202 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [Juty, 1906, 
work (invisible in the photograph), and it has also affected the seeds, for 
one can see well that all these are germinating in a regular manner, and 
contrast by their development with those in the neighbouring tube. 
In the absence of the fungus, the seeds, even after six or seven months. 
of culture, are still in the same condition as is seen in the first tube. Ing 
the presence of the fungus, on the contrary, they prosper and develop — 
quite regularly. 
The third tube shows up to what point the culture of young Orchid 
plants may be pushed under these experimental. conditions which I obtain. . 
The seedling in question is a Phalznopsis, coming from a seed sown seven a . 
months previously on a piece of cotton wool, dipping at the base intoa _ 
nutritive liquid. In this case also, the development cannot be obtained 
except in the case of a suitable fungus. In the photograph one can see a 3 
part of the mycelium of this fungus, which forms a whitish mass submerged q | 
in the liquid in the lower part of the tube. The plant is about the middle 
of the tube, and the best leaf, it will be seen, is three-eighths of an inch long- 
glossum is very variable, and the cultures which I have obtained at different 
times (from the roots of different Odontoglossums) have shown a very. 
unequal amount of activity. Some brought about germination with more 
.or less rapidity. Others, although they were identical in appearance, had 
no appreciable effect. 
I do not doubt that one could, in time, and with appropriate methods, 
obtain extremely active cultures of these fungi. . It would be sufficient to 
Propagate these cultures so as to give to all cultivators facilities for. 
germinating Odontoglossum seeds as readily as those of Cattleya. That, 
, however, could only be the work of a laboratory specially fitted out for the 
study of these questions, and I am strongly of opinion that Orchid amateuts 
will one day see the utility of a suitable laboratory for such horticultural — 
research. Assuredly, if this laboratory did exist, it would not be in a com- 
dition to solve to-day or to-morrow all the problems that underlie the — 
