THE ORCHID REVIEW. 57 
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CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR FEBRUARY. 
By H. A. BuRBERRY, Orchid Specialist, King’s Heath, Birmingham. 
THE TEMPERATURES should remain the same as for last month, keeping the 
atmosphere in the houses as genial and health-producing as possible. This 
latter during the present month will greatly depend on the stoking of the 
fires. It is work which should be done with intelligence and forethought, 
so that sufficient warmth and no more is regularly maintained. Never do 
Orchids grow so well as when fire heat is not needed, and never do they grow 
so badly as when overdone with fire heat. Therefore I strongly recommend 
those who would be successful growers to do without it whenever possible. 
Our climate is proverbially changeable, and it is not an unmixed evil, for 
the less our coke or coal bill, the healthier, plumper, and greener are our 
Orchids. Many a day during the present winter has it been possible to 
allow the fire to go out for the greater part of the day, lighting it again in 
the evening, so as to maintain a steady warmth for the night and morning, 
DAMPING AND AIRING.—These two items of management must be 
left practically to the intelligence of the grower. It is scarcely possible | 
to write when, or how often, to damp and ventilate—one must work 
hand-in-hand with outside conditions, and the methods of firing, for therein 
lies success or failure. As regards damping, however, I may say that 
the atmosphere must not be allowed to become unduly dry, or the plants 
will soon suffer. For such mild weather as we have been having lately, 
damping down once a day will generally be sufficient. As to ventilating, 
aim at keeping the atmosphere pure and healthy, without opening the 
ventilators wide enough to cause a cold draught. Ventilate from the 
bottom ; rarely, if ever, employ the top ones at this season. But here, 
again, one must be guided by the structure one has to manipulate. Some 
are perforated with many air spaces between the wood and glass, thus 
providing at this season almost enough fresh air, whilst others are so 
tightly constructed as to be practically air proof, and, when so, it becomes 
necessary at most times to have a chink on at the top, in addition to the 
bottom, to insure a gentle circulation. I am not quite in favour of such 
air-proof houses; there is an advantage, of course, during a blizzard of 
snow, &c., but I am inclined to think that is a small set-off against its 
disadvantages. Has any grower ever noticed, -like I have done, how 
grandly Orchids invariably seem to grow in dilapidated, tumble-down 
old houses in which, on account of air spaces, it is difficult to keep up 
the temperature during severely cold weather ? 
Waterinc.—Continue to do this sparingly, but do not exhaust the 
plants by keeping them over-dry. I water during winter once or twice 
a week, according to the amount of fire heat necessary to maintain the 
