1164 



ORCHID 



turn. Ill nearly all Orchids the stigmas ami anther are 

 carried up by an elongation of the tloral axis, to which 

 in this instance the name "column" is applied. In Gon- 

 gora the petals and dorsal sepal are carried far away 

 from their normal position. 



The fruit of Orchids is a dry capsule requiring a Ions 

 time to ripen, so that it an Orchid is fcrtilizi-d iluriii!; 

 one rainy season its seeds are not dissciiiiii;iti'(l until 

 the next wet season. Very few fleshy fniii-i ".cur in 

 this family. The seeds are minute and t-xtninely nu- 

 merous, thus compensating, perhaps, for the uncer- 

 tainty of fertilization. 



The Orchids are distributer! over the entire world. 

 They are most numerous in thf trniiics, becoming rare 

 in the cold zones. Tin- rii-. ■';■ 'ly rnllected in tUree 



regions, the South Ann : : .ml. racing Mexico, 



South America and il. inlands. Most of 



the lars:e iji^nera arc f.,^:: : , . . ^;..ii (Epidendrum, 



Pleurntln.nis. Oni.i.Iiuni. ij.l ui. ■- 1-~ -inu, etc.). The 



seconi li.- . i.i..r,i.'iug Inilia and the Malay Islands 



to An : i i, 1 I h in genera, but most of them are 

 snnill. I. Ill I ' II- less than one hundred species. 

 Thn III It L. iiu- ..(' this region Is Dendrobium, with 

 300 spc..ii-s. The South African region contains few 

 terrestrial Orchids, of which Disa is the only one of 

 importance in cultivation. Heinkich Hasselbrino. 



Part III. The Ci-ltuee of Orchids. 



/H*rodHC(or.i/. — During the early dajs of Orchid cul- 

 ture the treatment of the plants under glass was imper- 

 fectly understood, and with the meager knowledge of 

 the natural conditions surrounding them in their native 

 habitats, little successful progress was made for many 

 years. The few cultural directions to be found were in 

 works of foreign publication, scarcely applie.dile to 

 plants grown in our houses in Vnn in i wliin (In 

 winters are severe and changi il.l in 1 ili li t . I . m 

 summers more intense and kss liuim 1 n -ii iiin 



different mode of treatment. Wnh i m h i I \ 



understanding of their requii i i 1 i iln last 

 25 or 30 years, Orchid culture li i i|uil ad- 



vance and most of our best c 11 im into 



existence, many of which olt. i 1. com- 



parison in fine, well-grown spcLiiu. u, ,i li In . ^, ot the 

 Old World. 



Orchid Houses and Their Construction. — Y&tioub are 



Twenty-five or more years ago many fine specimens of 

 Orchids were grown without a special house, along with 

 general stove and greenhouse plants, and we still find 

 many go<id plants cultivated in this manner, but where 

 a general collection of Orchids is grown four separate 

 houses or divisions will be found necessary to obtain 

 the best results. These are known as the "East Indian," 

 "Brazilian," "Mexican" and "New Granadan," or Odon- 

 toglossuni drpnrrnirnts. 



Till- Ivi^t Inliiin il.-|.;irtin..nt ri-iinims a winter tem- 

 peraturi- ..I' C.'.' 1.. Til' !-'. I.\' ni-lii nn.l 70° to 75° F. by 

 dav; a r.'w .l.i.ji-..-' ri^.' vvith mmi In-iit will do no harm. 

 Till- l.i.ii.. ri.nir.' -!i.,iil.l !,.■ l'i:.. I n;i M V i nrn.ased 10 de- 



grCl'^ I..,i:iril nil'! .'I, 1,11' rii'i.l ■■nri uiMi .!' m'.'!! -.'.I tOWai'd 



hit.1 |-,i!i. T'l II' ' I ■ ■ . • ' ; ' ' '1 f.ir the 



.ipical 



day, nil" ', M. ■ ' 'i"ir.'."<iii..n- with solar heat, 



rise of III ili-i;!' ' i,- I mil u min. r. Tin - .1- mir 



is for Bulb..].:. . . , ^ i"l ' , ■ ■ -" I : '■ I n.l 

 Brazilian L.-nl) , -i -i ^ , ii - 



bills sections. * ' . " " , - . .nl.' 



and various g..n. i.i iunl £.|.u.:iuo i\.iu:;in4 .i lii.. 

 perature. 



