RAISING ORCHIDS FROM SEEDS. 39 



RAISING ORCHIDS PROM SEEDS. 



TUTANY Orcliids have recently been raised from seed in this country ; 

 yet it was not until within the last few years that cultivators 

 succeeded in raising seedlings of these singular subjects. At the present 

 time the number is considerable, and we are every day becoming more 

 familiar with seedling varieties and hybrids which have been raised in 

 English gardens. To Mr. Dominy, Mr. Seden, Dr. Ainsworth, and 

 Mr. R. Warner belong the credit of producing some of the very 

 beautiful hybrid forms of this order, which are now in cultivation. 

 Several other cultivators are now exercising their talents in the same 

 direction, amongst whom may be mentioned Sir Trevor Lawrence^art., 

 Mr. Cookson, Mr. Bean, Mr. Drewett, Mr. Ingram, Mr. Measures,' 

 Mr. Mylam, Mr. Osborne, Mr. Tautz, Mr. Winn, and many others who 

 have made a goodly addition to the hybrid plants now in cultivation, 

 and there is unquestionably a large field open for all who take an interest 

 in hybridising this singular and beautiful tribe of plants. Some very 

 fine Cattleyas, Laelias, Dendrohiums, and Cyprijpediums, have been raised 

 by the Messrs. Veitch & Sons, and great credit is due to the energy they 

 have displayed in this branch of Oi'chidology. Many of these seedlings 

 are very free-growing, but it will be several years before they can be 

 generally distributed, as they are so slow in propagation. We now 

 refer more particularly to CcMleyas and Laelias. 



Some time ago a gentleman remarked to us that he should like to 

 be in a country where the Orchids grew in a wild state, in order 

 that he might have the chance of hybridising them ; his ideas were, 

 that something really good might thus be obtained, and no doubt 

 he was right, for considering how seldom it is that we flower two 

 Orchids alike, it may be concluded that many of our imported plants, 

 though taken for the same, are natural hybrids or seminal variations, 

 and of this we have a good illustration in a hybrid Vanda raised 

 by a lady at Singapore between V. Hool-ceriana and V. teres. We 

 have seen at least two dozen varieties of Cattlei/a Mossiae in bloom at 

 one time, some having white petals and rich crimson lip, others rose- 

 coloured petals and yellow lip, but all differing more or less from each 

 other. In fact nearly all the species of Orchids yield varieties. Four 

 flowers taken from four different plants of Phalaenojjsis amabilis were 



