356 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
RAISING ORCHIDS FROM SEED. 
As remarked by Mr. J. M. Black, at page 298, anything about raising 
Orchids from seeds has a value, and as he has taken one side of the question 
for a text, namely, the use only of robust plants as seed-bearing parents, it 
would appear that there is another view that might be taken by others. 
It must be conceded that the aim and object of all vegetation is the 
perpetuation of its kind. Take for illustration the common Shepherd’s 
Purse, as being familiar to all. If the soil where it is growing is insufficient 
to nourish more than two leaves besides the cotyledons, still seeds will be 
produced, if only two capsules; and those same seeds, if given good soil, will 
make plants as strong and vigorous as those saved from well nourished 
plants—there will be no perceptible difference. 
This rule applies throughout the whole vegetable kingdom, and it is a 
well known fact that flower seeds are largely grown on soil that is not over- 
rich, the idea being to induce plants to prepare for the perpetuation of their 
kind, rather than the gross, succulent herbage that takes no thought for the 
morrow. 
As to Orchids raised from seeds saved from weak seed-parents being 
naturally delicate, we should be rather inclined to the view that the plant, 
if strong enough to mature seeds, even though it died in the attempt, would 
not transmit its weakness in a hereditary way to its offspring. A good seed 
isa good seed: there would surely be a larger proportion of chaff than usual, 
but the seeds would be as fully endowed as if froma vigorous parent—the 
fact that we cannot get them beyond the initial stages of germination 
only proves our inability, not the impossibility, to raise them. 
We have raised thousands of Orchids from seeds during the past few 
years, and watched the various stages closely—there is no more fascinating 
study—and how often the seeds have swelled and turned green, but refused 
to get as far as the leaf-point stage, we dare not contemplate. It is better 
to look upon what we have, and of these, how many can be shown as 
germinating on isolated tufts of peat, as thick as they can stick, and the rest 
of the seed-bed barren of results! These tufts seem to have held just the 
proper quantity of moisture in suspension for the right conditions, and 
results have followed. If it were not for these little bunches of plants, we 
should perhaps blame the seed or its parents—but how unjustly ! 
If we take three of the strongest growing Orchids, Lelia purpurata, 
Cattleya Mossiz, and C. Warscewiczii (gigas), they are the poorest 
possible parents we have tried as seed bearers, when wecome to count up — 
the results, though seeds are produced in great abundance—prodigality, we 
might say. Mr. Black rightly says that it would take a good deal of © 
courage to guarantee plants from any lot of seeds, but in our experience in — 