The Mexican department is used chiefly for the 

 vation of C'Slogi/ne cristata, Mexican Lselias, gr 

 Lyoastes, Anguloas and Aeinetas, many species ..I 

 illaria, a majority of the Oncidiums and warm ( >. 

 glossums, Phaius and allied species whicli r.'.|nir.' 

 degrees lower night temperature and n-nallv a 

 more sunlight to ripen their tissue for flouiTini; t 



ORCHID 



afforded in the Brazilian department. It is also invalu- 

 able for resting Dendrobiums and many other deciduous 

 and terrestrial Orchids. 



The New Granadan or Odontoglossum department 

 must be kept as cool as possible in summer, and during 

 winter should range from !").">" to (iO^ by niyht and G0° to 

 05° P. by day, and as cool :i i . ii.I. .hiring summer; 

 it is used principally for .'Mil . liiiitoglossums, 



more especially O. crisjni n . . .1 -mera, Disas, 



cool Oncidiums, such as c. ,■, .^ ■':,.', h nnrlmm and O. 

 varicositm, Lycastes in warm w.atlnr, and many other 

 individual species from high altitudes which require a 

 cool house at all seasons or they suffer from the heat 

 of our summer. 



Thefnn.'nn.,-Tifnli.riTi -ijli. in Ji-i'llin - nn Orchid houso 

 is to get a . : ■, r .1 . , ,. I : 'ifr.l and which 

 I ml excavating 



has a n I' , 

 deeply, l'' , . 

 lation an-l alin-j-t alv. 

 culture. The liouses(cj 

 should be built to run 

 west exposure, in orde 

 fit of the early morning ; 



I nlal to Orchid 



' ■ . anadan house) 



ill 1 1 1 1 .an east and 



II I . .'. ive the bene- 



.1 I.I n sun, with the 



least possible heating effects from it at noonday, thus 

 making little ventilation necessary; atmospheric mois- 

 ture will be more easily retained in such a structure. 

 The houses maybe as long as required (with the potting- 



shed at the north end to avoid unnecessary shade and 

 protect the houses in winter against severe north wind), 

 and about 10 ft. wide, which will allow two side beds of 

 2^ ft. each, two walks of the same width, and a center 

 pit 6 ft. wide. From floor to ridge should be 10 ft. and to 

 the eaves i}4-5 ft. Top ventilators should extend along 

 both sides at ridge, thus affording protection from direct 

 cold winter drafts in airing by using the sheltered side. 

 Side ventilation is unnecessary and often injurious, 

 the direct drafts causing plants which are out of condi- 

 tion to shrivel. 



In glazing Orchid houses the glass used should not be 

 less than 12 x 14 in., and larger if possible. It is also im- 

 portant that only the bestquality procurable be used, free 

 from lenses which would burn the leaves when shading 

 is removed. Plate L'lass is much to lie preferred when 

 it can I... Iia.l. a- II .■..iiiaiii- II.. Im. - i.ii.l gives a pure 

 even li;;!ii, li .'u i- ml - i- .: 111x24 in. will 



be fonii.i \.'-. -.-I .-...' I I'll. I, -liould not be 



used in an\- .a,.', a, II 1 ---iiii. ^ -I. a 1 1 n 1,' long before 



this is beneticial to tlie plants. 



The outside walls should be built of brick or stonr^ 

 dieu possible, and tl 

 af the sjime material, 



fillrd solid to the top, using stone or rubble for drainage 

 in the liottora, following it up with liner material and 

 linisliing with an inch or two of fine gravel. Wooden 

 I., n.-hi's may be used if desired, often with first-class 

 r.-snits, l>y covering them 2 or 3 inches deep with ashes. 

 san.l or gravel, but the solid benches are more sure to 

 [,nv.- Iiefter s.atistaction. They give off moisture more 

 ;rra.lually and offer a cool footing for the plant both 

 winter and summer, which is essential and natural. 



Good results will follow from either steam or hotwater 

 heatingwhen both are properly conducted, steam neces- 

 sitating, pei-haps, more care. Unless the range of 

 glass is large and a night fireman is kept, the old-fash- 



