February, 1907 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



73 



The Cult of the Orchid 



By S. Leoaard Bastin 



HERE is surely nothing in the world's his- 

 tory which will quite compare with the or- 

 chid rage, which has taken gardening circles 

 by storm at the present time. Only the tulip 

 craze in Holland surpassed the present 

 craze; but we may question if there was not 

 more sordid money making at the bottom 

 of that historic movement than wholesome love of tulip grow- 

 ing. But the orchid has not always enslaved the hearts of men ; 

 fifty years ago the great family had not attracted any large 

 amount of attention, and, comparatively speaking, few of 

 the varieties then known were in general cultivation. Now all 

 this is altered and the corners of the earth are being ransacked 

 for new species to satisfy the cravings of the great collectors. 



After all it is no matter for great surprise that orchids 

 have come into their present position in the popular regard. 

 There is some subtle fascination about the whole group which 

 almost every one feels. To begin with, their habits as plants 

 are quite unlike any other members of the vegetable kingdom. 

 They are found growing in all sorts of strange ways, and 

 under a host of different conditions. Indeed it would be safe 

 to say that there is no group of plants more widely dis- 



tributed. And when one comes to orchid blossoms, they 

 simply pass the bounds of the wildest imagination in the char- 

 acter of their colorings and designs. It would be useless to 

 attempt to describe the extraordinary beauty of form in some 

 varieties, the exquisite tinting of others, and the grotesque 

 and quaint designs exhibited in such a number. 



The fact that, generally speaking, it is not an easy plant to 

 grow, has only seemed to add to the popularity of the orchid. 

 True, some species are very much more accommodating than 

 others, and are amenable to simple treatment; others, with 

 the care which any lover of plants will gladly accord, may be 

 grown with considerable success, while yet again, a certain 

 number should be undertaken only if one is sure that the 

 right conditions can be fully supplied. In the last category 

 may be included the epiphytal species, which do not root in 

 soil, but flourish on tree trunks in the hot, damp atmosphere 

 of the tropical forests. To imitate these conditions a specially 

 equipped glasshouse is absolutely essential, and, even with 

 the advantage of every conceivable appliance, there are in- 

 stances on record in which for some reason or other there has 

 been poor success. Not that one would for a moment wish 

 to discourage the small grower, or drive the amateur with 



A Beautiful Spotted Variety of Odontoglossum Crispum 



A Fine Pink Orchid Worth About One Hundred and Fifty Dollars 



