SEPTEMBER, 1922.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 269 
THE AMATEUR’S PAGE. 
LTHOUGH the price of fuel is not so high as it was a few years ago, 
it is sufficiently costly to cause many amateurs to economise in its 
use whenever possible. Fortunately, the days of very high temperatures 
for Orchids have gone, and so much the better, not only for the majority of 
the plants, but for those whose pleasure it is to work in the houses. One 
of the first questions generally asked by an amateur when considering the 
purchasing of a plant is the temperature required for its successful cultiva- 
tion. Many a beautiful Phalenopsis has failed to change hands when the 
required amount of heat has been mentioned, but this may be an extreme 
example, for there are numerous collections in which Cattleyas and various 
allied genera succeed admirably under the general conditions appertaining 
to the amateur’s “‘ hot-house.”” Now this so-called hot-house is very differ- 
ent from the highly tropical stove-house of olden days, and in effect it is 
generally a house or division nearest the boiler, and maintained about ten 
degrees higher than the cool-house, omitting, of course, any rise by day 
caused by bright sunshine. 
It is somewhat difficult for an amateur to decide whether any particular 
plant should be placed in the cool-house or the hot-house, and with regard 
to hybrids the situation seems to become much more complex whenever the 
parentage is composed of both cool and hot-growing species. Take, for 
example, the pretty Sophrocattleya Doris, a hybrid between the cool- 
growing Sophronitis grandiflora and the hot-growing Cattleya aurea. This 
rarely succeeds well along with the Cattleyas, and the Odontoglossum 
house would be just as unsuitable. An intermediate temperature is much 
to its liking, and if no such house exists the difficulty may be overcome by 
growing the plant in the warm end of the Odontoglossum house during the 
summer months and in the cooler portion of the Cattleya house during the 
winter time. A little careful forethought in this matter will bring untold 
blessings to many an amateur’s collection. 
During recent years a large number of various Cymbidium hybrids have 
been raised. If we look for the reason, it is first to be found by the intro- 
duction in quantity of the elegant C. insigne Sanderi, which has been largely 
made use of by the hybridist on account of its useful and attractive qualities, 
and secondly because Cymbidiums have proved themselves capable of filling 
sO many requirements of the artistic floral decorator. It is not an easy 
matter to answer an amateur who inquires the exact temperature they need, 
or how low the thermometer may fall without any injury being done to his 
plants. Like the previously mentioned example of Sophrocattleya Doris, 
much depends on the parentage. If the parents are from a warm locality, 
then good results must not be expected by placing the resulting hybrids in a 
