﻿THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



Vol. XII] MAY, 1904. [No. 137. 



STRAY NOTES. 



By Calypso. 



The other day I called on an amateur Orchidist and found him busy 

 among his plants. " Don't expect too much," he said, " it's only a small 

 collection, and I don't go in for many of those swell things ; fact is, they 

 come rather expensive, and are a little beyond me." We looked round, and 

 I found a thriving little collection, most of the plants well grown, and a 

 good many in flower or approaching that condition. I shall not 

 attempt a catalogue, but may mention that some good Odontoglossums 

 were in flower — Rossii, Cervantesii, triumphans, Pescatorei, cirrhosum, 

 gloriosum, and of course the inevitable crispum. A little batch of the 

 latter were imported plants, and it was hoped would contain some spotted 

 forms, though up to the present nothing remarkable had appeared beyond 

 two or three Andersonianums and ordinary crispum. Of course, various 

 things besides Odontoglossum were in flower, and it was a good example of 

 the pleasure that may be obtained from a small collection if properly looked 

 after. 



We got into conversation about Orchids generally, and the reason why 

 they were so popular. " There's something fascinating about these plants," 

 he said, "they're different from all other flowers, in shape and colour, and 

 markings, and there's something to look at all the year round. If there's 

 not much in flower at some particular time, one watches the growths and 

 the young spikes beginning to push up. And they don't take up much room. 

 Some plants grow tremendously for a short time, and fill the house, and 

 then they are cut down and leave a great blank till the season comes round 

 again, but Orchids go steadily on, and are always interesting. The potting 

 materials, too, are clean and sweet to handle—sphagnum moss and peat, 

 and these new-fangled oak-leaves, which I have been trying. In fact, 

 they're just the plants for an amateur to grow, and not at all difficult if you 

 treat them right." Yes, Orchid growing is certainly a delightful hobby. 



