THE ORCHID REVIEW. tr5 
CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR APRIL. 
By H. A. BURBERRY. 
I May here again repeat my advice of February last concerning the great 
benefit of shading Orchids during early spring. Remember that the plants, 
when emerging from the dull weather of winter, are rendered somewhat 
soft or sappy, and unable, therefore, to withstand sudden or long spells of 
hot, bright sunshine direct upon them. Many Orchids are thus maimed, 
and the greater part of the beautiful growing weather of the summer is 
taken up in restoring to them that which they lost in the course of an hour 
or two’s neglect by omitting to shade. The moral is, attend well to the 
shading and damping down in early spring, and gradually inure your plants 
to the bright weather. Orchids in this respect may easily be compared to 
the common bedding plants of our gardens, many of which will stand with 
impunity cold strong winds and many degrees of actual frost during the 
autumn that would kill them outright immediately after being placed out of 
doors in Spring. 
The inmates of the East Indian house are now among those requiring 
attention in the way of top-dressing or repotting. Owing to the increased 
warmth from the sun and moisture in the atmosphere they are starting to 
make new roots in profusion. Should any of them have got into that 
condition commonly known as ‘“leggy,’’ they may be thought somewhat 
unsightly, especially by the grower who is in the habit of seeing them con- 
tinually. His susceptibilities are offended because they do not present a 
neat and well cared for appearance, and he is sorely tempted to “lower 
them.” Now, this cutting down and lowering business may or may not be 
the correct thing to do, and I would advise a little consideration before 
actually using the knife. It is very nice to see these plants with their stems 
clothed from the base upwards wlth healthy green foliage, but in the best 
interest of the plants this is not always possible. In some cases the speci- 
men may be skilfully lowered, and the result attained without the slightest 
injury, but in others it too often proves to be the beginning of the end. By 
all means lower a specimen if it can be accomplished without cutting away 
any part of the living stem or roots; but if any living, healthy roots have 
to be detached, then leave the lowering alone. After all, it should be 
remembered that it is perfectly natural for these aérial-rooting Orchids 
sooner or later to lose some of their lower leaves. If left alone, and well 
grown, young breaks will in due time push out from the bare stem some- 
where near its base, and will soon hide its nakedness. 
I have been told on several occasions, by those who ought to know, 
that we certainly do not cultivate East Indian Orchids nearly as well as 
was the case twenty or thirty years ago, or even longer. They refer to 
