22 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR JANUARY. 
By W. H. YounG, Clare Lawn, East Sheen. 
Wirtu the new year commences another cycle of hopes and aspirations for 
the more or less ardent Orchid cultivator, and as without hope one would 
make little or no progress, without effort our hopes and anticipations would 
generally be doomed to disappointment, hence the necessity of knowing 
how and when to make an effort and direct our abilities into the right 
channel. It is with this object in view that these monthly Calendars of 
Operations are penned, that those having less experience in the practice of 
Orchid growing may glean a few ideas from those more fortunate ; at the 
same time it enables us to record our experiences, so that even those who 
may have had a greater and longer experience in Orchid cultivation may 
find a wrinkle or two to add to their already extended stock of information. 
I think it is a well-known principle that, in order to teach others, the tutor 
should assume that his scholars know absolutely nothing of the subject 
before he takes them in hand. I will not assume quite so much as that, 
but will take it for granted that we all know something of our subject, and 
thus dispense with otherwise necessary explanations of terms used in our 
profession. To more thoroughly understand each other, it will be better to 
describe the different departments in a general collection of Orchids, so that 
in future issues we shall be understood when referring to them under their 
proper headings, and also that anyone having the slightest pretension to be 
called an Orchid amateur may know what he can grow with the accommo- 
dation at his disposal. 
The season suggests that we should first speak of the Cool Orchid 
department, in which are grown such well-known kinds as Odontoglossum 
crispum, O. Pescatorei, O. Rossii, Disas, Masdevallias, and numerous 
others. The house or structures for these should be so built that an 
abundance of air can be admitted both top and bottom, and also with tanks 
of large holding capacity for storing rain-water. These are usually placed 
under the stages exposed to the atmosphere, but I think this plan is 
beginning to be recognised as faulty, as a body of water, when exposed, 
absorbs moisture instead of generating it, as was supposed in the first place. 
The tanks may be there, but I would suggest that they be covered, excepting 
in one or two places, for the purpose of dipping the water out. The tem- 
perature of the Cool department should range from 50° to 60°, taking the 
former for the central figure during the winter months, say from the end of 
October to the beginning of April, when during most of this time fire heat 
will be a necessity. For the remainder of the year the latter figure will be 
more the central point, and all our efforts should tend to keep the temper- 
ature below or somewhere near that point, by judicious damping, airing, 
