THE ORCHID REVIEW. 25 
Odontoglossum Cervantesii is another lovely, chaste little thing, and 
fully repays the grower for treating it well. In fact, unless it is well 
cultivated, it appears more or less weak and miffy, but when properly grown, 
and the plants producing three or four spikes from a 2}-inch pan, each 
spike bearing from three to five flowers, it is exceedingly pretty and 
attractive. It should be treated exactly as the preceding species, O. 
Rossii. 
Another most popular and showy species is Sophronitis grandiflora, 
which I always like to see in bloom by January, even if a little extra 
warmth has to be given during the autumn; otherwise, the season of its 
growth is retarded—a matter which is best avoided if possible. After the 
blooms are over, it will remain inactive for some few weeks before it 
recommences to grow, during which time it should be kept pretty dry at 
the root. No great delay, however, will take place before new roots and 
the new breaks are seen to make their appearance, at which time all the 
re-potting considered necessary should be done. The less delay the better 
after that period. This, also, is best grown in small baskets and pans, and 
suspended, and when so grown and carefully watered should require root 
disturbance only at intervals of several years or when they have actually 
out-grown their receptacles. 
INTERMEDIATE, CATTLEYA, AND MEXICAN HOUSES.— These are 
‘practically, for all intents and purposes, one and the same house, and, during 
winter, must necessarily receive the same management, because of the 
small amount of sunshine. During the summer, of course, it is a different 
thing. It is then very useful if a compartment can be set aside for what 
we term Mexican Orchids, because then the amount of bright sunlight 
which they require can the more easily be administered without the fear of 
injuring the more shade-loving intermediate Orchids, such as many of the 
Oncidiums, Odontoglossums, Cypripediums, &c. For the present we will 
speak of it as the Intermediate house. As regards the general management 
of this house and its inmates, not much can be added to the instructions 
given for the Cool house. It will be a quiet month in all respects; there- 
fore we need simply keep the thermometer near the stated figures, and not 
attempt in the least to force the growth too rapidly at this dull season, 
leaving that for brighter and longer days. I have always noticed that the 
better the plants are staged and strengthened in winter, by rational 
unexciting treatment, the more rapidly and strongly they grow when the 
proper season arrives, and the outside conditions admit of giving them a 
really growing atmosphere. 
The amount of water distributed for purposes of evaporation may, 
perhaps, be slightly in excess of the Cool house, so as to correspond with 
the slightly increased amount of fire heat required. The watering at the 
