36 orchid-grower's manual. 



especially, will not thrive if the water they receive does not suit them ; 

 but it must be borne in mind that these plants have fine hair-like roots, 

 and are much sooner killed than Orchids, which have thick fleshy roots. 

 When conversing some time ago with an Orchid grower from the North 

 of England, who told us that his plants were not doing well, that he 

 could not keep the sphagnum moss alive, which he attributed to the use 

 of hard water, and that he consequently put up a cistern for rain water, 

 and employed that, we were not surprised to hear that the result had 

 been to improve the health of the plants, and that the moss was now 

 growing luxuriantly. 



" There is a great difference between different hard waters ; some 

 contain a quantity of iron, while others contain lime ; these latter when 

 used for syringing leave white marks upon the foliage. We believe 

 water containing chalk and lime to be beneficial to some kinds of Orchids, 

 especially Gyjpripediums, in fact, some growers use chalk or broken lime- 

 stone mixed with charcoal and peat to grow them in, and they succeed 

 very well in it. We have frequently seen- distinct traces of lime on 

 imported Cypripediiims. An importation of Cyp'ripedium Spiceriannm, 

 received some time ago, was literally covered with lime deposit, owing 

 to the plants having been found growing in the fissures of limestone 

 rocks, where the water trickled down upon them. We should think that 

 water containing iron would be most injurious to Orchids." 



Eain or pond water is the best for the plants, but if this cannot be 

 obtained, and water from a spring must be employed, it should be well 

 exposed to the influence of the atmosphere before being used ; it should 

 also be allowed to stand in the house for a considerable time, previously 

 to its being required for the plants, so that it may become warmed to 

 about the same temperature as the atmosphere in which it is to be used. 

 This indeed should be done in all cases. 



Slate cisterns are very useful for collecting the rain water which falls 

 on the roof ; and such cisterns on each side the house placed over the 

 hot-water pipes will keep the water at the same temperature as that of 

 the house. If there is not room for the slate cisterns on the pipes, a 

 cement tank under the centre table will answer the same purpose, and 

 should have a hot-water pipe run through it, if possible, so as to keep 

 up the temperature of the water, which is a very important point in 

 maintaining the healthy growth of the plants. 



