December 20. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
155 
follow our example. It is also of importance that 
air bricks, or openings provided with wood slides, 
should be let in, or left in, the front or back wall, on 
a level with the internal surface, as thus a circulation 
of air among the pots will be promoted more efl'ect- 
ually than by any tilting or moving of the sashes 
merely that can be resorted to. Hence we have 
always found that a wooden frame set upon bricks, 
so as to admit a free circulation of air beneath, pre¬ 
serves greenhouse and half-hardy plants much better 
from damp and mildew than when the frame is set 
close to the ground, or the plants were placed in a 
common brick pit furnished with no such openings 
below. Of course such a frame would require much 
trouble in winter in regulating its covering and the 
protecting of its sides. 
My principal stock of bedding-out plants stood 
until the other day upon a dry south border, pro¬ 
tected above by some old sashes, resting at the back 
upon a rail and posts, and in the front upon some 
boles of trees laid down lengthwise. The air thus 
was enabled to circulate freely amongst the pots, and 
every tine day every alternate sash was lifted off and 
placed upon its next neighbour, as there was no con¬ 
venience for sliding them. The plants, though treated 
in every other respect similarly, are yet more robust 
and hardy-looking than those coddled in frames and 
pits, and that received plenty of air by moving and 
sliding the sashes in the usual way. I, however, had 
provided myself with straw hurdles to shut in the back, 
litter to them along the front, and dry grass to jilace 
over the sashes in severe weather. I have frequently 
had to keep such things with less convenience all the 
winter, and I only removed them to a late vinery, 
where they could have abundance of air, not so much 
because, on the whole, the plants would do better, but 
because the trouble of watching the weather, and 
covering and uncovering, would be so far prevented 
during some of the worst months of the year, and 
also because any little attention they might require— 
such as stopping, picking, and cleaning—could be 
given in bad weather; while, if out of-doors, fine 
weather must have been devoted to such employ¬ 
ment. Even on this account alone a small house— 
such as that described by Mr. Beaton as “ Fortune’s 
pit”—will always convey more pleasure to an ama¬ 
teur than a structure of humbler dimensions, though 
of course the expense of the latter will be consider¬ 
ably less. 
It may suit some of our friends to know that turf 
pits will answer every purpose of brick ones. In 
making them, do not sink the interior; place some 
drain tiles through the base of the front and back 
walls, furnished with wire netting on the inside, and 
with wooden plugs on tbe outside, so that air may 
thence be admitted without vermin ; drive iu posts 
at the back and front of the height you intend the 
pit to be: these posts are to receive the rails on which 
the rafters are to be fastened. If the hack wall is to 
he three or four feet in height, then the width of tlio 
base should be at least eighteen inches, and the width 
at the top from nine inches to a foot. The greatest 
width might consist partly of earth, having long 
pieces of turf to act in the manner of ties or bonds; 
use the turf, if possible, rather dry, and put it firmly 
together; when well set, and you wish it to look 
neat, plaster the inside with a mortar made of water, 
clay well beaten, and chopped straw, or stable litter; 
and, when this plaster is dry, brush over it with a 
wash made of lime and sand, adding a little soot, if 
too white for the summer. Plaster the outsides with 
gravel and clay, or concrete, made by mixing up, 
with a sufficiency of water, six barrowloads of gravel 
and one of lime, put down quickly, and made smooth 
by the back of the spade, and an outer case when 
nearly dry; brush over, in a dry warm day, with 
coal-tar, and immediately throw over it road drift or 
rough sand. By these means, wet will be effectually 
excluded, and more frost kept out than by a thick 
brick wall, unless, indeed, it is built hollow. 
R. Fish. 
IIOTI-IOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
EXOTIC ORCHIDACEAh 
Horticultural Society, Dec. 4. — On this day 
there was a meeting of the London Horticultural 
Society at their rooms in Regent-street. We hap¬ 
pened to be present, and were so much gratified with 
the orchids exhibited that we are tempted to give 
some account of the best specimens, as an illustra¬ 
tion of what good cultivation can effect. The finest 
specimens were three of Barkena Skinneri, shown by 
Mr. Plant, gardener to J. H. Scliroeder, Esq., of Strat¬ 
ford. These were all well grown and finely flowered, 
though in different degrees. The best had 18 flower- 
stems, many of them two and a half feet long, with 
spikes of flowers densely bloomed, each full nine 
inches long; the colour a most exquisite rosy purple. 
They were grown upon blocks of wood without any 
moss. Mr. Plant informed us that they had come to 
that state of perfection in a house very little warmer 
than a common greenhouse, and had been hung op¬ 
posite the door, which was frequently opened. By 
such treatment they had thriven and come to the 
perfection as exhibited on this day. They were, in¬ 
deed, by far the finest specimens we ever saw of this 
most lovely species. Three points of good culture 
were exemplified by them: first, they were grown on 
blocks without moss; secondly, they were grown in 
a comparatively low temperature ; and, thirdly, with 
plenty of air during the day. We were glad to ob¬ 
serve this, because it exactly coincided with our own 
views and practice, and because the lower the tem¬ 
perature they can be grown iu the more persons will 
be enabled to cultivate them. In the same collection 
was a stately plant of the noble Vanda tricolor , with 
one spike of its large variegated flowers. Also, Mr. 
Plant had a good specimen of Angrcecuni bilobum, 
with four long spikes of its pretty white curiously 
tailed fiowers, and several others of less note. A 
Knightian Medal was deservedly adjudged to the 
above three plants. There were also some good or¬ 
chids from the gardens of Mrs. Lawrence, of Ealing 
Park; Mr. Walker, gardener. He had good speci¬ 
mens of Vanda imignis, with two spikes of flower, 
and Vanda tricolor with one spike. These were both 
healthy fine plants. He had also a nice plant of 
Vanda violcicea, with two spikes of white violet- 
spotted flowers. This is a lovely species, which usu¬ 
ally flowers in winter. In the same collection there 
was also a large plant of Saccolabium dentieidatum, 
with numerous spikes of its pretty toothed labellum 
and brown and white flowers; and a good plant of 
the lovely Lcelia autumnalis, with one spike of highly 
coloured blooms. A Banksian Medal was awarded 
to the Saccolabium and the three Vandas. A small 
collection of orchids came from the nursery of T. 
Jackson and Son, of Kingston. In it was the lovely 
Odontoglossum membranaceum, and the equally pretty 
Lycaste Skinneri, with three of its large fine flowers; 
a certificate of merit was awarded to these. A good 
plant of Gypripedium insigne, well flowered with up- 
