^m 



■v., >t 



i^^lH of the atmosphere ,-. 

 ffeSUw assigned to them. . . 



^•"•^^nf work few original opinions are 

 *" *f K reasons of the effects with which we 

 **** r less acquainted ; the author is satisfied 

 •""""^Le a fact, then producing cases where it 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



fforded of the park, Saint Germai 



;op-cocks, in connection with the pipes of tl 

 Orchid-house. This pavilion, gay with flowering shrub 

 ' ' destined for the exhibition of Orchids in flowi 



2dfith refreshing 

 ££* of naturals 



.'•r H-er.itgei 



i up-.: t 



f^JJtotiie position of the instrument with which the 

 ^titr is measured, both as respects the openness of 

 Sore, its freedom from currents which would 

 gtee ^id unequal collection of the rain- drops, and the 

 : ^ ti bove the ground Thus a rain gauge on York 

 i Kater roof gave 14.963 in. between February 18 3 3 



£rf the museum furnished 19.852 inches. T 

 Shdeof the first and last stations is 212-87 feet, a 

 ly. Again, Professor Phillips, wi 

 & instruments, placed on the ground, 3, 6, and 

 Mifove its surface, found the following results it 



wectively." 

 After adverting top 



ad dust rains, the am 



toger phenomena of showers of flesh, f 



Several instances of such rains are give 



a preternatural rains, such as polk 

 ■b, rams oi manna, rains coloured with infusor 

 tf dust rains, the author drawi 



srnbws as to deserve the appellation of a shower, is 



k 1844 before the Academy of Sciences at Paris, and 



UPekier was one of the most interesting. It was 

 «* in early life at Ham, in the department of the 



«i the Place was instantly covered with toads. 

 Mrakshed at this, I stretched out my hand, which 

 Wrtrnck by many of these animals as they fell. The 

 JWof the house was full of them also ; I saw them 

 *1 oa the roof of a house, and rebound from thence 



Jme. Alter treating of thunder-storms, thVauthor 



*■» Ml conductors of electricity. Do not shelter under 

 "B nor come near them ; the great majority of acci- 

 ■W »nse from want of this precaution. Do not handle 

 *J y *7«lose to metaflic bodies: a servant cleaning 

 ^er fork at a window, during a thunder-storm, the 

 ***** outwards, was struck, but not killed; a 

 KnL7 Dg the 8ame storm ' """B Dear a w ' 



Her seat and experienced t 

 » J»T a room » tf a metallic lustre is not pendant, 



** ftaa any other part of the apartment. It is not 

 to* between the window and door, or firepla. 

 ££*«> is a current of air. A bed is the secun 

 5J« » » all ye who fear, and fail to derive pleasui 

 3n? 8 Meteor?' ** beholdin § this tho grandest 

 ^uy tt aDd ' 8uak in y° ur downy couch, if 

 •SB.-TT int0 .g entl e slumber, think at least that y 



fcparative safety." * 



* Bve°nl PaSSa l gea ' extract ed from the present wo] 

 ** J L l r a i ers a « eneral idea oi the auth « 

 WoZL ** c . ha P te * of the work is devoted 



fc »ntj)lJl Pl 'i actice b y the Physical characters of dif- 

 SjSpai f 1 ZS*f X there is a short de8cription 



"sen" for reference. 



^Pahis t Pescat ohe, at Celle-Saint-Clocd, 



J^kvel wiTh \ g °' Dg 0ut of the Chateau of Celle > and 



: Ttments, we enter a glazed pa- 



fe^XTo^ 



y*' 1 * feet nd o r - th !. dire< : tio11 of M - Pellechet, architect. 

 ** on one •!? chea by - 28 feet 2 incnes - A terrac . e 



The Orchid house adjoins on tl 

 ascribed, and has a span-roof, r 

 >uth-east ; length 78 feet 8 inch 

 sight 14 feet 9 inches, and is s 



rftofthec 



" 7t: ." i 



is, is 26 feet 3 inches in length, and is terminated by 

 Qall pavilion, which prevents the direct influx of ex- 

 lal air. Stone tablets or shelves, 1 foot 4 inches 

 b, run along the sides. The space in the centre, sur- 



aching trunks of trees covered with Orchids ; the 

 of the ground is cove; 



maintains a humidity very favourable to the 



e drip from falling on the plants. The side lights are 

 mble ; but, in order to avoid the opacity which usually 

 suits from double glazing, in consequence of the con- 

 msation of watery vapour between the inner and outer 

 ass, the sashes containing the latter are hinged, so 

 at they can be readily opened, and the whole kept in 

 proper state for admitting a pure light to the plants, 

 fie house is surmounted by a gallery which serves for 

 e play of ventilators which are placed in it, and for 

 irtial shade. 



The water in the environs of Paris is more or less 

 charged with lime, and if employed for the watering of 

 tends to destroy them. M. Pescatore has, how- 



ted into a cistern sufficiently large for ensuring 

 an ample supply of soft water for his plants. 



The Orchid house and the pavilion are heated from 

 i boilers situated at the end of the how 



9 r % inches wide by scarcely an inch thick. One portion 

 ■ ' round pipes pass under the foot-paths, which are 

 ! of open cast-iron gratings ; the other is placed 



London Floricultural 



Comet, and a prize for the collec- 

 a medal at the late Royal South 

 meeting in the Surrey Zoological 



Miscellaneous. 



