Hints Concerning Oiichid-Ctjltuiie. 211 
a 120 ft. high steep wall, to hide itself again in the dense foliage. This 
fairy-like scene, however, was not to last for long. The mist began to lift : 
it rose out of the depths in the shape of long-stretched clouds which 
were qnickly driven hefor-e the wind over the greater part of the snr 
rounding country and soon greedily wrapped us and the high crags 
once more in the damp and chilly veil that we could not pierce. 
4G9. After taking our morning soup, which consisted of yams and 
water, I rambled over the slope of the range in all diredtions, and at 
almost every step discovered new treasures, each find giving rise to a 
fresh cry of delight that hardly ever ceased. The huge sandstone boulders 
that were p'led in disorder over the declivity also supplied me with the 
most beautiful and peculiar Flora. A regular confus=fion of Clusia, 
TJiihoiidia, Mimosa, Myrr-ia, Ternströmia , Bonnctia, Bejnria, Vaccinriim, 
GuaHhcna-, Gomphia and ^fecfUepis guianemis had made themselves 
at home here, while the huge notched needles consisting of compact 
pebbly white and red sandstone that came into view in between, were 
covered with lichens, such as CJadoin'a, Evernia, Usnca and mosses, e.g., 
SpTiac/mm, OctohlepJmrum, Cahpnperes, JTypnum, amongst whäch' 
flourished the dainty GnapJialinni amerreannm. 
470. Wherever the eyes might turn they encountered the most beau- 
tiful orchids, e.g., Stelis'^ ophiofflos.i&ides Sw., Üiothonm hnbricatd, 
Lindl., Zi/r/opetahim, Macliai Hook., MaMleiiallia guianensis Lindl,, 
Cleistes rosea Lindl., Oncidiuin puJcJiellum, GaWeya pumila. Hofok., 
as well as C MossiaS Hook., Odonfoglossae., MaxUlariac, and a. nuraeT- 
ons quantity of Epidendrovs. But the f^ohraUae remained the uiost lovely 
jewels which at this height reached a state of luxuriance that might seem 
fabulous to the northern gardener: wherever any humus had collected 
in the clefts and crannies of the boulders, or the beds of sandstone were 
but covered with somewhat lighter vegetable mould, these darted out 
with their 8 to 10 ft. high shoots and their flowers from the sizel of our 
garden lily upwards, and formed a regular tangle through which we had 
to cut our way with a cutlass. The reason) whv the f^ohralior bloom so 
rarely in our orchid-houses may well be that they are usually supplied 
with much too warm a temperature. 69° F. was the highest and 52° F. 
the lowest temperature of the localities where they flourished in most 
profusion: that of the water in the torrents was 55° to 58° F. The 
tables of meteorological observations during our stay at Roraima show 
the degree of heat under which not only the orchids but all the peculiar 
plant-forms in general flourished in a state of luxuriance that was 
hardly discoveralfle anywhere on the lower levels. Judging from these 
experiences it seems tO' me that complaints will continue to be received 
coucerning their scanty blossoms so long as our orchid culture is not' 
approximated more strictly and positively to the temperatui'e limits 
proper to the plants. If we step nowadays into an orchid house we find 
all the forms possessed by the owner exposed to one and the same 
temperature : the degree of boat is the same, and the uioisture also. Wer'e 
one to pay a little more attention to the hints suggested here, I am" 
quite convinced that the beautiful Sohralia would soon develop its 
enchanting blossoms also with us. 
N2. 
