THE ORCHID REVIEW. 181 
loving Orchids, such as Dendrobiums:and Cattleyas, were in pots standing 
down upon the stage, and partially hidden by the foliage of larger and 
coarser stove plants. Mexican Orchids, such as Lelias and others, were 
also huddled up together, and languishing on the stages far away from the 
light, where air could not possibly circulate round them freely. Not even 
were there signs of any attempt to raise them up on inverted flower pots. 
One or two specimens were doing fairly well, and these had by some means 
got the position which suited them, but I am inclined to think it was more 
by accident than design. Taking them altogether they presented a woe 
begone and beggarly appearance, the chief cause of which undoubtedly was 
their being placed in such unsuitable positions. Now, with a very little 
extra time and intelligence, I do not hesitate to say that the same structure 
could be made to grow (as it is of good size and has a lofty and spacious 
roof) most of those which were there, excepting the Cool house kinds, in a 
much more satisfactory manner than is at present the case. Even in a 
stove house, one end could usually be made more cool and airy than the 
other, which should be given to those kinds requiring intermediate tempera- 
ture, while those requiring more heat should be placed at the opposite end. 
Those most preferring light and air should be placed near the glass, and all 
others should be well elevated on the stages, so that they are above the 
other plants. There should be more suspending bars from which to hang 
the plants, or shelves should be fixed at suitable places at the ends of the 
house, or swinging over the paths, so that the light is not excluded too 
much from the plants below. 
I have known some miracles brought about by placing plants on such 
shelves, and this is what first made me think so highly of them, and after- 
wards recommend them:—I once had a few Cattleyas of various sorts in 
very indifferent health, which I fancied gave a bad appearance to the whole 
of the remaining healthy ones. To get them out of sight was my main 
object, and a shelf in the same house offered the necessary facilities. On 
this they were placed, and I was greatly surprised to see how quickly those 
plants recovered. I believe that when a weakly plant is with the others and 
continually in sight, that it frequently receives so much kind attention as to 
hasten its departure, whereas if away on a shelf, and getting only the really 
necessary attention in watering, and an occasional cleaning, its chances of 
recovery are greater. I always prefer some such place for any choice and 
costly specimen, especially during the dull winter months, providing of 
course they are not too near the glass—finding that they then give much less 
trouble to keep in a permanently healthy condition. 
For the intermediate section of Orchids, supposing there be no Mexican 
house proper, a portion of the roof should be left unshaded, in order to 
better accommodate such sun-loving species as the Mexican Lalias, 
Pleiones, Thunias, Schomburgkias, and some of the Epidendrums such as 
