60 TRANSACTIONS OP THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Such as arides, vandses, saccolabiums, are chosen by the higher 

 classes, while the commoner varieties of oncidias and epidendrons, 

 suffice as mediators between the lower " mudsills " and their 

 angry gods. 



The orchids are divided into two great classes — terrestrial 

 and epiphytes. The former, which are common in our own and 

 more northern latitudes, and of which the lady-slipper is a type, 

 grows, like any other plants, on the ground, to "draw nutrition, 

 propagate, and rot ; " while the other class are found only in the 

 torrid latitudes, where they cling to the trunks of living or dead 

 trees. Of both these classes there are many varieties, and, in 

 fact, it is stated in Appleton's New American Cyclopeedia that 

 of the latter there are found in Java alone 300 varieties. The 

 tropical varieties were introduced into England about fifty years 

 ago, but only came in their present popularity within the past 

 twenty' years. The old varieties were Vandateres and Oncidium 

 Jlexuosum, with a few epidendrons, but the busy agents of the 

 London nurserymen and the Kew botanical gardens found new 

 and more strange and beautiful varieties in the solitudes of 

 Javan or Amazonian forests, and sent them home to create a 

 popular enthusiasm, as more recently the begonias have done. 

 From the East Indies the Saccolabium guttatum, Phcelonopsis 

 amabilis and grandiflora were. very beautiful, and gained much 

 attention among many varieties, and among those from the West 

 Indies came Odontoglossum, Calia, and the beautiful Stanhofea, 

 whose fame spread quickly among amateurs. 



When or by whom they were first introduced into the green- 

 houses of this country, we cannot say, unless the honor be due 

 to the late Thomas Hogg, sr., who imported 100 varieties many 

 years ago, and cultivated them for his own pleasure with success. 

 They attracted little attention until a few specimens were exhi- 

 bited by Dr. James Knight, Ave understand, at a horticultural 

 show at Old Clinton Hall five years ago, since which time they 

 have come into great favor. The Doctor, himself, encouraged by 

 the attention which his first exhibition met with, imported nearly 

 100 varieties that season, and since that time Mr. Van Yorst, of 

 Jersey City, who is said to have the finest collection of exotics 

 in this country, has made very large importations at great cost. 

 We have heard of another gentleman who paid last year $30 for 

 a little plant of the Phoelonopsis variety, on which there were 



