208 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— June 17,1856. 
SOME ACCOUNT OF AN ORCHIDEOUS HOUSE CONSTRUCTED AT PENLLERGARE, 
SOUTH WALES. By J. D. Llewelyn, Esq., F.II.S. 
I enclose with this the ground-plan and section of the 
stove, which I promised to send. These will show the size 
and shape of the building, and the arrangement of its pipes 
and heating apparatus, and the manner also in which the 
water for the supply of the cascade is conducted to the top 
of the house by means of a pipe communicating with a 
pond at a higher level. This pipe is warmed by passing 
with a single coil through the boiler, and terminates at 
j the top of the rock-work, where it pours a constant supply 
i of water over three projecting irregular steps of rough stone, 
each of which catches the falling stream, dividing it into 
many smaller rills, and increasing the quantity of misty 
spray. At the bottom the whole of the water is received 
into the pool which occupies the centre of the floor of the 
stove, where it widens out into an aquarium ornamented 
with a little island overgrown like the rock-work with 
Orcliidere, Ferns, and Lycopods. 
The disposition of the stones in the rock-work would 
depend much on the geological strata you have to work 
with: in my case they lie flat and evenly bedded, and thus 
the portions of the rock-work are placed in more regular 
courses than would be necessary in many other forma¬ 
tions. In limestone or granite countries, designs much 
more ornamental than mine might, I think, be easily 
contrived. 
The account of the splendid vegetation which borders the 
cataracts of tropical rivers, as described by Schomburgk, 
gave me tbe first idea of trying this experiment. I read 
in the “ Sertum Orcliidaceum ” bis graphic description of 
the falls of the Berbice and Essequibo, on the occasion 
of his first discovery of Hunllcya violacea. I was delighted I 
with the beautiful picture which his words convey, and I 
thought that it might be better represented than is usual 
in the stoves of this country. 
With this view I began to work, and added 
the rock-work which I describe to a house 
already in use for the cultivation of Orchi- 
deous plants. I found no difficulty in re¬ 
arranging it for its new design, and after a 
trial now of about two years can say that it 
has entirely answered the ends I had in 
view. 
The moist stones were speedily covered 
with a thick carpet of seedling Ferns, and the 
creeping stems of tropical Lycopods, among 
the fronds of which many species of Orchideoe 
delighted to root themselves. 
Huntleya violacea was one of the first 
epiphytes that I planted, and it flowered and 
throve in its new situation, ns I hoped and 
expected. The East Indian genera, however, 
of Vanda, Saccolabitm, Aerides, and other 
caulescent sorts, similar in habit and growth, 
were the most vigorous of all, and many of 
these in a very short time only required the 
use of the pruning - knife to prevent their 
overgrowing smaller and more delicate species. 
Plants that are grown in this manner have 
a wild luxuriance about them that is unknown 
to the specimens cultivated in the ordinary 
manner, and to myself they are exceedingly 
attractive, more resembling what one fancies [ 
them in their native forests—true air-plants, , 
depending for their subsistence on the humid j 
atmosphere alone. 
Different species thus intermingle to¬ 
gether in a beautiful confusion, Dcndrobium, 
and Camarotis, and Senanthera, side by side, 
with wreaths of flowers and leaves interlacing 
one another, and sending their long roots to 
drink from the mist of the fall, or even from 
the water of the pool below. 
Many species are cultivated upon the rocks 
themselves, others upon blocks of wood, or 
baskets suspended from the roof, and thus 
sufficient room is secured for a great number 
of plants. At the same time the general effect 
is beautiful, and the ^constant humidity kept 
up by the stream of falling water suits the 
constitution of many species in a degree that 
might be expected from a consideration of 
their native habits ; and I would strongly re¬ 
commend the adoption of this or some similar 
plan to all who have the means of diverting a 
stream of water from a level higher than the 
top of their stove. 
This, I think, in most situations might be 
easily contrived. My own house lies on high 
ground, and the water is brought from a con¬ 
siderable distance, but yet I found very little 
of difficulty or of expense in its construction ; 
for it must be borne in mind that a small 
