4 
THE ORCHIDACEiE OF THE 
Two exterior blinds are also essential—a thin one to exclude the 
strong sunlight in summer, and a stouter one, which should be 
waterproof, to cover the roof and prevent evaporation in the cold 
nights of winter. These are easily made to roll up or down on 
the outside, and will greatly assist in the management: in fact, 
the summer blind is indispensable, and it is false economy to do 
without the other. With these appurtenances and the means of 
free ventilation, any house will grow Orchidaceae. 
One of the principal things to be attained, in order to simplify 
the management of these plants and render success more certain, 
is to adapt their seasonal action to the changes of our own cli¬ 
mate ; that is, to arrange their growing periods so as to have 
them in a dormant state through the worst of the winter, for 
recent growths at this part of the year are extremely troublesome 
to preserve at all, and never arrive at a vigorous condition. 
Every endeavour should consequently be made to induce the de¬ 
sired state of rest; for, unlike most other vegetation, the loss of 
a terminal bud, or “ start,” as it is technically called, instead of 
inducing an increase of shoots, is in these plants a positive loss, 
for it is seldom they make another attempt to grow from the 
same pseudo-bulb, and thus those shoots, which, from any cause, 
are stopped in their progress, are as so many actually lost. An 
excess of damp in winter is a prolific source of this evil; nor will 
the utmost attention at all times preserve them; and hence the 
advantage of keeping the plants dormant till the increase of ge¬ 
nial weather will assist their development. In the case of fresh 
importations, which arrive towards the close of the season, it 
would be judicious to allow them to remain in a quiescent state 
till the following spring, rather than hurry them into a futile 
attempt at growth, which neither their condition nor the season 
will warrant the hope of completing, unless, indeed, danger to 
their existence is to be apprehended from such long continued 
drought. As a general rule, it is greatly preferable to begin in a 
very cautious manner with plants of this kind; they may be 
trimmed and laid on a shelf at a cool end of the house, without 
earth or moisture, until signs of returning action are seen, when 
it will be quite soon enough to pot or otherwise dispose of them. 
February is a good time to commence the active season among 
this tribe; they will readily respond to any increase in the 
