THE ORCHID WORLD. 
[Aug'ust, 1913. 
Spring to undertake the construction of a 
small house, the temperature of which should 
scarcely exceed that of an ordinary green- 
house. Taking advantage of an unemployed 
portion of a back wall, about 20 feet long by 
10 feet high, I reared against this a row ot 
glazed sashes, which rested at rather a steep 
incline upon a front wall about 4 feet in 
height. Against this was fixed a stone shelf 
4 feet wide, which, with a passage of about 
the same dimensions along the back wall, 
made up the entire width of the house A 
hot-water pipe that may be used or not, 
according to circumstances, was borrowed 
from an adjoining plant-stove, and air was 
admitted by ventilators at a low level in the 
front wall and at a high level in the wall 
behind. To this wall there was also affixed 
an open trellis-work shelf about a foot wide 
at a short distance from the glass. 
" It is clear that nothing can be simpler than 
these arrangements, which at the expense of 
about have supplied me with an Orchid 
house that has already yielded me more 
enjoyment than I ever derived from houses 
of ten times greater pretension. The plants, 
consisting of Odontoglossurns, L^elias, 
Lycastes, etc., have now been half a year in 
this house, and have charmed me by the 
progress they have made, and which is quite 
as striking in a variety of other examples as 
in the case of the Epidendrum vitellinum that 
I have now selected for exhibition. I shall, 
however, reserve my remarks on otiier species 
for a future occasion, and shall, in the mean- 
time, strongly urge upon the Fellows of the 
Horticultural Society, and indeed upon 
horticulturists generally, the expediency of 
constructing small cool houses, and of thus 
judging for themselves as to the fund of 
interest and pleasure that is at length opened 
to us in the cool treatment of Orchids from 
cool localities. 
" I ought to add that a cool house must be 
kept damp as well as cool, particularly during 
the summer montlis, and while the sun is 
vertical it ought to be shaded with tiffany for 
a few hours in the day. The plants may be 
grown either on logs of wood or in pots. 
Many of the Laelias and Epidendrums 
succeeding best upon the former, while the 
latter are invariably preferred by the 
Odontoglossurns. For these last I employ a 
mixture composed of broken potsherds, 
fibrous peat, and sphagnum in nearly equal 
proportions, which my gardener, Mr. Sherratt, 
finds preferable to all others." 
ORCHIDS FOR AMATEURS. 
THE month of August is never a very 
interesting time for English amateurs, 
it may well be called the holiday 
season, for both the owner and his plants 
appear to have their minimum amount of 
trouble. For many past weeks the heat- 
loving Orchids have had a very beneficial 
season, in fact, one closely resembling that of 
their native home. There has been no 
anxiety on the mind of the cultivator 
regarding the maintaining of suitable night 
temperatures, even the heating apparatus has 
had its holiday, and may now be carefully 
examined for any defects and consequent 
necessary repairs. It is bad policy to wait 
until some serious breakdown occurs, for to 
attend to alterations and repairs during a 
severe frost is exceedingly risky, and yet this 
is usually the time when accidents occur. 
While fine weather lasts every opportunity 
should be taken to have all structural repairs 
finished before the advent of winter. No one 
fully realises the immense amount of damage 
done to plants through leaky roofs and 
cracked panes of glass which allow a constant 
draught of cold air to fall upon the plants. 
Towards the end of August many Cattle} as 
and similar species will have completed their 
new bulbs. As soon as this is noticed every 
care must be taken to get the bulbs fully 
ripened, for unless this is properly done the 
plant is unable to show forth its full beauty 
when the flowering season occurs. This 
ripening process must take place gradually. 
Any sudden exposure of a tender plant to 
direct sunshine and dry air will cause 
considerable damage to be clone to the foliage 
and render the bulbs unsuitable for good 
growth to be made during the following 
