OKC 



[ 057 ] 



ORC 



a good opportunity to watch the pro- 

 gress and state of the plants, and to 

 observe when they require watering, 

 repotting, and cleaning from insects. 

 An example of this arrangement may 

 be seen in the orchid-house at Kew. 



Shelves of the Staije. Every shelf 

 ought to be a shallow cistern to hold 

 water. Blue slate is the best material 

 to form each shelf on the stage. The 

 upright slate forming the sides of each 

 ought to be elevated at least two 

 inches, and made water-tight. These 

 cistern-shelves may either be tilled with 

 small pebbly gravel, all the sand or 

 other binding material being washed 

 out of it, to prevent it setting hard, or 

 they may be left empty, and shallow 

 pots turned upside down, just high 

 enough to allow the plants to stand 

 clear of the water ; for it is intended 

 that these cistern-shelves should be 

 during summer kept full of water. 

 These shelves of the stage must be as 

 near the glass as the size of the plant 

 will allow. Several advantages to the 

 health of the orchids accrue from this 

 arrangement. The most important is 

 a constant supply of moisture to the air, 

 at a time when the heat of summer 

 renders the application of heat to the 

 tanks unadvisable. Another advantage 

 is the prevention of the attacks of in- 

 sects, 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 enemies. 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 sus- 

 picion that these enemies are in these 

 secret places, they must be diligently 

 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 occa- 

 sionally, take the severe measure of 

 turning the plants out of the pots, and 

 search for the vermin amongst the peat 

 42 



1 and potsherds, and when they are once 



; entii-ely got rid of, take care to place 



! the plants so that their leaves do not 



come in contact with any thing that will 



form a bridge for the insects to travel 



on. 



Hanging i(p Plants on LOIJS 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 dis- 

 tances 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 ad- 

 visable to devote a part of the house to 

 them. Underneath would be a con- 

 venient situation for a cistern to con- 

 tain the rain-water that falls upon the 

 roof, the best of all water for watering 

 purposes. 



Cistern. This is almost indispen- 

 sable. 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 purposes. Another use, and 

 an important one too, is for dipping 

 the blocks Avith the plants on them ; 

 also to dip the Stanhopeas, Gonyoras, 

 | 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-pot?, 

 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 imiae- 

 diately perceive the great saving of 

 time and labour by having these pots 

 so handy. Instead of having the water 



