The Culture of Greenhouse Orchids 



exquisite and finished marvels that Nature has 

 fashioned for our delight. " Gems " is no con- 

 ventional epithet for them. They have the hues 

 and almost the glitter of precious stones, in such 

 dainty setting as man could not conceive, nor 

 hands execute. But supreme beauty of this order 

 is only granted to us on the minute scale. If the 

 jewel-points were enlarged, their colours would 

 not be less lovely, but they would not sparkle ; 

 though the workmanship were not less perfected, it 

 would not astonish to the same degree. These 

 wonders, therefore, are reserved for happy men who 

 can disregard show; because their houses are big 

 enough to include a proportion of " curiosities," or 

 because, happier still, they love a tiny floweret, 

 scarce perceptible at a yard's distance, as well as 

 those stately blooms which cannot be overlooked 

 if within the range of vision. That readers who 

 belong to neither class may not be tempted to buy 

 plants they do not want, however wonderful or 

 lovely, I mark these species with a warning 

 "Gems." 



All the Masdevallias named are " cool," of course. 

 But the grower whose Odontoglossum house is apt 

 to run down into the forties on a wintry night 

 will find some of them unsatisfactory. These I 

 note. Yery often, however, one end of the house 

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