60 ABOUT ORCHIDS. 
GOGOL ORCHIDS. 
THIS is a subject which would interest every cul- 
tured reader, I believe, every householder at least, 
if he could be brought to understand that it lies 
well within the range of his pratical concerns. But 
the public has still to be persuaded. It seems 
strange to the expert that delusions should prevail 
when orchids are so common and so much talked 
of; but I know by experience that the majority 
of people, even among those who love their garden, 
regard them as fantastic and mysterious creations, 
designed, to all seeming, for the greater glory of 
pedants and millionaires. I try to do my little part, 
as occasion serves, in correcting this popular error, 
and spreading a knowledge of the facts. It is no 
less than a duty. If every human being should 
do what he can to promote the general happiness, 
it would be downright wicked to leave one’s fellow- 
men under the influence of hallucinations that 
debar them from the most charming of quiet 
pleasures. I suspect also that the misapprehension 
of the public is largely due to the conduct of 
