THE ORCHID REVIEW. 313 
more or less yellow, from injury caused by these insects still at work down 
in the axils. This not only robs the grower of the flowers, but also 
enfeebles and disfigures his plants. “XL. ALL” is perfectly safe to use if 
the instructions are followed, and I have never known anything injured as 
used to be the case in the old days of tobacco rag, paper, &c. It generally 
kills the pests far away down the axils, which the tobacco paper would not 
touch, and any that are left may easily be destroyed by dropping a little 
tobacco powder down among them. In these days there is really no reason 
why thrips should be allowed to ravage our plants. 
THE JAPANESE IN AN ORCHID CRAZE. 
THE following amusing paragraph is going the round of the papers :—‘ The 
latest craze that has made its appearance in Japan is the Orchid craze; and 
if reports are true, the Tulip craze in Holland of several centuries ago may 
well look to its laurels. According to the Tokio Asaki (Morning Day), a 
new variety of a small Orchid, jointly owned by the well-known gardener of 
Shitanya, Marn Shin, and by two others, is at present enjoying the highest 
reputation. It is. called ‘Amakusa,’ for every rare variety has its own 
special name. Its leaves measure only four inches in length, and one-and- 
a-half inches in width, this variety being the only one now found in Japan. 
The leaves, only eleven in number, are whitish, with yellow-hued stripes 
widely marked, and the whole appearance exceedingly graceful. The fame 
of the ‘ Amakusa’ has sent all the circles of Orchid hunters into a flutter. 
Numerous applications have been received by the triple owners, asking them 
_ to part with even one leaf, for Orchids, as is well known, can be propagated 
by root separation. But all these applications have been courteously 
declined. The other day, says the Asaki, a delegation, representing ten 
villagers of Chitagori, Okari, came up to Tokio. They were all men 
stricken with the Orchid mania, and, hearing of this rare variety, each of 
them subscribed 500 yen (a yen is 50 cents in United States currency), and 
one of them, the headman of the village, arrived on the important mission of 
purchasing a leaf. While the negotiations were in progress, the Kyoto 
Horticultural Company despatched its president also on the same errand. 
The owners of the precious Orchid conferred with each other, but decided 
_ not to accede to the offers made them, for they have in mind a similar case 
of another rare variety, which, several years ago, brought the fabulous price 
of 10,000 yen per leaf. So both delegates were obliged to return home 
crestfallen ; and the Asaki adds, ‘ Even supposing that the owners might be 
persuaded to part with that Orchid at 5,000 yen a leaf, that would bring 
