THE PROGRESS OF ORCHID CULTURE IN AMERICA. 133 



orchid fanciers for new varieties ^Thich sliall outrival any of those 

 previously brought into cultivation. 



It would be interesting to review thoroughly the immense 

 quantity and variety of new Orchids introduced since 1875, but 

 the lack of space will not permit this to be done ; suffice it to 

 say, however, that since that year such Orchids as Vanda 

 Sanderiana, Odontoglossum cirrhosicm, Bollea ccelestis, Aerides 

 crassifoUum, A. Laiorenceae^ A. Sanderianum, Cypripexlium Laio- 

 renceanum, C. Spicerianum, Cattleya Lawrenceana, CymbkUum 

 Lowianum, Dendrohimn sujyerbiens, and hosts of new Masdevallias 

 (a genus, by the wa}^, which in 1830 was thought to have but 

 three species) have been discovered ; besides unlimited numbers 

 of varieties of species, like Odontoglossum crispum, Cattleya 

 Triance, etc. When we look over such a collection as that of 

 Corning, at Albany, and find there alone over eleven hundred 

 species, assembled from every part of the tropical world, with ad- 

 ditions constantly coming, the contrast with the dearth of orchid- 

 aceous knowledge in 1830, fifty-five years ago, is startling; then 

 — as Lindley puts it — "the orchidaceous plants of tropical 

 America were scarcelj^ known either in gardens or herbaria ; those 

 of the Philippine islands were unheard of ; and the numerous Javau 

 species were only puzzles which the Dutch had the means of 

 unravelling." 



The increase of trade collections in America has not been in 

 proportion to the growth of collections owned for private use or 

 pleasure. As stated previously, Isaac Buchanan, Louis Me- 

 nand, and Robert Buist were the first to take up the growth of 

 orchids in a commercial way ; and no doubt even they were im- 

 pelled to it more by a personal interest in Orchids than by any 

 hope of great gain. Mr. Buchanan has a small collection left, but 

 he does not give that space to orchids which he formerly did. 

 American floriats, with one or two exceptions, have found it dif- 

 ficult to keep up a profitable trade in orchid plants, owing to the 

 competition of English nurserymen, and the large auction sales in 

 New York. Mr. George Such, of South Amboy, N. J., li^d the 

 finest trade collection ever maintained in this country. It embraced 

 fine specimens bought from private collections, many of the best 

 plants from the Lienau and Van Voorst sales having been added 

 to it. Mr. Such imported largely direct from Mexico, South 

 America, India, and elsewhere. Thoasands of valuable orchids 



