891 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 14, 1885. 
a correct method of treatment answers best, and it is better to leave doubtful 
experiments to their originators until they are proven. The worst of it is 
that wonder-workers are never tired of getting others to injure their plants 
by trying their schemes, and hence much mischief occurs. For my part, I 
have generally found that the extreme practices which we hear of from 
time to time in the end only goto prove the extraordinary tenacity of life in 
Orchids, and their adaptability to the different kinds of treatment they 
must necessarily receive at different hands. 
SHADING AND HEATING. 
Next comes the shading and heating of the Orchid house. With respect 
to the shading, I am convinced that all Orchids should be shaded against 
the direct rays of the sun, and that the shading should, where possible, be 
varied in thickness according to the plants contained in the house. Some 
of those very thin materials we see exhibited, when strengthened with 
webbing, do admirably for Laslias and other Mexican and Brazilian plants ; 
the medium textures for Cattleyas, and the thickest for Cypripediums, 
Masdevallias, and all cold-house plants, all East Indian Orchids, and all 
terrestrial Orchids, such as Calanthe veratrifolia, Phaius Wallichii, &c. 
These grow in dense jungles, and bright sunlight dwarfs them and alto¬ 
gether spoils them. 
I saw a remarkable instance of this recently in a garden where a Calanthe 
veratrifolia had been kept in a sunny house for years, and had always been 
a miserable and stunted object. At length it was placed out of the way on 
the centre bed, and underneath the tall plants, which effectually hid it from 
view. In a very short time it became a robust free-flowering plant. I have 
seen many similar cases where excessive sunlight under glass has had much 
the same effect as excessive cold would have done. I therefore assert that 
although most Orchids require a clear light, yet when grown under glass all 
of them should be sheltered from the unbroken rays of the sun from the 
time it gets the power to injure until its power wanes. For Orchids in 
flower a thick shading is absolutely necessary, as the flowers last twice as 
long shaded, and draw on the strength of the plants much less than they do 
when exposed to the sun. As regards the heating of Orchid houses, I early 
found that it was necessary to have some plan, and to adhere to it, checking 
it by the thermometer. I therefore compiled the following scale for the 
whole year:— 
Table or Temperatures for Orchid Houses. 
Months. 
Warm House. 
East Indian. 
Cattleya, or Inter¬ 
mediate House. 
Cool, or Odonto- 
glossum House. 
Day 
Night 
Day 
Night 
Day 
Night 
Degrees 
Degrees 
Degrees 
Degrees 
Degrees 
Degrees 
January. 
65—70 
60 
60—65 
55 
50—55 
45 
February . 
65—70 
60 
60-65 
55 
50—65 
45 
March. 
65-70 
60 
60-65 
65 
55—60 
50 
April . 
65-70 
60 
60-65 
55 
55-60 
50 
May. 
70-75 
65 
65-70 
60' 
60-65 
55 
75 -80 
70 
70 75 
65 
60-65 
July. 
75-85 
70 
70-80 
65 
60—70 
65 
August . 
75—85 
70 
70—80 
65 
60—70 
55 
September. 
75—80 
70 
70—75 
65 
60—65 
55 
October. 
70-75 
65 
65-70 
60 
60-65 
55 
November. 
65-70 
60 
60-65 
55 
65—60 
50 
December. 
65—70 
60 
60-65 
55 
80-65 
45 
Degrees Fahrenheit. The higher day temperature to be attained by sun heat when 
possiole. 
This scale cannot, of course, be followed to the letter, neither is it neces¬ 
sary that it should be; it is intended rather to give a basis on which to 
operate, to enforce a strict guard over the regulation of the heating, and to 
the preserving of that lower night temperature which is of such vital 
consequence to the plants, and which should in all cases be insured by night 
ventilation and oy every other means at command. In summer the pre¬ 
scribed temperature will often be exceeded, but it hardly matters by how 
much if the extra rise is due to sun heat, and the houses in which the plants 
are are properly shaded and kept moist. 
