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The Florists' Review 



23 



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ORCHIDS IN ENGLAND. 



Fast and Present. 



There ia no branch of plant cultiva- 

 tion that has made more rapid progress 

 during the last fifty years than the cul- 

 tivation of orchids. The first orchid 

 grown in England in 1738 was Bletia 

 verecunda, imported from the Bahama 

 islands, and, soon after, several species 

 were imported from the West Indies. It 

 was in 1812 that Conrad Loddipes, of 

 Hackney, London, started importing 

 and growing orchids on a commercial 

 scale and continued until about 1852. 

 During this period Dr. Eoxburgh sent 

 several species from northern India, in- 

 cluding Vanda Boxburghii, Eterides 

 odoratum and species of dendrobiums. 



Dr. Lindley and Mr. Bateman come 

 next as botanists and cultivators. They 

 made great strides in growing plants 

 under more favorable conditions, with 

 a fair amount of success. The most 

 practical cultivator at that time was 

 Joseph Paxton, gardener for the Duke 

 of Devonshire, at Chatsworth house, 

 who began collecting about 1833; the 

 collection consisting of plants from the 

 East Indies, aerides, vandas, saccola- 

 biums and dendrobiums. Some of the 

 original Vanda suavis and Vanda tri- 

 color in 1873 were fine specimens, with 

 seven and eight growths eight to ten 

 feet in height, with leaves to the base. 

 The finest specimens in the trade were 

 in the nurseries of B. L. Williams, Up- 

 per Hollaway, London, who devoted two 

 houses to vandas and aerides. John Day, 

 of Tottenham, London, also devoted sev- 

 eral houses to East Indian variet^s. 

 His collection of orchids in 1878 was 

 the largest and most valuable in Europe. 



Importing Cool House Plants. 



It was not until 1862 that cool house 

 plants began to be imported with suc- 

 cess by Hugh Low & Co., through their 

 collector, Mr. Blunt, who sent home the 

 first Odontoglossum crispum, or Alex- 

 andra, the name it is still known by in 

 some collections. It flowered for the 

 first time in the collection of John Day. 

 It was not until 1870 that odontoglos- 

 sum cultivation began to be carried out 

 successfully, but afterwards it went 

 ahead rapidly. Many amateurs started 

 collecting cool house orchids in prefer- 

 ence to the warm species, since they are 

 easy and less expensive to grow. Good 

 imported plants could be bought for 36 

 cents and upwards. About 1886 col- 

 lecting spotted crispum started, the late 

 Sir H. Schroder buying Odontoglossum 

 crispum apiatum for $750, at that time 

 considered a fabulous price. It was 

 then the best spotted variety known. 

 About 1897 came O, crispum Luciana, 

 without a doubt the finest spotted va- 

 riety in cultivation. Small plants used 

 to sell for $2,500. O. crispum Pittianum 

 came next. O. crispum Cooksonse sold 

 for $6,000, 0. C. Britannia for $5,0T)O and 

 many other good spotted varieties for 



The address of George I'Anson, of the A. C. 

 Burrage estate, Beverly Farms. Mass., on "The 

 History of Orchids in England," delivered at tin- 

 conference of orchid growers in Boston, March 27. 



from $500 upwards. By the hybridizing 

 and the raising of odontoglossums from 

 seed many fine varieties have been 

 turned out and the prices have been 

 considerably reduced. 



From Northern India. 



Dendrobiums had been grown for a 

 number of years, having been sent by 

 botanists from northern India. Den- 

 drobium nobile flowered for the first 

 time about 1837. It was not until 1875 

 that collections of this species began 

 with the introduction of the Burmese 

 varieties, D. Wardianum, crassinode, 

 Devoniana, Falconerii, thyrsiflorum and 

 many other showy varieties. Fine col- 

 lections used to he shown at the prin- 

 cipal spring shows in the botanical gar- 

 dens, Manchester, and keen competition 

 was seen, especially in the northern sec- 



raVERY now and then a wtJi- 

 ■9 pleased reader speaks the wofd 

 whieh u the means of bringing a 

 new advertiser to 



Stsch friendly assistance is thoroughly 

 appreciated. 



Give us the name of anyone from 

 whom you are buying, not an adver- 

 tiser. We especially wish to interest 

 those selling articles of florisf s use 

 not at present advertised. 



FLORISTS' PUBLISHING CO. 

