228 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 25, 1886. 
■whole brick just below the side shelf and opposite a hot-water pipe. 
These act as plugs, which are removed in spring immediately the 
frost has departed and are not put in again until autumn, thus afford¬ 
ing a free admission of air both day and night. This is only noted 
as an example of what can be done, for in ordinary establishments a 
piece of board 8 or 9 inches wide, sliding in two grooves outside the 
house opposite, the pipes, is sufficient for ventilation beneath the 
stages, though iron or wooden hinged shutters are also employed. In 
one place I have seen the following method adopted : a channel runs 
down the side of the path under the pipes, communicating with a 
small chamber outside the house covered with a grating. The 
channel opens into the house by several apertures, which can be 
opened or closed by small lids, and the cold air thus admitted ascends 
directly to the pipes, being partially warmed before it comes in contact 
with the plants. The outsidegratingcanalsobeeovered when necessary. 
Roof ventilation can be accomplished in various ways according to 
convenience, but for all warm houses, especially in cold bright weather, 
it is advisable to have pieces of tiffany stretched across the opening 
to break the force of the cold current. During the winter whenever 
the wind is keen or frost severe never ventilate, and in very hot dry 
weather it is better to shade well, employ no fire heat, damp 
liberally, and ventilate but little. Without-artificial heat the tempera¬ 
ture, of all but the typical cool houses may be allowed to rise 
considerably above the maximum temperatures given in the table 
without danger if wa'er be abundantly supplied. For this reason 
the houses may be closed at 3 to 5 p.m. according to the season and 
the weather, but a little all-night ventilation in the height of summer 
will not be hurtful to tropical Orchids, and for the others it should 
be the rule at that time of year. 
The ordinary roller blinds are the most convenient for shading 
purposes, as they can be quickly run down or up according to the 
weather. A very' convenient form of blind is the Parisian chain 
blind, which is formed of narrow strips of wood a short distance 
apart, so that, while effectually breaking the force of the sun’s ray r s, 
they do not. darken the house. These are giving satisfaction in 
several Orchid-growing establishments. For Odontoglossum houses 
in sunny positions permanent shading is sometimes applied to the 
glass, and the best I have found for the purpose is prepared in the 
following way : 1 lb. each of tallow an flour and ^ lb. of whiting are 
mixed together with cold water and sufficient Brunswick green to tint 
it as required, and the mixture is then warmed in a pail before apply¬ 
ing, it to the glass, which should be done when the sun is shining. 
This lasts well and does not render the house too dark if put on 
thinly. This will only be needed in the spring and summer, and houses 
with a north aspect will not require it. Some Orchids require more 
shade than others, and those like Cypripediums or Phalaenopses should 
be given the shadiest side of the house. Artificial shading should, 
however, only be employed in very bright weather and in the hottest 
part of tbs day to prevent the temperature rising too high, as too 
much shade weakens the plants and prevents their growths ripening. 
Propagating.— Few Orchids can be quickly increased by any 
artificial method of propagation, and it is to this fact that hybrids 
raised in this country so long maintain their value, whereas an 
introduced species may be scarce and high-priced for a time, and 
then perhaps a.fortunate collector sends home a large shipment and 
the.value falls immediately. Amateurs cannot depend upon propa¬ 
gation.to add much to their stock, as in most cases it takes too long, 
and it is far better to purchase small established plants, which can 
be had much cheaper than formerly, or even to procure imported 
plants.. It may happen, however, that a particular variety is possessed 
that it is desirable, to increase, or perhaps it is wished to try a few 
experiments, and in either case some hints will be needed as to the 
modes to be .adopted. In the first place do not commence experi¬ 
menting with any valuable plant ; gain a little experience first with 
some of little consequence, for Orchids are easily injured by any 
process of division unskilfully performed, and some seem to object 
to it altogether. Strong healthy examples only should be selected, 
and even these must be carefully treated afterwards. The latter 
remarks especially apply to the method adopted with many Orchids 
having short ovoid pseudo-bulbs of the Cattleya or Odontoglossum 
types namely, cutting between the pseudo-bulbs and through the 
rhizome, so as to retain some roots with each. The safest plan is to 
leave these in the pot for some time until it is seen that fresh growths 
are coming from the divided portions, when they can be potted or 
otherwise as is most convenient. This plan is also adopted when it 
is desired to produce what are termed “back growths’’ to make a 
better specimen, as old pseudo-bulbs will often form growths when 
thus treated, greatly improving the appearance of a plant. Lycaste 
Skinneri is readily increased in this way, and old pseudo-bulbs can 
be separated and potted singly, giving them little water until a bud 
staits from the . base. Most hardy tuber-bearing Orchids can be 
increased by division in autumn after their 3 tems are dead, or prefer¬ 
ably m early spring before growth starts. 
