THE ORCHIDACEOUS HOUSE. 
293 
Amaryllis. — The plants that are required 
for early flowering, should now receive less 
water, and be gradually brought to a resting 
state, previously to their throwing up their 
flower stems. 
Achimenes picta. — Select healthy and vigor- 
bus young plants of this, and of Oemera 
zebrina, and pot them ; they will come in well 
for winter flowering. 
Achimenesmultiflora and longiflora. — When 
it has been possible to keep any of these dor- 
mant up to this time, if they are planted now 
they will flower during the autumn. 
Gloxinias and Qesneras, in a growing state, 
require a good supply of water. Some prefer 
to dry off the former, when the blooming is 
past, and some prefer the contrary ; very good 
plants have been grown on both plans. Ges- 
neras are usually dried off ; and the others, if 
not dried, need rest. 
Cactuses. — 'As soon as ever the bloom is a 
little past let them be grown on freely in rich 
soil, in a hot moist atmosphere ; when the 
growth is made, gradually harden them, so as 
to get to expose them for a time, in a hot, dry 
place, out of doors — the gravel-walk in front 
of a glass building is a good place — keep them 
through the winter in a cool, dry green-house, 
and bring them into the stove to flower, iu 
succession, as wanted. 
Gardenia — the Cape Jasmine — is a great 
favourite, from its delicious fragrance. Put in 
cuttings of both kinds, G. radicans and florida, 
in a dung bed, and grow the young plants 
there ; indeed they grow better in such a situ- 
ation than in any other. 
■ Begonias.- — The winter and early spring 
flowering kinds should be looked out and re- 
potted, so as to have made good growth by 
the end of autumn. Some of these are very 
beautiful plants for winter flowering. 
Palms. — Most of the plants will have made 
their growth ; in that case, give them less 
water for a time, and also less moisture in the 
atmosphere, and then drop the heat a little by 
good ventilation. Those of the plants which 
are bearing fruit should have a liberal supply 
of clear manure water. 
ORCHIDACEOUS HOUSE. 
The same general features of management, 
as regards the atmospherical condition of this 
house, shading, watering, &c. as have been 
already explained at p. 2.54, must be continued 
— these conditions are, a high temperature, 
moist atmosphere, with little ventilation. In 
fact, there is little variation in these features 
of treatment throughout the six or eight genial 
months of the year, except that shading is not 
required but in bright sunshine. Generally 
speaking, the plants which manifest signs of 
growth should be repotted, or, at least, exa- 
mined, and the material, whether soil or moss, 
about their roots, rearranged ; and any of the 
plants which are growing away vigorously 
may get a little weak, clear, manure water 
occasionally — perhaps once in two or three 
days ; if they are in pots, this can be given in 
the ordinary way ; but in the case of those 
growing in baskets or on blocks, it can only 
be given them by means of the syringe. The 
blocks and baskets on and in which plants are 
growing, should, besides, be frequently damped 
by the syringe, using water of the temperature 
of the house. 
Early-growing Plants will, in many cases, 
have completed their growth ; in which case, 
they may with propriety be removed for a 
time, either to the cooler-house, or a pit where 
an average temperature of 60 degrees is 
kept up, without the aid of sun-heat. The 
object is, to submit the plants to an atmo- 
sphere less highly charged both with heat and 
humidity, and at the same time to afford them 
a greater supply of fresh air. Of course, they 
must be gradually submitted to the change, 
and must be taken back again to their former 
situation, when they show symptoms of flower- 
ing, or by the end of the summer. 
Plants in flower, or at least, when they are 
ready to open their blossoms, should be re- 
moved to the cooler-house, where they open 
deeper coloured, and keep longer in flower. 
A warm green-house or conservatory is suit- 
able for them when in this state. 
Cattleyas. — This is a good time to pot some 
of the Cattleyas, which are about commencing 
to grow. Let it be done carefully, as de- 
scribed at p. 58. 
Mr. Lyons says, and we quite agree with 
him, that " the general practice of eradicating 
weeds, is highly to be approved of, and among 
orchidaceous plants, when they smother or 
choke them, it becomes necessary, — therefore 
eradicate weeds. From these plants being 
grown principally in lumps of peat, in a short 
time the soil becomes covered with indigenous 
bog plants. These I would not call weeds, 
nor are they unsightly ; on the contrary, I 
conceive them to be more pleasing to the eye, 
and to the general arrangement of the house, 
than a mass of shapeless lumps of brown peat 
and potsherds. I am fond of them, and rather 
cherish them to a certain extent. I sometimes 
thin, but never eradicate them ; they are my 
hygrometers, and indicate when the plants 
require water by their leaves flagging ; be- 
sides which, they retain a wholesome moisture 
under the roots of the plants.*' We very 
much admire some of the smaller Lycopodiums 
planted about the pots and baskets ; their 
peculiarly elegant form of growth renders 
them very appropriate for this purpose : there 
are several of them which are suitable, but 
