May, 1922.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 143 
AN AMATEUR’S EXPERIENCE. 
By JOSEPHINE WALKER. 
S it not possible to popularize more the growing of Orchids? It is 
astonishing how many people are still under the impression that the 
growing of Orchids needs a very deep purse, and terrific heat. A friend 
asked me last week, almost with reverence, if it is possible to grow a few 
Orchids in a small span-roofed greenhouse, running north and south, where 
hecould just keep the frost out in winter. Isaid not with the plants he had 
in then, but if he cared to throw them out—and it appeared to me the loss 
would not have been a heavy one—I would for a few pounds undertake to 
stock it with Odontoglossums that would yield results he had never 
dreamed of. 
I see that there are three Orchid Challenge Cups for competition at the 
Spring and Autumn Show of the Royal Horticultural Society. Two are open 
tosuch amateurs as employ not more than three assistants, including a head 
gardener; and the other is open to all amateurs; how many assistants they 
are allowed I do not know! Is there not a cup for the amateur who grows his 
own plants? I do not mean necessarily for quantity, because perhaps two 
or three plants which have cultural excellence may be a better exhibit than 
a dozen from a collection that simply has greater numerical facilities. 
Surely here is a field to popularize Orchid growing amongst the smaller people, 
by giving a few small cups at, say the Autumn Flower Shows in different 
centres, and so encourage the small enthusiastic amateurs to come together 
and exchange views. My husband has often told me that in the days 
before we were married one of the leading Orchid importers used to take a 
sale-room in a leading hotel in the city, and bring down batches of 
Dendrobiums and auction them, just as is done with the Dutch bulbs and 
rose trees. Many of the people who attended and bought were not really 
Orchid growers; they probably bloomed the plants and then lost them, but 
they could not fail to have been impressed with their beauty. There must 
be many such to day, who, if they knew how easy Orchid culture really 4s, 
would be tempted to come in. - 
I am going to tread on dangerons ground, but I am open to correction. 
Having paid tribute to Mr. J. M. Black, he will, I am sure, forgive me for 
differing from him, especially as we are both trying to attain the same goal 
—the popularizing of Orchid growing. In the frst volume of the Orchid 
World Mr. Black wrote an article on Orchid hybridisation, in the course of 
which he also gave his views on conditions under which Orchids could and 
could not be grown. As _ the article nearly stopped us attempting the 
apparently impossible, it may have actually done so for others. Mr. Black 
will, lam sure, forgive me if I quote some extracts from the article in question, 
