THE ORCHID REVIEW. 147 
CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR MAY. 
_By H. A. BURBERRY, Orchid Specialist, King’s Heath, Birmingham. 
THE following are temperatures most suitable for the present month and 
throughout the summer :— 
CooL HOUSE.—This should now be kept as cool as possible, both night 
and day. Ventilate freely on all occasions, distribute plenty of water about 
to produce a moist atmosphere, and shade from strong sunshine. 
INTERMEDIATE HOUSE.—This department may now range from 70° to 
80° during sunny, warm weather ; in dull weather from 65° to 70°; night, 
60° to 65°; morning, 55° to 60°. Ventilate judiciously to keep the 
atmosphere pure and fresh, and damp down the floors, &c., two or three 
times daily, also shade from the bright, hot sun to prevent scorching or 
blistering of the leaves. Very little fire heat should now be needed, except 
perhaps on a particularly dull and cold day or night, when the pipes may 
be made luke-warm with advantage. 
East INDIAN OR WARM HOUSE.—This may now range by day from 80° 
to go° in warm weather, with air, and from 70° to 75° in dull weather ; and 
at night from 65° to 70°, falling to about 60° by the morning. Here also 
never miss a favourable opportunity to ventilate. Shade during the 
brightest part of the day and maintain ample atmospheric moisture. 
We are now entering on the growing season, and now that the days are 
long and the sun powerful, there should be no difficulty in creating con- 
ditions highly suitable for free and rapid growth. This is exactly what is 
wanted, for on no account must we now starve them by omitting to supply 
plenty of warmth, air, and moisture. Water well at the root when 
necessary, and use the syringe freely once or twice a day. Give the warm 
and intermediate kinds their fair share of warmth, especially during the 
day, and temper with a reasonable amount of fresh air. 
We shall still be very busy with the re-potting. top-dressing, and general 
smartening up operations—the first because the plant has either out-grown 
its pot or the compost got into a bad, sour state; the second because the 
surface of the compost has got into a crusted condition through which air 
and water are unable to pass freely, and therefore requires to be loosened 
up and re-surfaced with fresh sphagnum ; and the third because a stick and 
a tie wherever wanted gives a neat and tidy appearance, and a wash over 
with the sponge cleanses the foliage and pseudobulbs from dust and insect 
pests, thus enabling the plants to start on the growing season in a comfort- 
able and promising manner. 
As the Cymbidiums pass out of bloom their wants in the above mentioned 
items should be attended to. C. Lowianum, giganteum, and Tracyanum 
grow very vigorously i in the coolest house, in fact the whole of the other 
