May, 1923] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 137 
SOME RECOLLECTIONS AND NOTES ON ORCHID GROWING. 
By THOMAS INGLIS, M.D., Edinburgh. 
Y earliest recollections of Orchids go back to my school days, when 
in the early nineties my father purchased a few Orchids at a sale in 
Glasgow as a recompense for my getting a tooth extracted. Well do I 
remember those plants. They consisted of Cypripedium insigne, Dendro- 
biums crassinode, and densiflorum, Odontoglossum Rossii majus, Max- 
illaria picta and Pholidota imbricata. These were followed at a later 
date with Cattleya Mendeli, Dendrobium nobile, Odontoglossum crispum, 
Lelia anceps, Oncidium ornithorhynchum, Lee’s var.—a fine lot for the 
novice to tackle. Needless to say, my attentions were followed by fatal 
results, excepting in the case of Cypripedium insigne and Odontoglossum 
Rossii, which were still in the greenhouse after I graduated in rgoo. I 
remember being interested in the “ Orchid Notes” published in Gardening 
Illustrated (891-93), which were written at that time by ‘“‘ Matt. Bramble.” 
During 1903, when on a trip to India, I brought home with me some 
plants of the Vanda type, and in spite of a good start in the way of aerial 
roots, the first spell of severe weather knocked them out. It was not until 
1915 that I could make a start again, and by Octobera small Orchid house, 
‘built on modern lines, was ready for my first consignment of plants. 
The house was 15$ft. by roHft., and oft. to the ridge, with top and 
bottom ventilators. There was the usual double staging, the lower being 
covered with broken brick, while the central pathway was made of wood. 
There was also sufficient accommodation for rain water, and two-sparred 
wood shelves, which could be taken down or placed in position as occasion 
demanded. The house was heated by a Pyro boiler, built in on one side of 
house near the door, the hot water piping—4in. diameter—consisting of two 
rows on two sides and two rows at the top end. 
My garden at Portobello was to the small side, and I was hemmed in as 
regards air space, but I got plenty of sun in the spring and summer, 
specially later in the day. The situation could hardly be described as an 
ideal one for the cultivation of Orchids, but on looking back I feel that I 
attained a fair measure of success. The war was on, and, with my assistant 
being called away, the plants at the start did not always get the attention 
which they required. In severe weather I had difficulty in keeping the 
temperature over 50° F. without making the pipes unduly hot, and for a 
mixed class of plants I realise now that an extra row of pipes all round 
would. have been better. A critical time for my plants was during my 
summer holidays. I had an annual crop of casualties on account of the 
handy man in charge either giving too much water or too little water, but 
usually the former; any newly potted plants suffering severely. From my 
