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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
175 
sturdy healthy condition of the plants throughout. But much time or 
labour cannot be devoted to damping, and it is consequently accom¬ 
plished in the following simple but effective manner. Beneath the 
stages at the sides of the walks run inch iron water pipes perforated at 
near intervals and furnished with taps so that it can be turned on in 
sections, and the surfaces of leaf beds, paths, walls, kc., are thus 
moistened as frequently and as thoroughly as required. Most of the 
houses have an incline to the south, and to insure the water remaining 
in the paths the tiles or iron bricks are partially hollowed in the 
centre, but not sufficiently to interfere with walking. Another mode is 
to have depressions at the sides of the paths next to the walls with 
divisions about a foot apart, which also serve to retain the water 
deposited on them. Extensive tanks are provided for rain water, which 
is almost exclusively used for supplying to the plants, and shading is 
in all respects been carefully constructed. The roof is of the ridge and 
furrow style, and the shading material is to be run from ridge to ridge, 
thus leaving space for the free admission of air. The centre stage rests 
on arched brick divisions, with a stage at one side and small rockeries 
between the houses on the other. Over the paths are wires for the sus¬ 
pension of baskets or blocks, and when the house is tilled it will have a 
fine appearance, as it is very light, the iron supports and ornamental 
corner pieces being of chocolate colour. 
The contents of this house are varied, but include large stocks of 
popular and useful Orchids. Oilontoglossuma, fur instance, have a large 
proportion of the space devoted to them, O. crispum (Alexandra) alone 
filling several long houses, while 0. Peseatorei tills a house exceeding 
200 feet in length. These are mostly in pots, but some are planted out 
in side beds and soon become est.iblished. They include innumerable 
IIG. 24.—ANGEjECUM SANDERIANUM. 
provide 1 by light tiffany on rollers, or a light cloudy mixture such as 
has been repeatedly described. As a convenient means of catching 
slugs small shallow .saucers are filEd with fresh bran and placed along 
the walls or stages, and these being closely examined every evening 
after dusk numbers of would-be depredators are caught and destroyed. 
The space beneath the stages in the larger houses is utilised in 
another and very important way, thousands of imported plants being 
suspended there until they “ plump ” or show signs of vitality by com¬ 
mencing root growth. It is their first stage after removal from the 
cases in which they arrive, and as soon as they are found to have re¬ 
covered sufficiently they are placed in pots or baskets, but mostly the 
former, and this is a work of some magnitude where so many thousands 
have to be dealt with every month. Excessive heat is avoided, but a 
liberal supply of piping is allowed, and several miles are required to 
provide the requisite temperatures for so large a block of houses. Weeks’ 
tubular being the boiler employed. In the corridor Cattleya house 
alone over a mile of pipes has been found necessary, and this house has 
fine varieties, as fresh treasures are being constantly discovered. 0. vexil- 
larium is also largely represented by vigorous plants of different sizes, 
and no difficulty seems to be experienced there in the culture of this 
Orchid. There is a good stock of the remarkably distinct and beautiful 
0. Ilarryanum, O. naevium majus, and scores of the valuable hybrids or 
intermediate varieties are arranged in one of the houses. Cattleyas and 
Lmlias are seen in thousands, of all sizes and in all .stages, from small 
pieces in 60 or 48-size pots to huge masses, like one example of Cattleya 
Bowringiana 4 feet long by 3 feet wide, and comprising 300 pseudo-bulbs 
and sixty new leads. Cattleya Trianae and its varieties are admirably 
represented, and contribute larjely to the floral display at the present 
time. All the best of the other Cattleyas are also included, while of 
Lmlias, L. anceps is in strong force both of the richly coloured and the 
white varieties. The handsome Lrelia elegans and its numerous varieties 
have considerable space devoted to them, some of the plants being of 
great size. Ccelogynes, such as C. cristata Lemoniana, the Chatsworth 
variety, and maxima, are flowering together, and the superior characters 
