

 will come off very easily. We except cork 

 wood, which we think very good when it 

 can be procured readily for this purpose ; 

 and the bark of cork suits the orchids 

 well, and, unlike the others, does not rot 

 so soon, and, consequently, has not the 

 objection to its use of being a receptacle 

 for vermin. The best wood for baskets 

 is the rough-barked, common maple. The 

 branches of this tree make the hand- 

 somest baskets ; but as it is not so plenti- 

 ful as the hazel, the latter is the sort we 

 recommend. Some object to baskets of 

 this description on account of their soon 

 perishing. This we consider no objec- 

 tion at all, but rather an advantage ; 

 for as soon as the basket is decayed 

 the plant has grown so large that it re- 

 quires a new one, and the rotten sticks 

 of which the old basket is made are more 

 easily broken and removed than sounder 

 "ones. 



O'RCHIS. (From orchis, testiculate ; re- 

 ferring to the two oblong, bulb-like roots 

 of many of the species. Nat. ord., Or- 

 ,chids [Orchidacese]. IAnn.,2Q-Gynandria 

 1 - Mo n andria. 



Chiefly an European genus of ground-orchids. 

 Seeds, as in Ophrys, when obtainable ; division of 

 the tuberous roots, thouerh they do not relish 

 transplanting well ; it should be done when the 

 plants are in a dormant state. The British spe- 

 cies are chiefly found on chalky hills, and in pas- 

 tures where calcareous matter abounds. The 

 exotic kinds like an addition of fibry peat. The 

 tender ones, in fact all, when cultivated, should 

 be treated as alpines ; those found in rich pastures 

 require a moister situation. 