ARRANGEMENT OF THE PLANTS. 
And now the manner of the arrangement of the plants in the house 
demands attention, as I am bound to confess that in all ages of Orchid 
culture, even down to this day, a great mortality has always prevailed 
among small-growing plants ; this arises probably, in many cases, from 
excessive heat and too little air, but in by far the greater number of cases 
by the lesser plants being mad© to occupy the front portions of the 
graduated stages, thus reversing the proper order of things, and placing 
the strong plants near the glass and the weak and dwarf ones the farthest 
from it. From this cause I am sure the periodical scarcity of the Ionopsis, 
Tiichocentrums, Comparettias, Barkerias, and such-like frail things may, in 
a great measure, be attributed to the distance they are grown from the glass. 
Indeed, it is of the highest importance that in general practice some attempt 
should be made to arrange the plants with relation to the distance from the 
glass of the roof according to their height and general growth. Hence, the 
very smallest should always be grown on blocks, rafts, or in baskets or 
shallow pans, and the others arranged according to their heights, as nearly 
as the necessity for occupying all the staging will permit. 
Allowing 1 foot from the glass as the safety line, a good rough rule may 
be laid down that every small or medium-sized true epiphytal Orchid will 
do best if brought to within its own height of that line ; thus, if a plant is 
12 inches high it should be brought to within 2 feet of the glass of the roof ; 
if 1 foot G inches to 2 feet G inches, and so on until the larger and stronger¬ 
growing kinds which will do in any position are reached. 
The rule should be approached as nearly as possible with small things, 
but with large ones a distance of 3 feet from the glass is a convenient and 
good one. Of course, this rule, like every other in such an elastic matter as 
Orchid culture, cannot be adhered to in all cases, but if steadily kept in mind 
and followed where practicable, it will be found of the greatest service in 
preserving the delicate subjects. Cypripediums Masdevallias, cool-house 
Orchids generally, and terrestrial Orchids, although requiring some con¬ 
sideration in the same way, are not included in those which it is absolutely 
necessary to arrange after some modification of the before-mentioned plan. 
I may also add that fumigation, which is so injurious to many Orchids, 
claims many victims from the small growers, and it is best for each grower 
to find some safe liquid insecticide than to resort to fumigating at all. 
And now after I have endeavoured to gain converts by showing that 
Orchid culture is a pleasant occupation to those who possess some skill and 
much diligence, and who are willing to observe Nature and follow her 
dictates in the culture of their plants, demanding of them only twelve 
months’ work in a year, exercising their judgment in all cases to the best 
of their ability, and maintaining the most scrupulous cleanliness in houses, 
plants, and everything around their plants, let me finish with a few obser¬ 
vations as to the cost of the plants. 
THE COST OF ORCHIDS. 
On this head it may safely be said that never were good showy Orchids 
to be obtained at more convenient prices, and that the present regulation of 
supply and demand, while presenting to the wealthy collector rare plants 
for which he must pay well, at the same time offer to him who finds a con¬ 
genial pastime in tending his one or two little houses of Orchids, plenty of 
beautiful things as well within the reach of his purse as any ordinary plant 
would be. Indeed, good things are cheaper now than ever they were, and 
with the exception of a few very high prices, those realised nowadays are 
not the outcome of a new Orchid craze, as a comparison with former prices 
will prove. . _ 
Rare things, according to the esteem in which they are held in their day, 
have always commanded good prices. In March, 1846, at a sale of Guate¬ 
malan Orchids at Stevens’s, Coelia macrostachya realised £18 to £12 10s.; 
Barkeria spectabilis, £5 to £17 each ; Epidendrum Stamfordianum, 
5 guineas; Lselia superbiens, £13 to £15; Mormodes and Epidendrums, 
5 to 10 guineas each ; and Arpophyllums, £10 to £15 each ; the 168 lots 
realising £600. In 1845 D. aqueum fetched £10 a plant, and later on D. 
