.^fepoh 15, 1913 



hoeticultuee 



369 



ORCHIDS 



Cattleya Tbianae alba 



Once more Easter, the great "harvest day" for the 

 florist, is rapidly ajiproaching and everybody along the 

 line is hustling to get everything ready for this impor- 

 tant occasion. The gloomy days of Lent with its over- 

 supply of all staple goods and consequent low prices 

 will soon be forgotten and once more the great factory 

 ■will be running 

 full time again 

 with increased 

 I avenues. Judg- 

 ing from the 

 market reports 

 of late it would 

 seem that the or- 

 chid grower also 

 is affected by the 

 oversupply and 

 low price prob- 

 lem and one 

 wonders if the 

 time has really 

 come when there 

 are more orchids, 

 a n d especially 

 cattleyas, grown 

 than the market 

 is able to absorb. 

 Complaint 

 is_ also heard of 

 the poor quality 

 of cattleyas and 

 other orchids 

 coming in the 



Gkoup of Caitleya Tkianae 



market. Can it be that orchids are not grown as well 

 as in former years ? 1, for my part, venture to say that 

 they are grown just as good if not better today than at 

 any time before. Of course, the supply is much greater 

 now than it used to be, but the demand for choice goods 

 is also much greater. Have orchids become less popu- 

 lar ? I think not ; 

 just the reverse. 

 One thing, how- 

 ever, is sure : 

 The buyers or 

 c n s u mers of 

 this specialty 

 have learned to 

 discriminate be- 

 tween good and 

 poor orchids and 

 consequently the 

 same conditions 

 e.xist now in this 

 branch of the 

 trade as in all 

 the others. The 

 best roses will al- 

 ways find a buy- 

 er willing to pay 

 a good price for 

 them ; the same 

 holds good with 

 any other staple 

 product market- 

 ed and why 

 should orchids 



