198 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
ORCHID GROWING IN THE DESERT. 
No doubt it will appear somewhat strange to the readers of the ORCHID 
REVIEW to hear that under the burning sky of the North West Provinces 
of India—where a most merciless sun not only makes plant life nearly an 
impossibility, but is also most trying to human life; where during the 
summer months the temperature rises as high as 105° in the shade, with 
most terrific burning winds, often accompanied by tremendous sand storms 
—a faithful reader is trying to give a home to some of our favourites. 
During the winter months the change which takes place is also most 
remarkable, the temperature falling nearly to freezing point, which makes 
plants in general, and exotics in particular, most difficult to keep alive. 
Do not expect to hear of such plants as Eulophiella Elisabeth or 
Peetersiana, Phaius tuberculosus or Diacrium bicornutum, growing here. 
No! We have to be more moderate in our enterprise and wishes. A couple 
of dozen species only have up to now succeeded in this part of the world. 
They are mostly Himalayan species, and it is most wonderful to observe 
to what curious conditions some of them are adapting themselves. It is 
thus that our common Bengal Dendrobium Pierardi has found a place here, 
where no greater extreme in atmospheric moisture could be found. Still, 
with care and attention in providing a constant artificial dampness, our 
plant in question has favoured us with a profusion of blooms, and is making 
fairly good growth. D. thyrsiflorum, densiflorum, nobile, Wardianum, 
aureum, lituiflorum, Dalhousianum, are under special care, and several of 
them are making pretty good growth. With the exception of D. aureum and 
Wardianum, all have flowered most wonderfully, considering the circum- 
stances under which they are placed. In the case of D. lituiflorum, a 
most curious thing happened, for half the flowers were self fertilized and 
produced a quantity of seed pods. 
Cymbidium aloifolium is really worth recording for its adaptibility to 
circumstances. On my arrival here I found a few specimens of it 
thriving under most strange conditions. Some are simply plunged into a pot 
with a few ashes, others just resting on broken pots, and according to 
tradition these unfortunate plants have been treated thus for years. They 
flowered most profusely. 
A few terrestrial species have also been tried. | Phaius Wallichii seems 
to be doing well; Cypripedium insigne and Spicerianum seem to feel the 
intensely burning heat ; C. venustum appears more robust ; Bletia hyacinthina 
is just showing its buds; Eulophia andamanica and Geodorum dilatatum are 
also growing, but no signs of flower are to be detected. Aérides affine, Field- 
ingii, odoratum, and radicosum, together with Saccolabium ampullaceum, 
S. guttatum, and Sarcanthus pallidus have, to my great astonishment, 
