January, 1911.]} THE ORCHID REVIEW, 11 
THE AMATEUR’S ORCHID HOUSE. 
By ALWwyNn HARRISON. 
AsouTt ten years ago I commenced growing Orchids, and formed the 
nucleus of my collection with two Cypripediums, barbatum and insigne. 
Not having a proper house, they were placed in one devoted chiefly to 
Carnations and Roses, and I can well remember my delight on seeing the 
first flower-bud appear on the insigne. In a short time, my initial success 
resulted in my purchasing Orchids of all description, and as warm and cool 
house species were both selected, it was only natural that many soon 
developed into unhealthy plants. This varied collection caused the Roses 
and Carnations to assume a sickly appearance in a short time, and it was 
then decided to partition off a portion of the house by a glass division and 
door, and to keep this exclusively for the culture of Orchids. From this 
point commences my real success with these plants. By this time I had 
acquired some knowledge of Orchids, and determined to keep my house for 
intermediate species and hybrids. I therefore disposed of the warmer 
kinds, and confined myself to Cattleyas, Lelias and their hybrids, the 
cooler Dendrobiums, Oncidiums, Cypripediums, and a few Odontoglossums. 
I will now give details of the arrangement of the house, and cultural notes 
on the various genera I am now growing, hoping that these notes may 
induce other amateurs to begin the cultivation of these most fascinating of 
all plants. 
THE HousE AND ITS CONTENTS. 
My house is 12ft. long by oft. wide, and is a three-quarter span roofed 
structure built against a wall facing south. There is only one staging, but 
this is covered with tiles, and it is found that these retain the moisture 
excellently, besides imparting a clean appearance to the house. Under the 
staging thereis a layer of coke placed upon the natural earth, with acemented 
path down the centre. The ventilation is on the old-fashioned system, with 
lights opening on a level with the staging, but the plants seem to thrive in 
spite of it. 
Along the end, and from the wall, at a height of five feet from the 
ground, I have erected a shelf about nine inches wide, and also one lower 
at the side of the house below the eaves. On the wall I grow several 
Orchids, Epidendrum Parkinsonianum (the culture of which was given at 
page 371 of the December issue), Dendrobium nobile, Wardianum, cras- 
sinode, and their hybrid, melanophthalmum. These are fastened on wooden 
rafts with copper wire, with osmunda fibre and sphagnum moss used for 
compost, and are syringed daily except when at rest. The usual mode of 
watering Orchids so grown is by dipping them for a few minutes in a tepid 
rain-water tank, but this practice is not applicable to these plants, for they 
