THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



149 



ORCHIDS. 



There is no class of plants at which 

 the great majority of our commercial 

 men look with greater apprehension 

 than the orchids. To grow them suc- 

 cessfully is something they may dream 

 of but never achieve, so they think; 

 but, fortunately, much of this mystery 

 regarding their culture is rapidly pass- 

 ing away. Special houses are no longer 

 deemed essential for the successful 

 cultivation of orchids. It would be 

 rash to say that orchids are among 

 the easiest of plants to grow, because 

 there is a wide difference between 

 keeping them alive only and growing 

 them to perfection, or as near perfec- 

 tion as we can with our artificial con- 

 ditions. Yet it is the truth to say that 

 no plant we grow will stand as much 

 abuse or is more difficult to kill, pro- 

 viding the neglect is not too prolonged. 

 A commercial firm whom I have every 

 reason to believe thoroughly under- 

 stand the most enlightened culture of 

 orchids have adopted in their practice 

 what may be called the board system 

 of cultivation. For those growing large 

 quantities for the cut blooms, the plan 

 is doubtless admirable, and does not 



Cattleya Labiata. 



conflict with any cultural directions 

 that will follow. 



In these introductory remarks a few 

 words on the popularity and probable 

 future popularity and profitableness of 

 orchids will not be out of place. It is 

 true that ten years ago, through the 

 efforts of one American firm, there 

 were many small collections dissemi- 

 nated throughout the country, and 

 many of them were not the easiest 

 species to grow, or even good commer- 

 cial kinds. Disappointment occurred 

 in hundreds of cases, and for several 

 years you have heard less said of or- 

 chids, at any rate, less favorable men- 

 tion. But another change is about us. 

 Many of our enterprising commercial 

 men realize that orchid flowers are 

 going to be in demand, whether they 

 grow them or not, and many of them 

 are going into orchids in a business- 

 like way, and giving them a portion of 

 their skill and ability, as they have for 

 years given the rose, the carnation, or 

 the violet. And to keep pace with this 

 we now have firms, both at home and 

 abroad, ready to supply us at moderate 

 cost with the most desirable and valu- 

 able commercial species and varieties. 



The writer cannot conceive that 



there can be a doubt of the ever in- 

 creasing admiration and fondness for 

 these flowers, so beautiful, both in 

 form and color, and so long lasting. 

 Admiration they receive now by all, 

 but there is neither supply nor demand 

 as yet for the orchids to amount to 

 much in the aggregate of our flower 

 sales for the year. I am far from 

 wishing to see- the profit, or even lib- 

 eral profit, of the present few orchid 

 growers cut down, and believe that 

 when the price of a cattleya flower is 

 more in sympathy with the pocket of 

 the average flower buyer the demand 

 will so enormously increase that the 

 immense quantities which will in a 

 few years be sold will be a far better 

 business than the relatively few high- 

 priced flowers sold today. If any peo- 

 ple under the sun like and crave for 

 "a change," it is our own; flowers are 

 no exception, and what a delightful 

 change from the morning, noon and 

 night everlasting Bridesmaid rose is a 

 bunch of cattleyas or many other gor- 

 geous orchids. In Covent Garden, the 

 great flower market of London, there 

 are possibly as many orchids sold as 

 rosebuds; but that is not difficult to 

 understand; their orchids are grand 