For many exotic, deciduous, or evergreen Orchids with long 
cylindrical pseudo-bulbs another system may be tried, as, for 
example, with Dendrobium nobile and species of similar habit. Of 
these, any pseudo-bulbs that have flowered but are not old or 
shrivelled may be cut from the parent plant and laid lengthwise in 
moss, secured to a block or in a pan, or cut into lengths of about 
G inches and inserted in pots of moss kept constantly damp. 
Dendrobium nobile produces young plants from the nodes very readily 
when treated in this way, and I have reared a dozen from one pseudo¬ 
bulb ; but usually the plants are chiefly formed in the upper portion, 
and are occasionally so produced without removing the pseudo-bulbs 
from the old plant, while some prefer pegging them down round the 
pot in which they are growing, though this is sometimes inconvenient. 
Thunias are propagated by cuttings in the same way as mentioned 
for Dendrobiums, but sand should be substituted for the moss. The 
best time for such operations is early in the spring, as it gives the 
young plants so obtained a better chance of becoming established 
before winter, which in our climate tries them severely even with 
the best care. When separated or potted singly water must be 
supplied in small quantities until some progress is observed, when 
they may be gradually accustomed to' the treatment given to the 
other plants. Vandas, Aerides, and others of similar habit can be 
increased by taking off side breaks or the tops of the plants with a 
few roots attached and potting them in moss, and when the former 
become too tall they are occasionally reduced to more convenient size 
in this way ; but they should receive very careful attention for 
some time afterwards in shading and keeping them close. Cypripe¬ 
diums are easily increased by division in the ordinary way, and 
skilful growers do not hesitate to practise this with the most valuable 
hybrids. 
What may be termed natural methods of propagation can be 
taken advantage of with Orchids which produce young plants upon 
their stems or pseudo-bulbs, like several Epidendrums ; others, as the 
Phalaenopses, particularly P. Liiddemanniana, occasionally bear 
plants on their flower stems or on their roots, as with P. Stuartiana ; 
while others, like Calanthe vestita or the Pleiones, produce young 
plants on their old pseudo-bulbs that can be separated and grown on 
as advised. 
If the ordinary methods of propagation are slow, raising Orchids 
from seed is a still slower process, and it cannot be recommended 
except for those who are interested in obtaining hybrids. It requires 
much patient waiting, constant attention, and perhaps after years of 
this care some enemy may devour the plant; it may die some hot day 
from a little neg'ect in watering, or it may “ damp off ” in a dark 
cold winter. Independent of these difficulties seed-bearing is 
exceedingly weakening to Orchids ; a weak plant may be killed and 
a strong one so injured that it will take several seasons to recover its 
usual condition. Even producing flowers alone is weakening, and 
young delicate plants should not be allowed to produce many or 
retain them long ; in fact it is better not to permit any plant in 
doubtful health to flower at all. Then it is difficult to insure the 
proper maturation of the seed-pods, and even when these develope 
and ripen satisfactorily they are occasionally found to contain no 
seeds, or only imperfect rudimentary bodies that will not germinate. 
Mr. Harry J. Veitch in his paper read at the Orchid Conference gave 
some interesting particulars concerning the time the capsules take to 
ripen, from which the following are selected as examples : Calanthe, 
three to four months ; Masdevallia, four months; Zygopetalum 
Mackayi crossed with maxillare, six months ; Phalaenopsis Schil- 
leriana, six months ; Laslia purpurata, nine months ; Cypripedium 
insigne, ten months ; C. Spicerianum, eleven to twelve months ; 
Cattleya labiata and others, eleven to thirteen months ; Anguloa 
Clowesi, Chysis bractescens, Dendrobium aureum, Maxillaria Harriso- 
niana, and Odontoglossum maculatum, twelve months. Considerably 
longer periods are required to bring the plants from the germinating 
to the flowering stage, as the undermentioned facts will show from 
the same authoiity as the preceding. Dendrobium aureum crossed 
with D. nobile, three to four years ; Phaius and Calanthe about the 
same time, the seed of the latter germinating in two to three months 
from the time of sowing ; Masdevallia and Chysis, four to five years ; 
Cypripedium Schlimi crossed with longifolium, four years; the 
reverse cross, six years ; Zygopetalum maxillare crossed with Mackayi, 
five years ; the reverse cross, nine years ; Lycaste, seven to eight 
years ; Laslias and Cattleyas, usually ten to twelve years, but some 
have taken much longer, as Laelia callistoglossa, which was sown in 
1858 and flowered in 1877, the quickest being Laelia triophthalma, 
sown in 1875 and flowered in 1883. 
Seed must be sown immediately it is ripe, but it should be done if 
possible in the spring or early summer, as it is much more likely fo 
germinate then than in autumn or winter. It is usually sown upon 
living moss in pans where other Orchids are growing, or upon blocks 
of wood, Fern tree stems, the sides of pots, and various other ways ; 
but the first named is the best, and the chief object is to keep the 
