AND THEIR MANAGEMENT. 21 



Structure and other Peculiarities. 



room ; but this \-aries much in difl'erent specimens. This list 

 does not comprise more than a small fraction of the number 

 of Orchids which have powerful odours. Indeed, it might 

 almost be said that scentless Orchids are the exception. 



HYBRIDISATION. 



Although the art of Orchid H)-dridisation may still be 

 termed in its infancy', there cannot be two opinions as to 

 the prominent part it must play in the future. The 

 collector carries on his work of destruction \vhen pro- 

 curing the various species which, as in the case ol 

 Odoiitog/ossinn crispiiui, are put upon the European 

 markets b}- hundreds of thousands annually. This, 

 combined with the spread of civilisation, the extended 

 cultivation, and the gradual pressure of a dense population, 

 will ultimateh- result in the extinction of many of the 

 most popular species now grown. If any proof of 

 this were necessar>', we need onl)- refer to our native 

 Cypripcdiuin Cakeolus, \\hich has become virtually extinct 

 in this countr_\-, but owing to its extensive distribution 

 over central Europe it is still comparativel)' plentiful in 

 places. Though the process of extinction may be slow, it 

 is sure. It is thus, then, that we shall have to depend on 

 the work of the cultivator to retain the species by raising 

 them from seed, as well as by procuring new sorts b)- 

 means of cross-fertilisation. 



The art of Orchid H\-bridisation was first introduced 

 by the late ]\Ir. J. Dominy, in the nurseries of Messrs. J. 

 Veitch and Sons, at Exeter. Mr. Dominy, upon the 

 suggestion of Dr. Harris, a surgeon of that town, com- 

 menced his experiments in 1852. It was in October, 1856, 

 that the first h)-brid {Calanthe Doininii) flowered. Mr. 

 Dominy carried on the work successfully among the 

 various sections of the Orchid family for twenty years, 

 flowering during that time about twenty-five hybrids— 

 the last, and probably the best, being Lcvlia, now classed 

 as LcElio-Cattkva Doiiii?iiami, which flowered in 1878. 



Mr. Seden, 'who succeeded Mr. Dominy in the firm 

 named has been most successful in introducing hybrids 

 of sterling merit. Other nurserymen, gentlemen, and 



