88 
THE ORCHID WORLD. 
THE ORCHID COLLECTION OF MONS. FIRMIN LAMBEAU, 
VILLA VOGELSANG, near BRUSSELS. 
THE culture of orchids commenced in 
the year 1897. At that time there 
did not exist a special house for 
orchids, and the Cattleyas were grown in a 
temperate house which was used for green- 
liouse plants and other flowers. 
The first 
special house 
was construc- 
ted in the fol- 
lowing year. 
It was a cool- 
house for 
Odontoglos- 
sums. The re- 
sults were so 
favourable as 
to induce the 
owner to con- 
struct a hot- 
house ; and 
the number of 
orchid - houses 
succes si vely 
grew until it 
reached 
eighteen. 
These con- 
structions were 
very dissimilar 
111 style, which 
was not econ- 
omical. There- 
fore, when M. 
L a m b e a u 
moved from his residence at Chateau 
Precklinden to that which he now occu- 
pies at Villa Vogelsang he made prepara- 
tions for a completely new establishment. 
Here he applied all that past experience sug- 
gested in the way of reducing labour and fire 
heat and in obtaining the best results. 
The orchid-houses are disposed in two 
ranges, joined by a corridor of about six 
metres in width. Five of these houses are 
placed on each side of this corridor, each one 
Mons. Firmin Lamheau. 
of which is separated from the next by a 
passage about a metre wide. 
The ventilation of these houses is assured 
by a system of ventilators worked by means 
of gearing, which is fixed in the central 
corridor. 
The h o t - 
water heating 
is composed 
of two tubular 
boilers, each 
one of whidi is 
alone capable 
of heating the 
whole estab- 
lishment. In 
the normal 
state the two 
boilers are 
used with a 
moderate fire, 
but in case of 
accident each 
one of the 
boilers can be 
isolated by 
means of 
valves. 
The hot- 
water pipes 
are of wrought 
iron, and are 
joined to- 
gether by 
means of bolts 
and nuts, which make a perfect water-tight 
joint, and at the same time can be easily taken 
to pieces. The valves to regulate the heat in 
each house are placed in the central corridor ; 
they are thus in a place of easy access. 
At the end of this corridor, and over the 
boilers, is a compartment of five metres by 
seven, where the general work is done — re- 
potting, washing the plants, etc. These 
operations are all done without taking the 
plants outside. 
