12 
ORCHIDACEOUS HOUSE. 
structures becomes divested of the idea of ex- 
travagant expenditure, and is brought within 
the means of all who can in any way afford to 
cultivate exotic plants. Having noticed the 
desirableness of having two houses, it may be 
proper to state some of the reasons which may 
be urged in favour of this arrangement. All, 
or the greater part of tropical Orchids, then, 
are found in situations where the seasons are 
strongly marked by humidity at one time, and 
by drought at another ; these humid and dry 
periods cannot be combined in a single house ; 
and to have the house alternately dry* and 
moist, would limit the cultivator to such species 
as grow and flower at the same time of the 
year, while during the resting period he would 
have no bloom whatever, i The manner of em- 
ploying two houses, is to remove the plants to 
the dry-house, as soon as they have matured 
their pseudo-bulbs, f or stems ; but this must 
not be quite general, as some of the species 
flower immediately after making their growth, 
and these, of course, do not sink into rest till 
the flowers are past. Such as these should be 
kept in the moist-house, until the flowers are 
ready to expand, by which they will be larger ; 
and if then removed to the dry-house, the 
colours will be more brilliant, the scent more 
powerful, and the blooms will remain longer 
in perfection, than if they had been retained in 
the moist atmosphere. When the flowering is 
over, the plants should remain in the dry-house 
till they show signs of growth, when they may 
be removed to the moist-house, to secure a 
vigorous growth, which must again undergo 
the same routine. These growing periods are 
very different, some commencing in February 
or March, and others in every month up to 
October or November ; and the time required 
to perfect their growth is also various, some 
taking six weeks, and others nearly six months, 
so that almost constantly some plants will re- 
quire removing from one house to the other. 
Such species as do not show flower as soon as 
they have perfected their bulbs, should be left 
in the dry-house till they show signs of flower- 
ing, when they may be taken to the other 
until they are ready to expand. All the 
plants, as soon as the flower-stem is perceived, 
should be kept in the moist-house while the 
buds are growing, as by this means they come 
larger, and in finer proportions ; but the ex- 
pansion of the flower should take place always 
in the cool-house, in order to increase the in- 
tensity both of colouring and fragrance. The 
temperature of the growing-house (in which, 
however, few plants will now be in a growing 
state) may range, at this period of the year, 
* The term must be understood comparatively, 
t A pseudo-bulb is the term applied to the short bulb- 
like stems of many of these plants. 
from 60 to 65 degrees by day, and from 5 to 
10 degrees lower at night ; and no more mois- 
ture should be maintained than the air will 
take up, if the pathways and walls are con- 
stantly damp. The comparatively dry or rest- 
ing-house should range near 55 degrees by day, 
and 50 degrees at night, and must get some- 
what less moisture, though the term dry is by 
no means to be understood as implying the 
entire absence of moisture. This latter house 
will afford a suitable place for growing those 
species which thrive in a cooler temperature 
than the others. Those who grow a limited 
collection in one small house, and who cannot 
therefore attend to what is here stated of 
removing the plants from a moist to a dry 
atmosphere, and the reverse, must endeavour 
to regulate the application of moisture, so that 
the plants may experience something of the 
same kind of alternation at the different periods 
referred to ; this may, in great measure, be 
done by keeping all the resting plants together 
at one end of the house, and keeping that end as 
dry as possible; they might even be surrounded 
by a close glass case, to exclude atmospheric 
moisture. These remarks apply to the season 
of growth, extending from February to Octo- 
ber ; in the winter period, including the pre- 
sent month, there is a less marked difference 
in the atmosphere of what is called a dry and 
a moist house. 
Growing Plants. — "When any of the plants 
begin to show signs of growth, which they 
will possibly do towards the end of the month, 
they should be removed to the warmest end of 
the house, previously to their being potted; but 
very few will require potting so early as this. 
Insects. — The worst insect enemies which 
infest Orchids are the cock-roaches (Blatta sp.) 
which often, when they abound, spoil a young 
shoot or flower-stem in a single night. They 
may be destroyed in the "following manner :— 
get some short twigs, a few inches long, and 
divested of their bark ; point one end to stick 
into the soil, and cover the other end by 
dipping it in a composition* of spermaceti 
and arsenic melted together, and well mixed ; 
this composition will remain for months on the 
sticks, and the insects coming to feed on the 
spermaceti, are poisoned by taking the arsenic 
with which it is mingled. A small American 
ant, which also infests them, isdestroyed by the 
same means. The TFoofZfo'«6-e(Aniseus ascellus) 
is, next to the cock-roach, the worst enemy 
that these plants have in the insect form; they 
are trapped by a number of contrivances, all 
designed to produce a sheltered retreat, where 
the insects resort during the day time, and are 
then looked for, and destroyed. Hollow tubes 
open at one end, made of bean stalks, or the 
* Spermaceti jib ; arsenic 2oz. 