formosum 15 guineas; other Dendrobes, £10 to £12 each; Oncidium 
macranthum, £5 to £8 each. In 1847 the imported plants of Vanda Lowii 
fetched from £10 to £25 each; Aerides maculosum, £20 ; A. crispum, £21; 
A. odoratum, £16; and others equally high prices, Mrs. Lawrence, the Earl 
of Derby, Mr. Rucker, and Mr. Schroder being the principal buyers. Notes 
taken at the same period also tell us that errors of description were more 
frequent in former times than in ours. Ansellia africana is described as 
having immense sprays of handsome flowers each as large as a Tulip, and in 
another case the auctioneer is entrusted with the sale of a bright scarlet 
Vanda. 
It will therefore be seen that ever since Orchids were introduced they 
could command prices according to their beauty or rarity ; and so, no doubt, 
it will continue to be. Let us hope that the now great facilities for obtaining 
handsome things, formerly very expensive, may, with the aid of the display 
of their beauties at this Conference, induce many new growers to commence, 
each according to his means, for out of such ranks our great Orchid growers 
of the future will he recruited. 
THE ORCHID EXHIBITION. 
“ This,” said a distinguished orchidist, “ is something to be remembered 
with pleasure while memory lasts,” and the opinion was, no doubt, un¬ 
consciously echoed by hundreds of the visitors who have had the good 
fortune to see the wonderful gathering of Orchids at Kensington.. Grand 
displays of floral treasures have been provided by the Royal Horticultural 
Society on innumerable occasions; but never have they had so complete 
and satisfactory a representation of a large natural order as that which will 
render the Orchid Conference memorable in the annals of horticulture. 
Such a wealth and variety of colours, combined with diversely formed 
flowers, could be obtained in no other family, and few who were present 
could fail to be impressed with this fact. From the richest crimsons and 
purples, through all imaginable shades—except only that favourite colour 
blue—all gradations were represented, and produced a delightful harmony 
of hues. 
All the leading orchidists in the south of England contributed liberally 
from their collections, and the Orchid Conference must be, like its pre¬ 
decessors of a similar character devoted to Apples and to Daffodils, recorded 
as a most encouraging success. 
COLLECTIONS OF ORCHIDS IN FLOWER. 
The chief portion of the Exhibition was formed by the seventeen groups 
entered und r this head, nearly the whole of the central stage being devoted 
to them. Two magnificent banks were thus arranged, presenting a wealth 
of varied flowers far exceeding the expectations of many horticulturists who 
are familiar with the difficulties attending exhibitions of this character. 
Never has so large a number of species and varieties of Orchids been 
assembled in one building before, and an excellent idea could be obtained of 
the extent, variation, and beauty of the Orchid family. 
Very rich in rare species was the collection from Sir Trevor Lawrence, 
Bart., M.P., Burford Lodge, Dorking (Orchid grower, Mr. Bickerstaffe), 
which comprised representatives of sixty-four forms, several being uncom¬ 
monly fine specimens. Especially notable was a good example of Camarotis 
purpurea, a conical mass of stems 3 feet high, bearing about sixty spikes of 
small but pretty rosy flowers. Amongst some freely flowered Masdevallias 
were notable plants of M. Harryana ccerulescens with fifty large and richly 
coloured flowers, and M. acanthifolia, also a very handsomely coloured 
variety with about two dozen flowers. Extremely remarkable was Ludde- 
mannia Pescatorea with two spikes 18 inches to 2 feet long of curious 
brownish flowers, having orange-tinted lips. Another rare plant was 
Chrysostoma crassifolium, which has thick recurving leaves arranged in a 
Vanda-like manner, and somewhat resembling the Angrascums, bearing a 
panicle of ten short branches, on which the small white and purple flowers 
are closely packed. The strange Cypripedium caudatum had nearly thirty 
of its long-petalled flowers, the petals hanging like a lot of narrow ribbons 
around the plant and pot. The charming yellow and fragrant flowers of 
Cattleya citrina were noticeable amongst the other treasures. A new 
Calanthe, C. Textori, one of the vestita group, with white flowers and 
