INTRODUCTION. ix 



house, not a hundred miles from New York, filled 

 with Orchids sent to the owner by friends in South 

 America ; ten dollars would have been a high price 

 for the whole collection of thousands of plants. A 

 friend once sent us from Mexico an immense case of 

 " Orchids," which on being unpacked was full of a 

 species of gray Tillandsia much resembling withered 

 pineapple crowns, of which the flower was a small 

 spike of inconspicuous red blossoms. The steamer 

 freight on this precious consignment would have 

 bought half a dozen fine specimen Cattleyas. We 

 must remember that Orchids are the weeds of the 

 tropics, and that by sending to a friend for Orchids 

 we run about as much chance of getting something 

 desirable as a foreigner would, who should send^ to a 

 New England farmer, and request a consignment of 

 the wild plants of New England. 



Let it also be borne in mind there is no economy 

 in buying small plants at low prices. Orchids grow 

 slowly, and when weak do not bloom. 



If a dealer wishes to disgust a beginner with Or- 

 chid culture, let him send him a dozen plants for 

 twenty-five dollars. Put the same money into two or 

 three good plants, and the result will be a virulent 

 attack of Orchid fever ; in the former case the pa- 

 tient is inoculated forever. 



There is a vast field for Orchid culture in this 

 country. Orchids are the elite of the floral kingdom ; 

 they combine more of beauty, fragrance, and singu- 

 larity of structure, than any other family of plants, 



