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THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



[March, 1904.. 



the species require similar treatment, and are found to thrive in the East 

 Indian or Cattleya House, grown in well-drained pots or pans, in a compost 

 of fibrous peat and sphagnum moss. They should be potted immediately 

 after flowering, just as they begin to grow, and during active growth they 

 like a plentiful supply of water, but the amount should be diminished at 

 other seasons, taking care, however, not to let them become dry, or the 

 plants will suffer. The annexed specimen had been steadily grown on for 

 ten years from a small plant. 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR MARCH. 



By JOHN MACKAY, The Gardens, Highbury, Birmingham- 

 The temperature for the month of March should be kept near the following 



Cool House. — Day, 6o° ; night, 50 to 55 . 

 Intermediate House. — Day, 65 ; night, 55 to 6o°. 

 Warm House.— Day, 70 ; night, 6o° to 65°. 



The temperatures given above are suitable for fire heat alone, but during 

 sunny weather a rise of the thermometer will necessarily follow, which will 

 be advantageous to the plants generally, providing there is not an excess 

 of fire heat at the same time. Sometimes the sun makes its appearance 

 suddenly during the early part of the day, when the hot water pipes are 

 already sufficiently heated to maintain the required degree of warmth ; it is 

 then much better to use the blinds rather than to allow the temperature to 

 become excessive, or to try to reduce the same by putting on a super- 

 abundance of air. Ventilation by means of the top lights is generally 

 accompanied by considerable risk during this and the following month, and 

 if indulged in should be done most sparingly, otherwise the cold draughts 

 resulting are the means of checking tender growths ; and, again, the 

 atmospheric moisture is too rapidly transformed. The best method of 

 admitting air is by means of the bottom ventilators — especially at this time 

 of the year — the atmosphere is thus kept pure and sweet, and in a more 

 uniformly moist and growing condition. 



Damping down between the pots and other available spaces may be 

 done two or even three times daily, in accordance with the conditions 

 prevailing outside. Orchids are often injured, and sometimes killed out- 

 right, by over-saturation of the compost in which they grow ; seldom, 

 however, are they injured by the moisture arising from the evaporation of 

 water distributed on the stages, floors, walls, &c. They thrive not so much 

 upon the water given them at the root as upon that which they derive from 

 the atmosphere. If the atmosphere of the house contains plenty of 

 moisture, and is at the same time kept pure by a judicious use of the 



