126 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



known. IMasdevallias occupy from five to six years before they 

 are strong enough to flower. The majority of other Orchids, 

 however, occupy longer periods than this ; while Ltolias and 

 Cattleyas ai'e from ten to fourteen years in germinating and 

 reaching the flowering state. Examples where nineteen years 

 have been consumed are recorded. A large proportion of the 

 seed sown under glass never germinates, notwithstanding the 

 exercise of the greatest care. Thus it will be seen that the cul- 

 tivation of orchids from seed is an undertaking surrounded b}* 

 difficulties almost insurmountable except by those who have 

 exceptional skill and patience, and are willing to wait half a life- 

 time for results. 



Such a man was John Dominy, of England, who in 1853 

 began the hybridization of orchids at Exeter, and continued 

 his efforts for a long period, producing in his time some very 

 remarkable hybrids, all of them marked by increased vigor and 

 bearing the characteristics of the parent plants in an improved 

 degree. I do not know how many seedling orchids Dominy 

 raised altogether, but those deemed worthy to receive names 

 were twenty-six in number. Mr. Dominy's first hybrid orchid 

 that flowered was Calanthe Dominii. The first hybrid Cattleya 

 was C. hyhrida, which was afterwards lost, but was soon fol- 

 lowed by C. Brabantice. The well-known Cypripediani Harris- 

 ianum was the first hybrid of this genus flowered, and w^as 

 named after Dr. Harris, who had first suggested to Dominy the 

 possil)ility of artificially crossing orchids. 



Mr. Dominy's work closed some years ago, as he had grown 

 desirous of leaving it to younger hands, and it was taken up b}' 

 Mr. Seden, who in 18GG commenced his labors at the same 

 nurser}', and has progressed uninterruptedly in this interesting 

 pursuit ever since, producing about fifty-six hybrid forms of 

 orchids ; and it is safe to say that large numbers of his seedlings 

 have not yet been flowered, and remain in reserve to delight 

 the orchidologist of future years. Seedling orchids have been 

 raised in other foreign gardens ; the magnificent Dendrohium 

 Ainsworthii being the result of a cross in Dr. Ainsworth's col- 

 lection at Manchester in 1874. There have been scattering 

 examples in other gardens, and a few seedlings have been 

 raised in this country, but these were not perpetuated. The cool 

 orchids, such as Odontoglossums, though seeding freely in 



