OctToBER, 1907.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 299 
top as well as the bottom ventilators should be used. It will often be 
necessary to keep more heat in the pipes to counterbalance the airing, but 
the growths must be hardened, and when sunshine has been conspicuous by 
its absence I know no better way to ripen growths than extra airing, with 
pipe heat to balance. 
It will be very essential that a good control is kept over the boiler, for 
bright days are frequently followed by very cold nights, and although I do. 
not believe in high night temperatures, yet I consider it most important 
that the outside fluctuation should be met with a good deal of fire 
heat, making this month as near as possible a link between the summer and 
winter treatment. This at the same time follows the law that the highest 
temperature should be at midday and the lowest at six in the morning, for 
there is a gradual rise from early morning to midday and a gradual fall 
from midday to the following morning. 
The night temperature this month should be higher than would be 
required in December, even if that outside is the same, so that the 
reduction should be gradual until the winter minimum is reached. Plants 
that have been enjoying a free circulation of air would likewise greatly 
resent being deprived of it all at once, so that where an inch of top air has 
been given it may be reduced to half or a quarter of an inch, but give some 
as long as the outside conditions permit. It may be only possible to put it 
on for an hour, or even less, but even from such a short period as that much 
good would accrue. 
Not only is it necessary to see that a change is made in shading, heat- 
ing, and ventilating, but it is just as important as regards watering. Many 
plants will by now have practically finished up their growths, and such, if 
not producing flowers, will need but little in comparison to what they have 
been receiving. Others will need a fair supply to keep them on the move 
and finish up their growths, yet even these will not require anything like 
the same amount of water as they would have done if they were in the 
Same state say in July. The days are now getting short, the light weak, 
and evaporation much slower, and all these things must be taken into 
account. If the houses are maintained as humid as possible, without 
Causing undue condensation, the plants after a good watering will go for 
several days. It is a great mistake to be always looking over the plants to 
see if one is dry, unless it is those that resent dryness in any form at any 
Season. If sucha plant asa Cattleya was not dry enough for water say 
on Monday it would take no harm if left till Thursday, and thus much . 
can be saved, and the plants better treated, than if they are looked over 
each morning. oe 
Wasioas Ee as possible all plants should be grouped, the resting in a 
batch and the growing ones in another, as it simplifies the work consider- 
