WATERING ORCHIDS. 35 



in many Orchid collections. The practice is indeed very dangerous, and 

 growers often wonder at their plants not looking well, when it is entirely 

 due to over-syringing. Nevertheless, water, judiciously applied, is one 

 of the most important items in the culture of these valuable plants. 

 Those of them which are growing on blocks of wood should be syringed 

 twice a day in the summer time ; and we also find it beneficial, during 

 the growing season, to take the blocks down about twice or three times 

 in a week, and dip them in water till the surface of the wood and the 

 moss are thoroughly soaked. Plants in baskets should likewise be taken 

 down and examined, and, if they are dry, they should also be soaked in 

 a similar manner. This is a good mode of getting rid of many hurtful 

 creatures that harbour in the moss, such as the woodlouse and the cock- 

 roach, which, when the moss is plunged and kept for a while under 

 water, will come to the top, and then may be easily killed. 



We have elsewhere observed (Orchid Album) that " rain water is the 

 best for Orchids and for all kinds of plants, this being the water supplied 

 in their natural habitats. , Rain water is easily to be obtained by pro- 

 viding tanks under the stages, and allowing the rain water to enter from 

 the roof. In this way no room is lost. A pump should be affixed, in 

 case the water should get low in dry weather, by which means it can 

 be easily raised to the required height. The plan we adopt is to have a 

 deep cemented tank in the centre of the house under the stage, so that 

 the top may be open ; this allows the water which is standing in the 

 tank to become somewhat warmed by contact with the atmosphere of the 

 house, which is very beneficial. In fact. Orchids should never be 

 watered with water that has not had the chill taken off, as cold water, 

 especially in winter time, causes spot, and may rot the growths, and 

 injure the roots. Into this tank the rain water runs from the roof, and 

 as we have the New Eiver Company's water laid on as well, when 

 rain water is scarce we fill up with this, and thereby have a mixture of 

 rain and hard water. 



" There can be no doubt that Orchids, like other plants, are particular 

 as to the fluids given to them to nourish their roots. We often hear 

 growers say that the water obtainable in the particular locality where 

 they reside is hard, and that their plants do not thrive as they should do. 

 We can fully sympathise with these men, as we know that hard water is 

 bad for Orchids as well as for other plants. Hard- wooded plants, 



3* 



