Z ORCHID -GROWER S MANUAL. 



because \\e can under cultivation strictly imitate the natural 

 surroundings of each particular species or variety, nor, indeed, 

 do we think that this would in all cases be desirable, but the 

 information would enable us to adopt the treatment most 

 congenial to the requirements of each, so far as the means at 

 our command would permit. The want of some such infor- 

 mation has been a source of extreme vexation to many lovers 

 of these plants in years gone by. For instance, had we 

 received even the most meagre account of the natural physical 

 and climatal surroundings of the many fine things found and 

 collected by M. Warscewicz, and other travellers of the same 

 period, the collections of the present day would be able to 

 boast, as now they cannot, of many fine species which have 

 never since reached this country in a living state. The 

 collections alluded to were sent to Europe in a very careless 

 manner, and without the slightest indications of the conditions 

 under which they had been growing ; and, Orchidology being 

 then in its infancj^, they were nearly all killed by being sub- 

 jected to excessive heat, the keeping up of a strong heat being 

 in those days considered the correct course to pursue with all 

 Orchidaceous plants. Thus hundreds of beautiful species, 

 which had been collected at great cost and risk, and were pur- 

 chased by eager amateurs at home, oftentimes at high prices, 

 rapidly died out, simply from the prevailing ignorance of the 

 climatal conditions of the localities in which they had been 

 collected. 



Thus it will be seen, that in order to assist in preventing 

 a repetition of such disasters and disappointments, the ex- 

 perience of those who have had the good fortune to see 

 Orchids growing in a state of nature is of the greatest im- 

 portance, giving as it does a solid basis to any experiments 

 which may be made. Strange as it may appear to some, 

 and ridiculous as it has been pronounced by others, we do 



