Author: George W. Johnson
Publisher: Forgotten Books
Published: 2018-02-04
Total Pages: 358
ISBN-13: 9780267785148
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Excerpt from The Journal of Horticulture, Cottage Gardener, and Country Gentlemen, 1873, Vol. 49: A Chronicle of the Homestead, Poultry-Yard, Apiary, and Dovecote It is my purpose in these brief remarks to enumerate cool Orchids only, but not to confine the list to western species, for I wish particularly to impress the fact upon the mind of ama tsur Orchid-growers, that because they are told certain species are natives of the eastern hemisphere it does not necessarily follow that they must grow in the steaming jungle or upon the parching plains. I shall, however, describe only good showy or ornamental kinds, not taking into consideration the newest or most expensive sorts. With respect to the remaining East Indian kinds not included in this article, which do require more heat than is recommended here, I am quite sure from experience that they may be grown well far below the tempe rature deemed requisite by many growers; indeed I know of nothing which tends to disgust an employer so much, or which is so ruinous to the constitution of these plants, as the gigantic Turkish baths or stew-pans which many gardeners make of their Orchid houses, and which, I am fully persuaded, has led to the discontinuance of their culture, especially where the fair sex have been concerned. Cool Orchid houses should be kept much lower in tempera ture at night than during the 'day, and the atmosphere must be well charged with moisture; and when the edges of the leaves are found in the morning loaded with crystal-like drops of water, the amateur may be sure the condition of the house is exactly suited to the requirements of the plants. I con sider it one of the most charming sights to a plant-grower, independent of the satisfactory feeling it produces upon the mind, to see plants thus loaded with dewdrops. The first section of these plants which I shall bring before my readers are essentially cool Orchids, and I recommend their cultivation in company with New Zealand and Australian Ferns, or, in deed, any Ferns from cool latitudes; for instance, the Madeira and Canary Island species would thrive well with them, saving a few exceptions, so also would the mountain species from South America and Northern India. The temperature and atmosphere suited to the Orchids would be just that in which the Ferns would also thrive, and at the same time would not be injurious or fatiguing to the most delicate constitution. Tastes, however, differ considerably; and whilst some of my readers, like myself, may be enthusiastic admirers of Ferns. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
