ORCHIDS 



Introductory. 



procured in an imported condition, man)- varieties of 

 sterling merit have alread}- appeared among them. In 

 the future it is confidentl}' expected that even greater 

 developments may be looked for. Alread}' English 

 growers have succeeded in supplying a section of cut- 

 flowers that heretofore were almost entirel>- produced on 

 the Continent. 



Of the influences that in the past have tended to keep 

 the more general cultivation of Orchids in the background 

 is the utterly erroneous idea that the initial expense is 

 too great to be undertaken by an)-one but millionaires. 

 Another has been the popular notion that even when the 

 plants have been procured they require such particular 

 housing and treatment that a man \\\t\\ a special 

 knowledge of their culture is indispensable. It is easy 

 to refute the first of these objections by simply stating 

 the fact that a selection of plants of the very finest 

 species and h3'brids ma_\' be procured for a sum 

 equivalent to what would have to be expended on the 

 purchase of a collection of Carnations, Pelargoniums, or 

 similar stove or greenhouse subjects. 



As to the special houses, this is equall)- fallacious, for 

 wherever exists the accommodation for the culture of the 

 usual stove and greenhouse plants, there ma}' Orchids 

 be successfully gro\\-n. With regard to the specialist 

 gardener, e\'en this individual exists rather on paper 

 than actuall}'. Any man with common sense can grow 

 Orchids if he is a successful cultivator of stove and green- 

 house plants. His sense of observation, with energ}', 

 should " be sufficient to enable him to surmount all 

 difficulties. There is a decided line to be drawn between 

 a useful and an interesting collection of Orchids and 

 becoming the possessor of a vast collection and making 

 the plants a specialit}'. In the latter case a thoroughl}' 

 trained and e.xperienced man is absolutel}' essential. 



In the cultural notes that follow, the aim of the 

 writer has been to set forth the conditions under which 

 he has obtained the best results ; but it must be clearl}' 

 borne in mind that there are no hard-and-fast lines to 

 be observed in Orchid culture an}- more than there are 

 in connection with other plants. In many instances 

 (some of which are cited further on) even a' change of 



