ORCHID CONFERENCE. 



53 



Orchid culture is of importance, one neglected item often causing 

 failure in some direction or other. Let us glance at a few of the 

 most important matters, beginning with 



The Orchid House. 



In this particular we certainly have the advantage over those 

 of former years, in that we now have compact, well- ventilated, 

 and comfortably-heated structures ; but these changes were not 

 made until the Orchid growers themselves took to designing 

 their own houses or advising with the builders about them, and 

 from that time a new era in Orchid culture commenced. The 

 running lights, which were so fond of slipping down in the 

 night, were done away with ; the swinging-sashes on a level 

 with the plants on the side-stages were doomed ; those neat 

 little sliding-traps at the base of the house, and those convenient 

 top ventilators, substituted, and many other sanitary matters 

 arranged, which anyone may see to perfection in that fine new 

 Cattleya house, and those other recently-built structures belong- 

 ing to William Lee, Esq., at "Downside," Leatherhead, where one 

 of our largest, best, and best-housed collections will be found, 

 many of the convenient arrangement in those houses being of 

 Mr. Lee's own designing. At Baron Schroder's, too, at " The 

 Dell," Egham, some of the best of our modern improvements, 

 combining usefulness and ornament, will be found ; and as the 

 plants contained in the houses are of the best and rarest, a visit 

 to them is a great pleasure to any Orchid grower. 



In former times it used to be considered imperative to build 

 the Orchid houses running east and west, and many adhere to 

 that plan still; many also consider that a lean-to or three-quarter 

 span facing north is the best for odontoglossums and cold-house 

 plants. For my part, I cannot say that houses of any other 

 aspect are not as good as these, provided they be properly 

 arranged in other respects. A north house is certainly very 

 cool, and good for cold-house plants, and particularly mas- 

 devallias in summer ; but, from the very conflicting evidence I 

 have gathered in different parts of the country, I should say that 

 anyone having houses which they wish to devote to Orchids need 

 not be deterred by their facing this way or facing that, or in 

 building new ones to greatly inconvenience themselves to make 

 their houses run in any particular direction. 



