cannot but occupy his mind more or less intensively with the 
seientifie side of the question. On the other hand, the scientist 
and the lover of flowers among whom we can count the 
gardener who cultivates orchids as a special branch, is offered 
a great deal of working material, which he could only obtain 
by means of great sacrifices and much work. The. study of 
living plants is after all the most important thing, for pressed 
and dried flowers and plants as a collection are only a poor 
substitute for the real thing. 
It was this idea which caused several orchid lovers to 
consider the feasibility at a conference of inviting all orchid 
fanciers in Germany into a company, and to issue a periodical 
in which utterance could be given both to the practical and 
scientific side of the question. A private enquiry among orchid 
lovers led to so many affirmative answers, that it is to be 
hoped that the expenses connected with the publication of a 
periodical edited in a proper and distinguished manner will be 
covered by it. 
Jo show those who, up to now have been passive in the 
matter in what way we have thought of produeing the perio- 
dical, we have resolved to publish two proof copies — the first 
of which lies here We hope it may find so much favour in 
the eyes of its readers, that the German Association of Orchid- 
ology may be formed in May of the current year. We have 
intentionally departed from the usual size, as we desire to lay 
before the public a perfect pieture of the large blossomed variety, 
so that we can show not only a single bloom, but the whole 
nature of the plants. We were compelled on this account to 
use the large size. To give the numerous orchid lovers in 
foreign countries occasion to tell us their experiences in their 
mother tongue and on the other hand to make the contents 
of our periodical more easily understood by them, we have 
resolved to accept English and French articles. Science and 
amateurship are both international and the highest goal can be 
most easily attained by working together for a common cause. 
The editor begs all orchid friends to aid him by commu- 
nications about personal experiences relating to orchid growing, 
and by sending good photographs so that the „Orchis« may 
become more and more interesting and more worthy of perusal 
as one number succeeds the other becoming in time a source 
of pleasure to all, and a trouble to none. 
x 
quement pour leurs fleurs, mais cherche encore ä comprendre 
la vie et la nature de ses cheres eleves, ne pourra se dispenser 
d’en etudier plus ou moins profondement le cöte scientifique. 
D’autre part le savant tire de amateur (et il convient de ranger 
au premier rang sous ce titre ’hortieulteur qui se consacre 
specialement ä la culture des orchidees) une foule de documents 
qui lui coüteraient autrement des sacrifices parfois considerables. 
L’etude de la plante vivante est ‚neanmoins le point capital; 
l’etude des plantes mortes, dessechees et conservees dans un 
herbier, n'est que d’un secours precaire. 
Telles sont les pensees qui out determine un certain 
nombre d’amateurs d’orchidees A se reunir pour concerter en 
commun les chances de la creation d’une societe allemande 
des amateurs d’orchidees, et de l’edition d’une revue traitant A 
la fois de la science et da la pratique. Des questions posdes 
A des particuliers inter&sses ont obtenu deja. un si grand nombre 
d’adhesions qu’on peut esperer couvrir largement les frais d’edition 
d’une revue bien redigee. Afin de montrer A ceux qui restent 
dans l’expectative, comment nous entendons publie cette revue, 
nous avons decide la publication de deux livraisons specimens, 
dont la premiere a deja paru. Puisse-t-elle obtenir assez de 
suceös pour quau mois de mai prochain la societe allemande 
d’orchidologie, puisse se constituer definitivement. 
Cest A dessein que nous nous sommes Ecartes des modeles 
ordinaires dans le choix de notre format. Nous voulons donner 
des planches representant d’une fagon parfaitet artistique, m&me 
les especes et varietes de plantes a grandes floraison, afın 
non-seulement la fleur elle-meme, mais 
de faire ressortir 
aussi le caractere entier de la plante. Pour cela un format de 
grande dimension &tait necessaire. Voulant en plus fournir aux 
nombreux amateurs d’orchidees de Yetranger loccasion de 
nous faire profiter de leurs experiences dans leur langue mater- 
nelle et pour leur vendre plus facile la comprehension de notre 
revue, nous avons decide de publir des articles en anglais et en 
francais. De meme que la science, le dilettantisme est inter- 
national et c'est par un travail commun que on arrivera le 
pius vite au plus grand succes. L’editeur adresse & tous les 
amateurs d’orchidees la priere instante de lui faciliter sa täche, 
que chacun lui communique toutes les experiences quil a 
acquises dans la culture des orchidees, et lui envoie de bonnes 
photographies, afin que „lorchis“ dans chacun de ses numeros 
pour la joie de tous et sans nuire a personne, coure de succes 
en SUCCES. 
an 
