ORCHIS 



OREGON 



1171 



ORCHIS (Greek word, referring to the shape of 

 the tuberous roots of certain species). Orchidacece. 

 Orchis is the typical genus of the great family of Or- 

 chids. It contains about 70 species, all terrestrial and 

 natives of the northern hemisphere, chiefly in Europe 

 and Asia, with 2 species in North America. Plants per- 

 ennial by means of simple or palmate tubers : stem 

 simple, erect, terminating in a raceme or spike, with 

 few to many rather small fls., and bearing several Ivs., 

 with long sheaths; bracts often foliaceous: sepals all 

 similar, connivent or spreading: petals often smaller, 

 entire: labellum 3-lobed, middle lobe entire or parted, 

 base spurred : column very short or none : stigma 

 plane, not produced (Habenaria). 



Orchises are not showy, and they have no horticul- 

 tural standing, but lovers of our native Orchids are 

 always collecting them and trying to cultivate them, 

 usually with little success. F. W. Barclay writes: 

 "The American species of Orchis are woodland plants, 

 requiring rich leaf soil, with rather heavy shade, and 

 that even condition of moisture characteristic of deep 

 woods. Where these conditions cannot be supplied the 

 plants invariably prove short-lived." See also discus- 

 sion on terrestrial orchids, page 1165. 



hircina, Crantz (Himantoglds sum hirclnum, 

 Spreng. ). Flower stems 1-2 ft. high, bearing a loose 

 raceme 4-8 in. long: fls. greenish white, exhaling a 

 disagreeable odor; middle lobe of the labellum long, 

 strap-like and twisted, lateral lobes much smaller: Ivs. 

 few near the bottom of the scape, oblong-lanceolate. 

 May, June. Europe and northern Africa. Adver- 

 tised by Dutch bulb-growers. 



spectabilis, Linn. Fig. 1590. A native species 

 with 2 large obovate, shining Ivs. 4-8 in. long 

 borne near the ground, and a stem 4-7 in. high 

 bearing a raceme of 3-6 small pale purple and white 

 fls. April-June. In rich woods, northeastern U. S. 



The following species are advertised in America by Euro- 

 pean dealers, but are not known to be cultivated in America. 

 Most of them are hardy European plants. The synonomy of 

 the group is somewhat confused. O. Brancifortii, fls. purple. O. 

 folibsa, large, leafy spikes of purple fls. O. fusca, purple- and 

 rose-colored fls. O. latifblia, spotted Ivs. and purple fls. - O. 

 longicornis, fls. rich purple. Xorth Africa. O. maculata, fls. 

 lilac-purple. O. mdscula, fls. purple, in long spikes. O. mili- 

 taris, fls. purple. O. Mbrio, fls. purple and green. O.pdllens, 

 pale sulfur-yellow. O. papilionacea, fls. purple and white. 

 O. provincialis, long spikes of pale lemon-yellow fls. O. Ro- 

 bertidna, fls. purple, brown and white, in large spikes. O. 

 srtnthiiclna, fls. yellow. O. undulatifblia, tts. white- and rose- 

 HEINRICH HASSELBRING. 



ORCHIS, Rein. Habenaria. 



OREGON, HORTICULTURE IN. Fig. 1591. Oregon, 

 located between 42 and 46 15' N. and 116 45' and 124 30' 

 W., with an area of 94,560 square miles, has, horticultur- 

 ally speaking, four quite distinct districts, the valleys of 

 the Rogue, Umpqua, Willamette and Columbia rivers, 

 together with their tributaries. There is climatically 

 a very wide difference between these various sections. 

 In the Rogue river valley the annual rainfall is 20-35 

 inches. The mean temperature for the winter months' is 

 39, spring months 57, the summer months 67, the 

 autumn months 52. The Umpqua valley has a rainfall 

 of 22-43 inches. The average temperature for the sea- 

 sons in the same order as the above is, 41, 51, 65, 54. 

 In the Willamette valley the rainfall is 35-50 inches, 

 the average temperature, 41, 50, 63, 53. In the Co- 

 lumbia valley it ranges from an average rainfall of 75 

 inches, in the lower part, to one of 15 inches in the up- 

 per part; and the temperature as above ranges from a 

 mean annual average of 50, varying from 39-61 for 

 the lower part, to one of 48 for the upper part, with 

 hot summer months and cold winter months. 



Not only does the difference of climate exi&t, but 

 there is also a corresponding difference in the character 

 of the soils of these different localities. In the Rogue 

 river valley the soil is largely one of decomposed gran- 

 ite. A warm and open soil predominates, though in 

 places the soil is remarkably heavy and of the same 

 origin as a large part of the soils of the state, namely, 

 basaltic. In the Umpqua valley the soil is generally of 

 a medium character; clays predominate on the hills and 



on the higher parts of the valley proper, while on the 

 river bottoms sand and open sedimentary soils are the 

 more common. In the Willamette valley the soils are 

 generally heavy, though there are occasionally streaks 

 of light sandy or gravelly soil, usually along the streams. 

 The soils of the Columbia region embrace all grades, 

 from the light drifting sand of its upper basin to the 

 cold clays of its lower basin. 



The transportation facilities are good in all these dis- 

 tricts, except the Rogue and Umpqua valleys, which 

 have only one railroad; while the other sections, except 

 the extreme eastern portion of the Columbia basin, 

 have both railroads and river transportation facilities. 



In all these districts the hardy fruits grow to perfec- 

 tion one year with another, and this without irrigation, 

 though in some of the newer territory being tested for 

 horticultural purposes irrigation is practiced. 



The apple finds in Oregon a most congenial home, 

 and while only a small part of the crop is marketed it 

 is in no wise due to the climate and soil. Our best va- 

 rieties are Baldwin, Esopus Spitzenberg, Ben Davis, 

 Newtown Pippin, Red Cheek Pippin, Northern Spy, and 

 Jonathan. The apple thrives best in the higher alti- 

 tudes and especially in Hood river valley, an offshoot 

 of the Columbia river valley, and in the Rogue river 

 valley. Lately car lots have been shipped from the 

 hitherto little known sections of eastern Oregon. 



Pears grow to perfection in all parts of the state. 

 The Bartlett, White Doyenne, Winter Nelis, Duchesse 



1590. Orchis spectabilis (X 



d'Angouleme, Easter and Clairgeau are the leading va- 

 rieties. 



The peach grows vigorously and fruits in the more 

 favored portion of all districts, i.e., sheltered places 

 along the river bottoms. But in the Rogue river valley, 

 and to a limited extent in upper Columbia valley, it is 

 grown as a commercial crop. Large quantities of the 

 choicest fruits are shipped to the Willamette valley 

 towns, two hundred and fifty or more miles by rail. 

 The leading varieties are early and late Crawfords and 

 Salway. In the upper Columbia region the Crawfords 

 and Salway are favorites. 



The cherry reaches perfection in Oregon's mild, 

 moist climate, and especially the sweet cherries. Such 

 varieties as the Napoleon, locally known as Royal Ann; 

 Lewelling, locally known as Black Republican, and 

 several local seedlings, as the Lambert, Hoskins, Occi- 



