SEPTEMBER, 1914.1 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 275 
By T. W. BRISCOE, Late Foreman of Messrs. Veitch’s 
: CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER. ; 
Hybridising Department. 
ITH the arrival of September we begin to think of shorter days and 
less sunshine, while the Orchid grower will try to make up the 
deficiency to some extent by removing the permanent shading, and by 
reducing the interval of letting down and rolling up the blinds. Some 
shade will still be necessary, especially on the Cool or Odontoglossum 
houses, but discretion and moderation must be the keynotes, or muc 
damage may be done. 
VENTILATION, always an importaut factor in Orchid culture, must 
receive due attention, and air should be admitted on all favourable 
occasions. An inch or so may still be left on throughout the night, and it 
is a bad policy to try and economise fuel by closing the ventilators early 
and keeping them shut until the morning. 
ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE must be reduced in every division, and at this 
time of the year it is better to err on the dry side, as the outside 
atmosphere is often heavily charged with moisture, and heavy dews are 
the general rule rather than the exception. 
WATERING AND SPRAYING must both be carried out with due regard to 
the weather, and the condition of the plants, while the compost used also 
makes a great difference in the amount of moisture required. The growth 
of the plants will need to be studied when giving water, in fact success can 
only be obtained by treating them individually. Spraying the plants 
heavily overhead will now be a somewhat dangerous practice, and the 
amateur must be on his guard when using the syringe for this purpose. 
Any spraying ought to be done sufficiently early in the day for the foliage 
to dry before night, or water will be found on the foliage next morning, a 
condition that must be avoided. 
TEMPERATURES.—Sudden falls in the temperatures may now be 
expected, unless the fires are kept clean and ready for use in case of 
emergency, but care must be taken, or the pipes will get excessively hot, 
which is most harmful to the inmates, while insect pests will increase 
rapidly under such conditions. 
INSECT PEsTs.—An opportunity will now occur to look over the 
collection, and examine each specimen for scale insects, &c. Dirty pots 
can be washed and everything made clean before restaging. When 
rearranging the plants the evil of overcrowding should be obviated as 
much as possible. I know it is often difficult to find adequate accom- 
Modation for every plant that one is expected to grow, but the Cattleyas 
with their many hybrids should be less crowded than Cypripediums and 
