THE ORCHID REVIEW. 187 
With intermediate temperature and care in watering, this species is one 
of the easiest to grow, and the same may be said of the pretty little 
M. Phalenopsis, and, indeed, the whole group. M. spectabilis and its 
variety Moreliana should be given a little more heat if they fail to do well. 
THE AMATEUR’S Hovuse.—The weather, with the exception of a few 
days only, has been very unfavourable to Orchids, as indeed it has to other 
vegetation, both in and out of doors, but however much one may fume 
and worry it mends matters not one iota. The plants themselves seem 
not to object to await favourable weather before starting fairly and squarely 
into growth, therefore we need not get over-anxious, and endeavour by an 
excessive use of fire heat to make up for the absence of the sun and the 
obstinate persistency of the north-east wind. We have to fire up a little 
more, especially during the night, to prevent the cold from becoming 
excessive, and thus doing harm, but further than that it is needless to go, 
The only thing to do is to distribute moisture about the house and’ among 
the plants to correspond to the outside conditions, and await patiently the 
coming of proper growing weather. When this has arrived, there is one 
other thing to do, namely, to make the best possible use of it. A cold, 
cheerless time till the end of May shortens what may be termed the growing 
season, but still, if every encouragement is given afterwards, it amounts to the 
same thing by the end of season, because they grow so much more rapidly 
when once they start. By encouragement, I mean to say that for the next 
two months or so a little extra trouble should be taken to ensure a warm 
and moist atmosphere, with the absence of sudden falls of the temperature. 
long-continued cold draughts, &c. The house must be shaded and venti- 
lated somewhat strictly in accordance to its requirements, and these are 
ruled by the outside climatic conditions. That the plants must be kept 
moist at the roots—not saturated—and that the atmosphere must be kept 
moist by the copious syringing of the plants, &c., at least twice daily, first 
thing in the morning and again early in the afternoon, when the shading 
should be removed and the ventilation closed, so as to store a brisk moist 
heat which will last well into the night—in fact, now that June is here, I 
think I might safely say all night, without it being necessary to light a fire. 
But this is much a matter for the grower’s discretion ; all I need say is, 
if the nights are ordinarily warm the fire should not be needed. 
SHADING.—A remark above reminds me that I ought to say that it is 
not absolutely necessary for the grower to employ removable shading. I 
have grown and have seen amateurs also growing remarkably good Orchids 
in houses having a permanent shading during the summer months of a 
thick coating of lime wash. But whether it is permanent or removable is 
again much a matter of discretion, for much depends whether the stages 
are near to the roof glass, or otherwise, and also on the aspect of the 
