276 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



364. Propagation by seeds. Up to the present time, 

 comparatively few orchids have been propagated in this 

 country from seeds. This has been because the length of 

 time necessary to produce a flowering plant is a long one. 

 Many species will not flower until they are seven or eight 

 years old, and some even fifteen or twenty years. As 

 the plants are becoming more and more scarce in their 

 native habitats, and very difficult to collect, more orchids 

 are now being propagated from seeds in this country. 

 After the flowering season, it takes the seed-pods from nine 

 to fifteen months to mature. 



The seeds are minute and therefore it is necessary to 

 take great care in sowing. As the seed germinates slowly, 

 and the plantlets are very small, it is necessary that the 

 medium in.which the seeds are sown be of such a character 

 that it will not become sour during the germinating 

 process. 



Usually shallow pans are filled about two-thirds full of 

 clean, broken pieces of pots, and the remainder with 

 coarse fern roots. Sometimes the seeds are sown directly 

 in this fern fiber, and sometimes on Turkish toweling which 

 is spread over the fiber. The pans are then set into the 

 propagating case where the atmosphere is kept moist. 

 It is necessary to use the greatest precaution in watering, 

 and the water should be given in a fine mist-like spray. 

 An atomizer is excellent for this purpose. The amount 

 of water should be gauged very carefully and this requires 

 excellent judgment. In bright warm weather, the seed- 

 lings will require damping twice a day, but in dull, cool 

 weather, probably once or twice a week will be sufficient. 



After the first, or the seed-leaf, has made its appearance, 

 the plants should be transferred to a separate pot. The 

 size of the pots will depend on the vigor of the plant, but 



