10 COOL ORCHID GllOWING. 



HINTS ON PURCHASING OECHIDS. 



IN buying Orchids, there are a few important questions to be 

 considered. Some amateurs prefer to commence with esta- 

 blished plants, and these are the best in the generality of 

 places, more especially where no regular Orchid grower is 

 employed; but where there is already a good established, 

 healthy, blooming collection and a skilful and intelligent 

 Orchid grower, a few good imported plants may be added 

 from time to time, and they will not be found so difficult to 

 establish as some would have us suppose. The truth is that 

 there have been thousands of beautiful Orchids from the 

 higher ranges of the South American continent or Northern 

 India killed by being subjected to a high temperature and an 

 arid unhealthy atmosphere. Orchids are naturally very 

 tenacious of life, far more so than many Ericas and other 

 hard-wooded plants, still hundreds are annually killed by 

 being exposed to too much heat and far too little moisture. 

 Hence we are often told that Orchids are very difficult to 

 establish and expensive to manage afterwards. This is 

 untrue, however, as far as cool Orchids are concerned. It is 

 very well known that imported plants invariably make better 

 established specimens in far less time than an old-established 

 plant which has become debilitated by bad treatment. 



There are many ways of buying Orchids, and we will 

 just glance at one or two of these. Supposing that you 

 know Orchids well, you may buy your own plants, 

 being guided as to prices by any good Orchid catalogue. 

 There are great advantages to be derived from buying in 

 quantity, and special quotations for most of the Orchids in 

 cultivation will be furnished on application to the principal 

 nurserymen, who make these plants a speciality in their 



