332 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [ NOVEMBER, 1906, 
OLD ORDER OF THINGS CHANGING.—As I have had occasion to remark 
before in these pages, the older order of things is gradually passing away in 
our Orchid houses. Fewer and fewer plants are being imported, aud more 
and more are being raised from seed, and, as the years go on, a greater 
brilliancy will be evolved than at present exists, particularly in the 
Odontoglossum department, as by selection the Orchid grower will be able 
to work out his object. Occasionally one hears a despondent note, such as, 
*“* Hybrids have seen their day, and presently everybody will be falling back 
on species again”; but this is utter nonsense, retrogressive, and contrary 
to the teaching of the history of gardening. 
Time was when, with the advent of winter, we used to comfortably settle 
ourselves down to plant washing and house scrubbing, but these things, 
although of great importance, do not by any means absorb the Orchid 
grower’s whole attention during the resting season. Speaking from first 
hand experience with seedlings in large enough quantities to prohibit the 
possibility of repotting all in the months of spring and summer, the coming 
of winter, although seeing some relaxation in the repotting of these plants, 
does not by any means see its cessation.. Where seedlings have been 
raised during the summer, there will always be some trouble about, and 
constant handling and attention will be necessary to ensure good results. 
The work of raising seedling Orchids—or even trying to raise them—is the 
most engrossing part of the Orchid growers work ; and the most pleasurable, 
the flowering of them. As the numbers increase around him, he may develop 
symptoms of callousness, but these same numbers very surely keep. his nose 
to the grindstone, and, as they grow, the work becomes increasingly 
difficult to meet. The spring and summer entail an amount of routine 
work, with shading, syringing, &c., which will now be curtailed, and the 
repotting of many seedlings which had to be left over then may now be 
proceeded with. 
It isa matter of gratification that small seedling Lzlio-cattleyas and 
Odontoglossums do not seem to mind in the least being repotted during the 
winter, providing the operation be done carefully, and they are accommo- 
dated afterwards in cosy quarters; but it is worse than useless to attempt 
the repotting of small Dendrobiums at the fall of the year. There is, ¥ 
fortunately, an infinite amount of work in connection with the raising of 
Orchids which has to be repeated, and which shows nothing for the labour. 
They are fickle customers until they have got roots. With all the ex- 
perience that we can conjure up, it sometimes happens that the same 
seedling has two or three changes before it roots, although, thankfully, ™ 
most cases it has much more peace. 
The little grub which is hatched in the compost is the enemy which 
causzs most mischief, but damping is also to be guarded against. The 
