ORC 



[ 060 ] 



one 



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 Cattleyas. 

 We have often seen a year's groAvth 

 destroyed 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 surface 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 criti- 

 cal 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 If) 

 inches broad. A frame of wood ought 

 to be fitted into the opening in the wall, 

 to hang the shutters on. These should 

 i swing on the centre with two iron pins, 

 so that when they open they will be 

 horizontal, and let the air into the 

 house plentifully. When less air is 

 required, every other aperture need 

 only be opened, or the shutters may 

 be propped only half open. When 

 they are opened, the fresh air will rush 

 in, and meeting with the pipes in its 

 progress, will be partially heated and 

 softened before it comes in contact with 

 the plants a point worth attending to. 

 For nine months in the year this way 

 of giving air to the Indian house will 

 be found all that is wanted. During 

 the three hot months of summer, it 

 will be necessary to give some air at 

 the highest part of the roof. The 

 ridge of the house should be made flat, 

 about nine inches broad, and pails of 

 it made moveable to lift up with an iron 

 rod, whenever the heat of the internal 

 air exceeds the proper degree. This 

 is the guide on all occasions, and all 

 seasons. When the heat is too much, 

 give air. 



It will be found, that the Mexican 

 house requires more frequently to have 

 air given to it than the other, because 

 the plants in it do not require so much 

 heat. To know, at all times, when to 

 give air, have a copy of the table of 

 heat for the orchid-house copied, and 

 hung up in a convenient place to 

 refer to. 



Resting. To know when the bulbs 

 are in a proper state to go to rest, may 

 be, to our readers, of some consequence. 

 They ought to be strong, and, if ex- 

 pected to flower, at least three feet 

 high, stout and firm, quite to the apex. 

 All the leaves ought to turn yellow, 

 and drop off in the same manner as any 

 other annually leaf-shedding plant; 

 and all this ought to take place early in 

 autumn. As soon as it does so, re- 

 move the plant, or plants, into a drier 

 and cooler house, and keep them there 



