Marcu, 1906.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 75 
for a good many of the Orchids, and before the end of the month shading 
will be pretty general. Newly-potted plants are usually better shaded until 
the roots get a new hold. Phalznopsis and many other plants in the East 
Indian house cannot stand much direct sunshine. Small seedlings of all 
kinds will also require shading for some hours every day when the sun is 
strong. Where only a few plants inside a house are of a tender nature, 
shading locally with some temporary arrangement inside the house will be 
better than shutting out the heat. Air may now be given pretty generously 
when the weather is favourable, but avoid any extremes. One is some- 
times tempted to give more air than is advisable at this season, so as to be 
able to keep the blinds up. March has a bad reputation. South and west 
winds that travel slow are safe. With these winds a chink of top air on 
the Cattleya house and no shading will do good. The pseudobulbs will get 
warmed up, and out will come the roots. But take no risks with an east 
wind. 
DAMPING DOWN will have to be performed now twice daily. Things 
will be taking on a greener appearance, and will be greedier after moisture 
as they get thoroughly awakened to new life. The syringe will now play an 
important part. The Odontoglossums will welcome a spray overhead on 
fine days, and so will all small seedlings. 
Firtnc.—Avoid as much as possible having sun heat and fire heat at 
one time, but do not let the fires get too low, by being deceived with sun 
heat at mid-day, nor let the temperatures drop too quickly during the 
afternoon. The morning sun will lift the temperatures quickly, and if the 
blinds are dropped it- may be found necessary to reduce any air which may 
have been given, and also to keep the fire moving along. All heat should 
be shut off the Odontoglossums in the morning when the day is fine. The 
t t ded for January will be found to be still high 
enough with fire heat only. Of course, the day temperatures will soon in a 
great measure look after themselves, and the Pp ded in 
January should be regarded as the minimum. 
L#&LIO-CATTLEYAS.—From germination until they are two years old 
Lzlio-cattleyas have no clearly defined period of rest. The seedling growth 
has barely finished before the bend in the leaf-axil starts, and this second 
growth will no sooner be completed than the eye at its base will swell, so 
that there is really a continuity of growth, varying in its degree of activity 
according to the season, for the first two years of the plant’s existence ; 
during the third and fourth year, there will be great irregularity among 
plants of the same age and same cross, they being probably all at different 
stages of growth at one time; but as they near the flowering period they 
come more into line, and although growing well into winter, they may take 
a short dormant period. 
