Marcu, 1911.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 89 
THE AMATEUR’S COLLECTION. 
By ALWYN HARRISON. 
HAVING undertaken to write monthly articles on ‘‘ The Amateur’s Collec- 
tion,” it may be as well to state briefly the course it is intended to follow. 
Orchids suitable for the Cool and Cattleya houses will be considered, and 
the monthly work described, whilst descriptions of notable plants, both 
species and. hybrids, which, if not already possessed, should be procured 
for every collection, will be given from time to time. : 
CooL HOUSE. 
It will not be necessary to dwell at length on the structure and forma- 
tion of the Cool house, as houses of different shape and arrangement are 
numerous and equally suitable, and for those contemplating the erection of 
such, I would refer them to an article on the subject in vol. xvii., pp. 292-295. 
A low house should be chosen, if possible, for the accommodation of 
these cool Orchids. For the heating of this house, any one of the many 
boilers now made to fit into the end of the house is suitable, but one of the 
larger sizes should be procured, with sufficient piping to heat two sides of 
the house. There should be several ventilators on a level with the hot- i 
water pipes, so that the air may be warmed before reaching the plants. A 
wide, open staging, not too far from the roof glass, is necessary, and the 
plants should be raised on inverted pots or saucers, according to their 
height. Shading should be done by a roller blind, which should be raised 
a few inches above the glass, so as to allow a free current of air to pass 
between. Place coke under the staging on the natural-earth, and have 
tanks for the storing of rain-water. The path is best made of coke breeze, 
which retains its humidity for a considerable time when once damped. If 
possible a northern or western aspect should be chosen. 
ee ORCHIDS FOR THE COOL HOUSE. 
Odontoglossoms, both species and hybrids, will naturally occupy the 
greater part of this house, as they are essentially Cool-house Orchids, but 
any of the following can be grown in the same structure : The cooler 
species of Oncidium, such as Forbesii, macranthum, Marshallianum, 
ornithorhynchum, tigrinum, varicosum, &c., Ada aurantiaca, Trichopilias 
crispa and suavis, Lycaste Skinneri, and Cymbidium Lowianum. There 
are, of course, hundreds of other species and hybrids, but the above are 
those with which I should advise an amateur to start. 
POSITIONS. 
At the warmest end of the house, place Odontoglossums having any or 
the following as one of their parents, O. Harryanum, Hallii, Edwardii, 
-polyxanthum, Rolfez, and Wilckeanum, with Lycaste Skinneri and Ada 
aurantiaca; at the coolest end Odontoglossums crispum, Pescatorei, 
