312 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
harmful as too little. There may still be many days when the fire may be’ 
either let out altogether or so kept down as to give off scarcely any warmth; 
and there will doubtless be many nights when a very small amount of fire 
heat will be sufficient to maintain the temperatures at the requisite degrees. _ 
The Cool house should not have the heat turned on whenever it is posssible 
to keep up the degree of warmth without it, unless it is with a view of help- 
ing to dry up a too moist and stagnant atmosphere. 
VENTILATION.—A~ good -deal of care must still be given to this most 
important work... Orchids grow the strongest, healthiest, and. most robust 
in houses that are kept pure and sweet bya free circulation of fresh air, 
without draughts, and the worst and weakest in penned-up, stuffy ones. It 
is therefore advisable to have on air, little or much, as often and as long as 
possible. Beware, however, of using the top lights too freely now, but work | 
more upon the bottom ventilators. eA 
DaMPING-DOWN.—Probably there is no other month throughout the year | 
when less water is required for damping-down purposes, and this for | 
obvious reasons. Firstly, many plants have completed their growths, and 
desire to be at rest, whilst others, which have no apparent season of rest, 
require to be hardened somewhat before the advent of winter. Secondly, 
the atmosphere outside is now heavily charged with moisture, and does not 
absorb the same from the interior of the houses. And thirdly, sufficient 
artificial warmth is scarcely yet necessary to unduly dry or impoverish the 
atmosphere, like it does for instance during the time of severe frosts.. Such 
being the case, it will be seen that little water need be distributed this 
month, and that the weather should be the sole guide for doing so. It may 
be required once a day or not at all. For my own part I now make it a 
practice of never damping my coolest house during this season, but let that 
suffice which it receives when watering the plants. 
WATERING.—This work must also be done with greater care, and be » 
more thoughtfully considered than hitherto, and for the very same reasons 
as those given above. In fact, it is very easy to over-water at this period, — 
much more so than in the depth of winter, when very sharp frosts prevail, 
because then, owing to the greater amount of fire heat, the compost dries 
more quickly. It is scarcely possible to say how often to water, as the 
conditions and circumstances of each plant vary so much, but I may 
mention that all deciduous species, like many Dendrobiums, the 
Catasetums, Mormodes, Cycnoches, Chysis, Cyrtopodiums, Thunias, 
Barkerias, Anguloas, Ansellias, 
allowed to get very dry, 
pseudobulbs plump, 
advances. 
and similar growing species, may now be 
receiving enough moisture only to keep the 
and for this less and less will suffice as the season — 
For species such as Cattleyas, Lalias, Oncidiums, Odonto-- 
glossums, Coelogynes, Epidendrums, Lycastes, Maxillarias, Stanhopeas, 