 '>3M0 Cazton Bldg. Chicago 



tion, by G. Hardy, Mr. Swan, Mr. Wrig. 

 ley and Mr. Percivall, but of late years 

 they have gone out of favor, a fact 

 much to be regretted. 



Many fine hybrids have been intro- 

 duced in the varieties D. splendidissi- 

 mum, Ainsworthii, Leechianum, Schnei- 

 derianum, Venus. Dendrobium Phalse- 

 nopsis from New Guinea remained rare 

 until Mr. Sander imported large quan- 

 tities in 1892. It still holds favor on 

 account of its free flowering and range 

 of color and is one of the best for cut 

 flower use. 



Cypripediums have been known for 

 many years. The first flowers were C. 

 venustum and C. insigne, introduced in 

 1820, and these remained the only spe- 

 cies of their section known to cultiva- 

 tion for twenty years from their intro- 

 duction. Forming collections started 

 about 1880, when many showy species 

 were introduced. C. Spicerianum was 

 the foremost, having been imported in 

 1878, but remained rare until Hugh Low 

 & Co. and Mr. Sander found its habitat 

 about 1882, when large importations 

 came homo. It has been the parent of the 

 finest hybrids in cultivation in the way 



of C. Leeanum and its many varieties, 

 aureum, Euryades, Hera and many other 

 fine varieties. The Assam type is the 

 best, having longer stems and darker 

 colored flowers. The Burmese type has 

 been of more robust growth, with 

 shorter stems and flowers of a lighter 

 color. 



Insigne, Montana Varieties. 



Next come C. insigne, Montana varie- 

 ties, imported about 1890. From this 

 type came 0. insigne Sanderse and San- 

 deriana, these two being the best yellow 

 varieties in cultivation. C. insigne 

 Harefield Hall, the largest-flowered one 

 in the section, also came at this time. 

 C. bellatulum, niveum, Lawrenceanum 

 and Bothschildianum came about the 

 same time. With the reintroduction of 

 C. Fairieanum, which caused quite a 

 sensation at the time, there being only 

 two plants in Europe left in the collec- 

 tions of Baron Schroder and Sir Trevor 

 Lawrence, it was eagerly bought for 

 hybridizing purposes, but with no great 

 satisfaction over former Fairieanum 

 hybrids, like Arthurianum, Baron 

 Schroder, vexillarium, Juno. It is with- 

 out doubt the most unique cypripedium 

 in cultivation, but does not lend itself 

 to easy cultivation. 



Cypripediums seem to keep in favor 

 over a long period. Several amateur 

 collectors make a specialty of their cul- 

 tivation, including Sir G. Hotf ord, Mrs. 

 Moore and Mr. and Mrs. Gratrix, who 

 devote houses to them alone. 



Hybridizing Started in 1853. 



Hybridizing was started by Mr. Dom- 

 iny for James Veitch in 1853, in the 

 Exeter nurseries. He afterwards moved 

 to Chelsea, London, where he took up 

 the work in earnest, Mr. Leden follow- 

 ing about 1864. The orchid conference 

 held by the Eoyal Horticultural Society 

 at South Kensington, London, gave the 

 greatest stimulus to hybridizing at that 

 time, Mr. Veitch showing Lseliocattleya 

 exoniensis, bella, callistoglossa and sev- 

 eral other varieties. About that time 

 Mr. Charlesworth took up the work with 

 marked success, introducing many fine 

 hybrids from L. cinnabarina and flora; 

 also several from Lselia tenebrosa, in- 

 cluding L. C. Baden Powell, Haroldiana 

 and Martinetti, and Brassocattleya 

 BradshawisB, Queen Alexandra, Cliftonii 

 and many secondary crosses, Cattleya 

 aurea and Dowiana having been used 

 more than any other species, with the 

 best results in producing the most 

 showy varieties. 



Sander & Sons came next, having sent 

 out many fine varieties of cattleyas, 

 laeliocattleyas, cypripediums and odonto- 

 glossums. Messrs. McBean, Cooks- 

 bridge, Sussex, take the lead with hy- 

 brid cymbidiums, introducing some of 

 the best yet sent out. Without doubt, 

 they are the most useful introduction 

 of later years for show and decorative 

 uses. Some amateurs are Sir G, Hot- 

 ford and Sir J. Colman, who have sent 

 out several high-class hybrids. 



Many small collectors interest them- 

 selves with raising a few good things 



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