THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
[September, 19, 
In 1845 J. C. Lyons recommended another “ good mode,” as he called 
it, of growing plants by making a frame of branches, in the same manner as 
the bottoms of the baskets are made, about two feet six inches long, and 
ten or twelve inches wide; rather a large basket, one would say to-day, 
but, however, this was to be filled with a selection of Orchids that flowered 
at the same time of the year, the tallest ones in the centre, when it would 
make a splendid ornament for the drawing-room or conservatory. Some¬ 
times Lyons adopted smaller baskets fixed on the top of a strong support, 
which he said were peculiarly well adapted for showing off the pendulous 
racemes of splendid flowers, and also created a pleasing variety in the 
appearance of the house. 
About i860 Mr. Thomas Appleby, in his Orchid Manual, stated that a 
considerable number of epiphytal and a few terrestrial Orchids require to be 
grown in baskets, inasmuch as they have the peculiarity of sending their 
flower-stems almost perpendicularly downwards, showing evidently that 
they either grow on branches of trees or in crevices of rocks. Attentive 
growers long ago adopted baskets, or else placed the plants that had this 
peculiar habit in piled-up square pieces of peat, through which some of the 
flower-stems pushed and flowered well. Appleby once had a large plant of 
Stanhopea oculata so cultivated, and it carried no less than 17 flower-stems, 
with from six to seven large flowers on each. 
Sixty years ago B. S. Williams regarded baskets as being more natural 
for the cultivation of true “ air-plants,” such as Vandas, Aerides, Saccola- 
biums, Phalaenopsis, etc., for when so treated he believed they “ send out 
roots much stronger into the air, and suck up the moisture, whereas if their 
roots are covered too much they are very apt to rot.” Apparently teak 
wood was not then in use, for Williams gave the best kinds of wood as being 
Acacia, Apple, Pegr, Plum, or Cork, if it can be obtained. 
Shading Orchids. —The remarkable spell of hot weather experienced 
during the past summer reminds one of a method used by Messrs. Loddiges 
for shading Orchids during the summer of 1838. It consisted of twisting 
straw bands to as great a length as was required, but so lightly as to leave 
a quantity of loose straws hanging from them. These were then placed on 
the roof of the Orchideae-house at about a distance of a foot from each 
other, and kept on at all times during the summer season, thus preventing 
the trouble of the putting on and taking off of canvas. They also so- 
effectually shaded the house that it was never found necessary to open the 
ventilators in order to allow surplus heat to escape. On cold nights this 
straw material greatly assisted in keeping the house up to the desired 
temperature. 
