ORCHIDS 



Houses. 



Wood trellis may be placed over this, but every care must 

 be taken against the use of material in the staging that 

 may be favourable to the development of fungus spores. 

 Full provision should also be made for the storage of 

 all rain water procurable. 



Shading. 



The lath roller blinds that have come into extensi\'e 

 use of late are undoubtedly most suitable for Cattleyas, 

 Cypripediums, Odontoglossums, &c. ; but in bright districts 

 it is necessary to provide some additional shading on the 

 glass during the summer months. These blinds should be 

 raised by means of runners about ift. from the glass at 

 the bottom ; this permits a free circulation of air between 

 the blinds and the glass, with the result that inside the 

 house a cooler condition may be maintained than would 

 otherwise be possible. These blinds are also useful during 

 cold, windy weather in winter, thus obviating the necessity 

 for excessive fire heat. For Phaljenopsis, Vandas, &c., the 

 tiffany blinds are indispensable. 



Procuring the Plants. 



The various species of both the Old and the New 

 World are usually imported annually in large quantities, 

 and are sold by the nurserymen making Orchids a 

 speciality, or are distributed by auction at the usual 

 weekly sales in London or elsewhere. Man_\' of the 

 species are imported in such quantities that they may 

 be obtained for quite an insignificant sum. The advantage 

 of procuring imported plants when they arrive in good 

 condition is that it is impossible for even an expert to 

 determine the particular characteristics of such plants until 

 they have been induced to flower. Therefore the small 

 purchaser has an equal chance with the large one of 

 securing a kind that may be of priceless value. There is 

 another advantage that should not be overlooked in the 

 case of imported plants— they retain their vigour for a 

 few years (and this is rarely the case with plants that 

 have been in cultivation for any length of time), and 

 they are thus far more easily managed. 



