CHAPTER II. 



BEGINNING AND PROGRESS OF ORCHID CULTURE. 



IT had long been known from travellers that Orchid- 

 aceous plants, especially the epiphytal species, were 

 remarkable for brilliancy of color, extraordinary form, 

 and exquisite fragrance ; but for many years they were 

 only known to the horticultural world from dried speci- 

 mens in herbaria, where of course both color and per- 

 fume were lost, and often the flower itself pressed out of 

 shape. In time, however, a few living plants found their 

 way to England ; these were mostly of the hardier and 

 more common species, and, not receiving proper culture, 

 soon perished. Plants imported in good condition were 

 with difficulty kept alive, and never flourished. As they 

 came from a hot climate, they were constantly forced in 

 heat, no season for rest and the formation of flower buds 

 was given. Such treatment may be likened to keeping an 

 animal perpetually awake ; or keeping our forced grapes 

 or fruit trees in perpetual growth ; in either case, death 

 by exhaustion would be the result. 



It may, however, be said, that in their native countries 

 these plants enjoy perpetual summer; this, as far as a 

 high temperature is concerned, is often the case, but the 

 rest is afforded by a decrease of atmospheric moisture 

 during certain seasons of the year ; and thus the force of 

 the argument is more apparent than real. 



In fact, at the end of the last century, there were only 



