THE ORCHID REVIEW. 26 
of careful and close study. They have paid dearly for the knowledge they 
possess, and have bought it in a great variety of ways. Often enough they 
profit by their own failures. Frequently they gain useful knowledge quite 
accidentally. By their occasional visits to other collections they gain much 
information from their communications with brother growers ; and they can 
also in many instances see for themselves some new idea worth trying at 
home, and something else that should be avoided. Much has been handed 
down by their predecessors, and much has also been acquired by reading 
literature bearing upon the subject. 
Now this last observation reminds me how scant is the literature having 
any reference whatever to the native habits of our plants, and most of that 
which does exist I maintain is misleading, through an absolute absence of 
detail. These facts seem to me to be the keynote of most of our failures. If 
an Orchid grower could possess some reliable guide, telling him all about the 
natural conditions, atmospherically and otherwise, which his plants occupy 
in their native home, with a correct scale of temperatures throughout the 
year, then indeed he would have something great and valuable upon which 
to base his cultural operations. If it was possible for such a work to come 
to his aid, it would be simply priceless. How much more would it be 
valued than most of the present day expensive works containing highly 
coloured paintings of flowers he already knows perfectly well, but containing 
otherwise little or no cultural information of any service to him whatever 
But I suppose it is really too much too expect a work of this kind to be 
produced. I well understand the great obstacles that would attend its 
compilation in a concise and complete form, for the chief contributors must 
necessarily be those people dwelling nearest the localities where each 
individual species grows the best, together with the keen and careful 
observations of the traveller or collector. Yet I have sometimes thought 
that something more in this direction could be done than has been hitherto. 
I have stated these views before, and I note that Mr. Rolfe in his admirable 
paper “ Orchids at home and abroad,” is strongly of the same way of thinking. 
And does he not instance a case in point (page 109), where treatment more 
or less correct was indicated by the discovery of the fibre of a tree 
fern which was recognised? Thus our chances of success too often hang 
by a single thread. 
Now I am not presuming to advise Mr. Crawshay. He is known to be well 
up with Orchids and their culture, and probably he could inform me upon 
many subjects. My advice is intended for beginners in the craft, who I 
know to be many. To them, I repeat, be guided mainly by professional 
growers. Endeavour to improve thereon if you like, but be careful in 
whatever experiments are made. Don’t be too rash, but try one or two plants 
at atime. Although you may have a good gardener, remember that he has 
