JuNE, 1906.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 185 
CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR JUNE. 
By J. M. Brack, Streatham. 
ALL our endeavours should be directed during the next two or three months 
to keeping healthy growing conditions in all the houses, for now the great 
majority of the plants are in active growth, and the most must be made of 
our variable and ofttimes much too short summer. 
It is questionable if abnormally large pscudobulbs can really be called 
good growing, although most of us try to get them. A very large pseudo- 
bulb, if flowered, is frequently followed by one much smaller, which is but 
a natural reaction, and this can be especially noted among Cattleyas. 
Some Odontoglossums and Dendrobiums seem much more tractable, for 
the bulbs made under our artificial conditions are easily maintained much 
larger than those imported, and the flowers are, I believe, proportionately 
much finer. 
But the principal object in good growing should be the procuring of 
ripe pseudobulbs, in preference to mere size, and this can only be done 
by judicious ventilation and shading, in conjunction with the appropriate 
use of the right potting material. I have tested to my own satisfaction the 
futility of producing—in rich leaf soil mixtures—large pseudobulbs at the 
expense of ripeness, and Odontoglossums give evidence of unripened 
succulent growing sooner than anything else. There is constantly being 
brought under our notice the great difference in the quality of the flowers 
of a standard variety on plants from different collections. 
Broadly speaking, too much air cannot now be given to the Cattleya, 
Intermediate, and Odontoglossum houses during the day, when the weather 
is fine,—on still sultry days even leaving the doors open. On sunny 
mornings ventilation will have to be increased immediately, and the 
shading lowered. Although a run up in the afternoon may be permitted, 
it should not be allowed in the morning. First the dry plants should be 
watered, and then the houses syringed, and it is just as well to take a walk 
round with the watering-can again before closing the houses in the after- 
noon, as some plants may appear moist in the morning which would really 
benefit by being watered. Frequent sprayings overhead and between the 
pots will have to be given, but the foliage should be allowed to get 
thoroughly dry at least once during the day, and the best time to have the 
houses dry is for an hour or two before closing up. We do not often find 
it necessary to damp or syringe any more in the houses that are closed at 
half-past three. Before closing, the houses are well damped, and the plants 
sprayed—lightly or heavily according to the weather—and these two anda 
half hours of closeress have the effect of retaining the moisture, and the 
leaves which may have become a bit parched, will revel in the heavy, still, 
