Culture of OrcMdecE. 253 



and those congenial and inimitable parts of Nature's harmonious 

 scheme, that our practice must be far from natural. Those who 

 act on the idea that the more closely we attempt to imitate na- 

 ture, the greater must be our success, will find in this family, 

 and in almost all plants of peculiar habits, that their practice 

 will end in disappointment. Common sense has pointed out a 

 better practice, in substituting from our available resources equi- 

 valents to those natui'al advantages we cannot command ; and, 

 as far as possible, rendering the plants independent of what we 

 cannot procure for them. 



Those Orchidese that grow naturally on trees in the East or 

 West Indies are proof against injury from excess of moisture ; 

 but the majority of species, if not partially shaded, would be 

 destroyed by the scorching rays of the sun ; whereas those grow- 

 ing in soil at the foot of the trees have no chance of injury from 

 the latter cause, but will, in general, be injured or destroyed by 

 excess of moisture during the periodical rains. Now, the ma- 

 jority of the most beautiful species yet introduced grow freely in 

 pots in suitable soil and a congenial atmosphere : for instance, 

 an open, turfy, peat soil will shelter and nourish their roots, 

 and by its modifying the light we may avoid the evil of the plant 

 being injured by the intensity of the sun's rays, and we have 

 no cause to imitate the periodical rains to the extent of injur- 

 ing the species by excess of moisture, as this is found to be 

 unnecessary. 



Mr. Henchman's observations confirm our experience, that 

 " pieces of wood," except in a living state, are unfit for supporting 

 the majority of species in a flourishing state ; although it may be 

 found that a few species will do best on wood, and those chiefly 

 of the small-flowered tribes. Among the caulescent species, which 

 are chiefly Oriental, many ai'e advantageously grown on wood, 

 as Renanthera, Vanda, &c. But the various species of Cattleya, 

 Stanhopea, Zygopetalon, Maxillaria, Coi-ysanthes, the majority 

 of Oncidia, and many others, flourish in pots equally to their 

 native luxuriance; in short, in the collections of this country are 

 to be seen, flourishing in pots, species sufficient to represent all 

 the varied beauty of this favourite tribe with which we are yet 

 made acquainted. 



There have lately been various displays of learning to show 

 the advantages of allowing a much lower temperature in our 

 stoves during the night than is commonly practised by gardeners ; 

 but the wisdom of this opinion is doubtful, although, no doubt, 

 some may go, on the contrary, so far as to allow but little 

 variation during the twenty-four hours. 



Mr. Henchman's directions regarding temperature may be very 

 suitable for established plants of the more hardy species; and his 



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