48 COOL ORCHID GROWING. 



hundreds of young plants from a single pod. Cypripedium, 

 also, appears to germinate readily, three or four hybrids having 

 already been obtained. 



As a matter of course it cannot for a moment be supposed 

 that seedling Orchids will supersede imported plants, provided 

 we can rely on the stock abroad holding out ; and we know 

 that there are some Orchids rare, even in their native habitats 

 Phalaenopsis intermedia Portei, P. Lowii, and the beautiful 

 Aerides Schroederi (A. crispum var. Schroederi) being amongst 

 the number. Again, it cannot be denied that some considerabl e 

 time must elapse ere seedlings will reach a flowering condition, 

 but this in practice would not prove a serious drawback, 

 since if seedlings were reared year by year there would always 

 be some in a blooming state. In the case of seedlings, there 

 is always an uncertainty as to what they may eventually 

 prove to be, but should they turn out distinct, there can be 

 no doubt but that, in a pecuniary point of view, the rearing 

 of them would be a decided success. Doubtless, when the 

 germination of Orchid seeds is better understood, hybridisation 

 will give us many other new and beautiful varieties. 



How are we to account for the many varieties of Cattleya 

 Mossise, unless crossing by insect agency has taken place in 

 their native habitats, and these plants are seedlings ? If the 

 seed, then, germinates abroad, why is it so difficult to manage 

 here at home ? If we look at what has already been effected, 

 we shall see that our list of hybrids does not include many 

 genera, Cattleya, Cypripedium, Goodyera, Phajus, Calanthe, 

 Laelia, Anaectochilus, Aerides, and Limatodes being all. Den- 

 drobiums have been raised from seed, in an Orchid establish- 

 ment near Manchester, but whether hybrids or not I cannot say. 

 There would appear to be a natural affinity between Calanthe 

 and Phajus, seeing that they cross most readily, although botani- 

 cally one belongs to the Yandas and the other to Epidendrea*. 



