THE ORCHID REVIEN’ 85 
slowly, bears each day three or four fully open flowers only; these, unless 
fertilized, fall the next day; before or as soon as the next three or four 
open. A raceme of Grammatophyllum, developing in this manner, will last 
fora month and a half. The intervals of time between the opening of the 
two adjacent flowers may be thus from one to several days; but they are 
longest in the Fornicariz, Thrixperma, and Bulbophylla of the section 
Intervallate. Here the rachis grows very slowly, and the flowers open one 
by one, with intervals, from about ten days (Dendrocolla filiformis) to 
more than a month (Bulbophyllum Stella), so that a raceme may take 
nearly a year before it has come to the last flower. 
CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR MARCH. 
By H. A. BuRBERRY,. Orchid Specialist, King’s Heath, Birmingham. 
Tue following figures are intended as a guide to what the thermometer 
should read during the present month, always allowing a rise of a few 
degrees when the sun shines :-— 
CooL HOUSE.—Day, about 60° ; night, 50°. 
INTERMEDIATE AND CATTLEYA HOUSE. — Day, about 65°; night, 
55° to 60°. 
East INDIAN HOUSE.—Day, about 70°; night, 60° to 65°. 
Never force the temperatures higher by artificial heat, but a rise of a 
few degrees when the sun shines is not only unavoidable, but beneficial to the 
Plants in all departments. Care should now be taken to check the fires 
in the mornings as much as possible if there is any prospect of the sun 
making its appearance later in the day, or the sun and fire’ heat together 
will make an over-heated and parched atmosphere, which is not only 
injurious to the plants but promotes the growth and propagation of 
troublesome insects, as yellow and black thrips and red spider. 
Unless the Cool house has a northern aspect and therefore unexposed 
to the sun, it will now require to be shaded more or less during bright 
Weather. The shading at this early season should be let down only when 
the sun is Shining, and removed at all other times. The Intermediate, 
Cattleya, and East Indian houses will also now generally require to be 
more or less shaded from bright sunshine, too much of which at this early 
Season, when the plants are probably somewhat weak, has often a most 
disastrous effect upon them. Much unnecessary trouble may thus be 
averted. I specially refer to the premature loss of foliage, the shrivelling 
of the Psendobulbs, and sometimes the loss of a few plants. These are 
almost sure to occur at this season, to a greater or less extent, unless due 
