56 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR FEBRUARY. 
By H. A. BuRBERRY, Orchid Specialist, King’s Heath, Birmingham. 
THE temperatures and general management of the various departments for 
this month will vary but little from the figures and directions given for the 
preceding one. The sun will, of course, increase in power, so also will the 
temperatures of the houses slightly increase in warmth under its beneficial 
influence during the day. Such additional warmth is of immense value to 
all kinds of Orchids at this season ; they soon respond to its magic power, 
and rapidly pass from a state of comparative inactivity, into one of renewed 
life and active growth. 
This will be more marked among the purely deciduous, and semi- 
deciduous, species than it will among the evergreen kinds. By the two 
former, I allude to the Dendrobiums, Ccelogynes, Catasetums, Mormodes, 
Habenarias, Thunias, Calanthes, Cyrtopodiums, and such like, most of 
which enjoy a long dry rest; while among the latter are the Cattleyas and 
Lelias, Oncidiums and Odontoglossums, Epidendrums, Lycastes, Cypri- 
pediums, Aérides and allied genera, Cymbidiums, Miltonias, Sophronitis, 
Phalenopsis, Trichopilias, and such like kinds, which also require a good 
rest, but mostly of shorter duration and less rigorous. These although 
equally enjoying the sunshine, and benefitting by its genial warmth, are yet 
at this season slower of growth, consequently evidences of new life and 
activity are less apparent than in the case of the aforementioned deciduous 
genera. 
This brings me to an important cultural point, upon which I should like 
to place special stress. When these deciduous kinds, as, for instance, the 
Thunias, Pleiones, or some of the Dendrobiums, as D. Wardianum, and 
among the half deciduous kinds D. nobile, D x Ainsworthii, and many 
others, commence to grow rapidly from the base, as is natural for them to 
do at this season, it is frequently thought that the sooner they can be 
subjected to strong heat, in order to encourage such growth, the stronger and 
better they willbe. Such an idea is wrong, and such hot treatment at this 
early season is, to say the least, most undesirable. Think of the quality of 
the growths which would result from a stimulus supplied mostly from the 
hot water pipes. Such undue forcing would certainly weaken all Orchids 
grown under such conditions. We do not want weakly, debilitated, long 
and spindly new growths that will not beara puff of fresh air, and will 
scarcely bear looking at or touching, let alone repotting, without collapsing. 
We want growths that will produce pseudobulbs and roots, making alto- 
gether a plant capable of withstanding sun and air in liberal quantities, cold 
and heat, sudden fluctuations of the thermometer, without unduly suffering. 
A plant that is hardy and strong can produce its blossoms without showing 
