210 ABOUT ORCHIDS. 
ORCHIDS AND HYBRIDIZING. 
IN the very first place, I declare that this is no 
scientific chapter. It is addressed to the thou- 
sands of men and women in the realm who tend a 
little group of orchids lovingly, and mark the 
wonders of their structure with as much bewil- 
derment as interest. They read of hybridization, 
they see the result in costly specimens, they get 
books, they study papers on the subject. But 
the deeper their research commonly, the more 
they become convinced that these mysteries lie 
beyond their attainment. I am not aware of any 
treatise which makes a serious effort to teach the. 
uninitiated. Putting technical expressions on one 
side—though that obstacle is grave enough—every 
one of those which have come under my notice 
takes the mechanical preliminaries for granted. 
All are written by experts for experts. My pur- 
pose is contrary. I wish to show how it is done 
so clearly that a child or the dullest gardener may > 
be able to perform the operations—so very easy 
when you know how to set to work, 
