J.'inu.irv, 19T3.] 
THE ORCHID WORT.D. 
91 
air has that soft, light and pleasant feeling so 
essential to their well being. 
I never advise sticking close to a stated 
temperature, especially when the outside 
climatic conditions are unfavourable, having 
always found much better results accrue from 
working in accordance with the weather and 
by keeping the houses comfortably warm 
with the air in active circulation and not too 
heavily charged with moisture. In the 
growing of these Orchids the state of the 
atmosphere is ten times more important than 
any kind of compost for the plants to root in 
can possibly be. 
Epiphytic Orchids are remarkable for the 
great variety of their flowers and foliage as 
well as for the life and partiality to certain 
substances of their roots. Everyone with a 
little experience is well aware how closely 
these plants are dependent upon their roots. 
In their absence, either through decay or 
other reason, it is useless to look for healthy 
growth or superior flowers. 
This brings me to another important point. 
I am convinced that the reason why these 
epiphytic Orchids sometimes fail in the hands 
of certain cultivators is because of their 
practice of affording too much moisture to the 
roots. Presuming these plants are growing 
in pots or baskets in the ordinary way, and 
the usual present day rooting material is 
employed, there still remains to be answered 
the oft-repeated question : How often should 
certain Orchids be watered? This is a 
question impossible to answer. 
Some terrestrial Orchids require a compost 
almost saturated with water, a condition 
totally unsuitable for epiphytes. The ability 
of this latter class of plant to take up little or 
much moisture is mainly determined by the 
amount of air they receive, and also by the 
light and description of the houses in which 
they are grown. Light and air naturally 
enable any plant to take up more moisture 
by means of its roots, but these organs of 
nutrition must be in a suitable medium. Any 
great excess of moisture causes young roots 
in course of formation to die prematurely, and 
oftentimes results in the death of the older 
ones. 
The kinds of Orchids which I have men- 
tioned require comparatively little water at 
their roots, the only exception being in the 
height of their growing season, for if 
furnished with plenty of live roots they 
seldom shrivel even when the compost .shows 
scarcely a vestige of moisture. The roots 
already in existence continue to grow in 
the dry material, unmistakable evidence of the 
condition favourable to the health of the 
plant. 
In nine cases out of ten the season's 
growth of epiphytic Orchids precedes root 
action by a longer or shorter period. In this 
matter of watering we should be guided by 
Nature, and only supply water in moderate 
quantities to the roots until it is seen by their 
activity that increased supplies are called for 
by the demands made on the plants by the 
developing growths. I very much doubt if 
there are any plants under cultivation that 
require more discrimination in the matter of 
watering. 
When the roots of these Orchids require 
water, no matter at what stage of activity or 
season of the year, only enough should be 
given to maintain the plants in health, always 
avoiding that excess which causes the roots 
to decay. Ram water is preferable for all 
plants as being the purest and most natural. 
Particularly is this the case with epiphytes, for 
in their natural state they can never 
experience the effect of any other kind. 
The question of whether any form of 
manure can with advantage be used for 
epiphytic Orchids is one of long standing. 
Let me say at once that, personally, I am 
opposed to its use and have never been 
accustomed to utilise it, always considering it 
a risky proceeding with regard to rare and 
valuable plants. On the rare occasions when 
I have experimented with stimulants the 
effect on the plants has always been disas- 
trous. So far as feeding is in any way 
concerned I feel convinced that these Orchids, 
being plants of comparatively slow as well as 
small growth, can only take naturally a 
limited amount of sustenance, and any 
attempt at increasing this by manurial aid is 
all but certain to prove harmful in the end. 