Temperature of Orchid- houses In managing the 



temperature of an Orchid house, some have been misled 

 by fancying that because the inmates come from what 

 is called a " tropical climate." 



kept very hot and moist at all times ; others again 

 imagine that those from the hotter and damper parts 

 cannot be advantageously cultivated in the same house 

 with those from drier and cooler stations. Now in all 

 places where epiphytal Orchids are found, there are at 



from each ; and although the transitions may be but of 

 short duration, yet they represent spring and autumn. 

 Orchids, therefore, like other plants, have the power of 

 adapting themselves to changes of climate and locality, 

 both as regards heat, shade, moisture, and full exposure 

 to bright light, and they will even endure a certain 

 degree of cold. La;lia majalis grows upon Oaks in the 

 mountains of Mexico, where the ground in the cool 



expense of vigour. Again, plants, natives of a colder cli- 

 mate, may be grown in a far warmer one than ever they 

 were subjected to in their natural state, provided at all 

 times the extra heat and moisture are judiciously 

 applied, and only when the plants are in fuD 

 in good health ; so we find that air plants, although 

 ■ eted to a high temperature, may, with 

 proper precautions, be grown with advantage in a much 

 lower one ; and as all plants grown in a lower tem- 



so Orchids, in a cool atmosphere, should be kept drier 

 during a certain period of the year ; an increase of 



and that only in the growing season. It should be 

 recollected that no plants can exist for any very great 

 length of time without rest, and that rest is induced in 

 .mate by drought, in the same way as low 

 temperature in our own country suspends vital energy : 

 therefore Orchids must be subjected to the usual 

 seasonable changes of rest and activity. Rest is 



moisture, 



winter. Spring should t 



imitated by gradually revrrii 



mpanied by a proportio 

 this period of their gro 



. The flat pip< 



house; and by them the latter is heated 

 promptly. The heating apparatus was put 

 Loyer, of Versailles. 



M. Pescatore's collection of Orchids consisted, in 

 1848, of 640 plants ; these comprised 350 species and 



the collection of M. Quesnel of Havre; 

 e are now upwards of 2000 plants, and the 

 number of species and varieties amount to 700. The 

 plants are grown on pieces of peat soil, in vases and 

 pots placed on the beds and shelves ; on pieces of sus- 

 pended wood, or on the branchy trunks of trees. All 



good condition and vigour do great < 



Summer must be represented by a greater 

 • " heat and moisture ; partial shade 

 :ted to, to bring the energy of the plant 



"very SSfK 



«y m. la g s * £ 



of Mr. James Craig, who is specially 

 mltivation. In this splendid col- 



2end of July, 1848. 

 s for Orchids, there are various 

 ation of different things, and for 

 length of these amounts to 



propagation ; altogether the length ot tl 

 nearly 200 feet. {Ammles de la Societc 



such rapid growth ;,but they will become more robust 

 and healthy, and be less liable to receive injury from 

 sudden transitions in the atmosphere, either of heat, 

 drought, or moisture. The temperature of the house can 

 regular by night, particrt- 

 1 larly in summer ; therefore the fire should never raise 

 I the heat of the principal house higher than 60°, and 

 about five degrees less should be maintained where the 

 plants are in a less excitable state : but as the days 

 lengthen, so the temperature may rise, y« 

 possible never range higher than 75° by night in smn- 

 nowever, be higher m very 

 warm weather, and should be counteracted as much as 

 possible by eva | . "go*, and by 



both, as well as by shading, by day. Injury is often 

 mdden rise of temperature by fire heat in 

 «,;„♦„,. while little or none is caused u the rise m 

 >v sun-heat : care should therefore be taken 





sorts are of ft SO] ;he bell-t 



blossom, showing a large eye, his specimens have a 



regular guard- leaf, and the blossoms so tbic 

 around the stem that the green leaf can scarcely 

 through between them. Mr. C.'s nursery oct 

 >. •— ..„i m , HC than one-sixth of it is devo 



e— Comet, a very fine ruby red, 

 s, deep rose; Rosea grandifl 

 , elegantly veined with puce 

 suveV ;" Model of Perfection, white with choec 

 f, remarkable for immen 

 ,. () f them 9 feet high; Queen, 

 ■ 

 Pallida, lilac; Magnum Bonum, a rich glossy maroc 

 Snowball, purest white; Black Prince, sable , blac 



Mulberry superb, Del '^ . 



,- Bome"of huTHollyhocks, which were grown in 

 especially for that occasion; also at the Royal 



■er-stronjj fires, which wUl over-ary ine aiuios 



«ud, on the other hand, create too much mc 



if water is supplied. Moisture, however, is by no 



ious to Orchids, provided they can part 



i but they are impatient of stagnant damp. 



Gordon's Paper in the Journal of the Hon 



Calendar of Operations. 



I for 

 The heat of 



were the growing season ; and as the plants ought now 

 to be ripening their growth, they have need of all the 

 daylight and moderate sunshine they can get. In the 

 case of Orebidi '7> that £ B 



roots leaves, and pseudo-bulbs may be thoroughly 

 matured. Those which are already in 

 nearly so, should be removed forthwith to a cool house. 

 Great care should be taken not to excite such plante 



