236 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [AuGUST, 1908. 
to give the bulbs every chance to ripen before the dull season is here again. 
Cattleyas and Lelias will require very little shade after the middle of 
August, only when the sun is very bright in the middle of the day, and by 
the end of August any stippling on the glass which has been used for 
Cypripediums, Phalzenopsis, and other soft growing varieties, should be 
washed off, and the blinds only used. 
TEMPERATURES.—Fires will have to be attended to earlier in the 
afternoons, so that the pipes can be slowly warmed to keep the temperatures 
up after the sun has gone down. Starting the fires early is better for the 
boilers and plants than leaving them till the sun has lost its power, and then 
rushing the heat round, as you then have no command of your heat, and it 
is a waste of fuel and does harm to the plants as well as the boilers. A 
sudden chill always does a lot of harm early in the season. Boilers and 
pipes that require repairing or replacing should be done as soon as possible, 
as it is not safe to be without fires later than August. 
WaTERING.—Nearly all plants will require less water,and more care in giv- 
ing it, than has been the case during the hotter weather. The supply must 
not be withheld entirely, but gradually lessened so that the young growths 
have a chance to harden before the end of September, and then they will 
generally go through the winter alright. It is surprising how little water 
they require after August, if the houses are kept damped and the syringe 
is used on bright days, although more ventilation is used during the 
ripening season. 
SEEDLINGS, as soon as they are large enough to handle, should be 
pricked off and grown on as fast as possible. Keep the temperatures even, 
and the house or frames well damped, which will save watering the seedlings 
so much. Keep them near the glass, and well shaded for some time yet, 
whenever the sun is bright. Slugs and cockroaches should be kept down, or 
they soon cause havoc amongst a batch of small seedlings. Hybridising is 
very interesting work, and although one does not always get the best results 
the interest repays for the extra trouble. Any seedlings that were pricked 
off in the spring and require a larger pot should be shifted on before the 
winter, and kept going. They are better kept moving till they reach 
flowering size, when they can be treated the same as the other flowering 
plants. 
Many plants will be showing flower now, and although it takes a long 
time for them to develop their spikes and flowers they should be watched 
for staking and watering, as crooked stems and stunted flowers are a year’s 
work wasted. THRIP must also be watched for, as they soon injure the buds. 
If the houses are kept fumigated about every fortnight or so thrip or spider 
will not have much chance to make headway. Any plants that require 
sponging should be done before the flowers open, then there is no danger of 
