32 ORCHIDS. 



about a dozen poorly grown plants of this family in the 

 greenhouses at Kew ; from 1800 to 1815, about ten more 

 species were added to this little collection, and from 1815 

 to 1830 fifty-three new species and varieties formed, with 

 those we have mentioned, all the living plants of this 

 numerous family which we either possessed or had knowl- 

 edge of. Since 1830, constant additions have been made, 

 till to-day the number of Orchids introduced to cultiva- 

 tion is so great that we may safely say there is no family 

 of plants so rich in species and varieties. 



What, then, have been the reasons which have operated 

 so unfavorably for the introduction and cultivation of Or- 

 chids ? The first and most natural was that they could 

 not be made to live in the climate of Europe. If any 

 were imported in good condition they were doubtless cul- 

 tivated like greenhouse plants. There being entire igno- 

 norance of their requirements and habits, they received 

 only the care ordinarily given to plants under glass. 

 That is, they were potted and watered in the ordinary 

 way, and the consequence was that few survived the ex- 

 periment. Cultivators knew nothing of the moist heat, 

 which is indispensable, or of the care necessary to be 

 taken for the preservation of the roots and pseudo-bulbs ; 

 in a word, the plants perished from a total want of all 

 the requisites for successful cultivation, and none cared 

 to repeat the experiment of their culture. 



About the year 1820, Mr. Cattley, to whom is dedi- 

 cated the magnificent genus Cattleya, by a series of 

 experiments, arrived at the mode of successful culture. 

 His success was soon known, and many amateurs follow- 

 ing his example, sought to stock their hot-houses with 

 these beautiful plants. 



