538 ORCHIDS 



A Chapter for Beginners. 



There are many other Orchids requiring intermediate- 

 house culture that may be successfull}' cultivated under 

 similar conditions to Cj'pripediums — cool-house Orchids 

 such as the popular Odoiitos^lossitm crispuvi and its 

 varieties, 0. Pescatorei, O. triujiiphaus, 0. Hallii, O. Ed- 

 wardii, 0. luteo-purpureuiii, 0. nebiilosiivi, 0. Rossii niajus, 

 0. Atidcrsonianitni, and other natural hybrid Odonto- 

 glossums ; Onciduiiii concolor, O. tigrinnm, O. viacrantliuni, 

 0. siiperbiens and its allied l^inds, and O. ornithorhynchuin; 

 Masdevallia Harrvaua in its endless colour form, M. ignea, 

 M. Veitcldi, and &I. Davisli ; the whole of the Restrepias ; 

 Sophroiiitis grandijiora ; and Epidendrmii vitelliuuin majus. 

 The whole of these may be j^rocured cheaply and possess 

 good constitutions, and no difficulty should be experienced 

 in their successful culture, if the particulars given for culti- 

 vation under their respective genera are followed. The 

 warmer kinds, such as Acrides, Phalcenopsis, Vanda, Dendro- 

 bimn, CalantJie, P/iaiits, and the showy and attractive Cattleya 

 and Lculia, are not the most suitable subjects, exen if a 

 stove is available, for the beginner to commence with. 

 Although generally, and with but few exceptions, the}' are 

 easy to cultivate, some special knowledge of their needs 

 is desirable before satisfactory cultivation can be assured. 

 Even those who have spent their li\es in the cultivation of 

 Orchids frequently find a difficulty with some one or other 

 of the warm-liouse kinds — doubtless oftener from inability 

 to procure suitable conditions than to want of attention 

 and cultural skill. 



It must al\va}-s be remembered that in our glass- 

 houses the conditions pro\-ided are wholly artificial. In 

 some cases these artificial conditions are appreciated by 

 the plants — a fact abundantly indicated by the more 

 robust constitution and increased size of foliage, compared 

 with what obtains in imported plants, while the normally 

 one-flowered species and varieties sometimes become twin- 

 flowered. In the case of Cattleyas and Lselias, there are a 

 great number of experienced Orchid cultivators who fail 

 utterl)' to retain these Orchids in anything approaching their 

 normal state of vigour. On the other hand, the hybrids 

 of these, which have been raised and cultivated wholh- 

 under artificial conditions, are induced to grow satisfactorilj' 

 for an indefinite period. We instance these facts not with 



