116 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
the era of the old-fashioned flue system of heating the houses, and what 
lends a good deal of colour to their argument, and induces me to think that 
there is considerable truth in their contention, is the fact that I have 
myself seen some most remarkably well-cultivated specimens of such 
species as Phalenopsis, Aérides, Saccolabium, Angreecum, and even Chysis 
bractescens and Peristeria elata, come out of such houses. If they are 
right, and East Indian Orchids were really cultivated with greater success 
then than now, what is the cause of the difference? It cannot be that 
we understand them less,.that they are imported in fewer numbers, or that 
the passage takes longer. There is only one explanation that occurs to 
me as likely to be correct, namely, the probable drier atmosphere and perhaps 
lower temperature during the winter or resting season. _It is probable that 
those houses which were heated by the old flue system had a tendency to 
become much drier during winter, when firing was kept up pretty con- 
tinually, owing to its action on the great mass of masonry necessary to 
make the flue chamber absolutely proof against possible leakage. It 
would then be so dry that whatever moisture might be distributed about 
the house would quickly become absorbed by the warm dry bricks, and 
thus render a stagnant fungoid-producing atmosphere almost impossible. 
During the summer time, of course, the fires would be lighted only under 
exceptional circumstances, and the chances are that the atmosphere of the 
old-fashioned Stove hotise was even more heavily-laden with moisture than 
those of our own day. I think this is a matter well worth a little con- 
sideration. There is no doubt in my mind that Stove or East Indian 
house plants are frequently kept too wet during winter, both at the roots 
and in the air, and thus we introduce ‘“‘ spot’ and other diseases, whilst the 
plants themselves are less vigorous and hardy, and consequently unable to 
make such rapid and luxuriant growth when the proper season arrives. 
The growing season is now rapidly approaching, and we must lose no 
time in looking over the plants and putting them in good order. They 
are best accommodated in teak wood baskets or cylinders, or failing these, 
perforated pots or pans, which are better for these essentially erial-rooting 
Orchids than the ordinary garden pot, which has no holes through which 
the air can circulate. If the roots are in good condition, don’t disturb 
the plants, but simply pick out as much of the old worn out compost as 
possible, and replenish with fresh sphagnum moss. If the roots have not 
a firm grip of the cylinder or baskets the plant may be unsteady, and if so 
should always be securely supported by the aid of a neat green-painted 
stick. If any plant is “leggy,” and a way can be devised to lower the 
same without serious injury occuring to the roots, let the cylinder or basket 
be sufficiently large at its base to admit of its holding comfortably the mass 
_of ‘roots, without crushing or breaking. It frequently happens that the 
