SOME FRENCH ORCHID HOLDERS. 



Fig. 



Fi<„ 



The unsightly shapes of the receptacles that orchids 

 are commonly grown in with us, have long been an irri- 

 tation to flower lovers with aes- 

 thetic tastes- and have perhaps 

 been an unconscious cause of the 

 little interest felt in these plants 

 by many worshippers of the floral 

 kingdom. 



The use- of baskets of pitch 

 pine has long been general and meets the hearty ap- 

 proval of raisers. We give a number of pictures repro' 

 duced from Lc Monitcur d' Horticid- 

 cur, showing shapes and construc- 

 tion of some now made and sold in 

 France. The most common and 

 , ugliest form is the square bottomed 

 basket (Fig. i), seen in all parts of 

 the world, and used for growing den- 

 drobiums, cattleyas, most of the on- 

 cidiums, etc. A similar basket, or 

 panier as the French call them, of 

 twice the usual height, they especially recommend as 

 suitable for the Indian orchids, such as asrides, saccola- 

 bium, vanda and angrsecum. For 

 phalsenopsis, the high tubular or 

 cylindrical form (Fig. 2) is consider- 

 ed the best. For those who are will- 

 ing to incur a little extra trouble or 

 expense, they recommend the single 

 (Fig. 3) or double octagonal forms 

 which are especially adapted for 

 strong specimen plants. For stanhopea and acineta, an 

 especial shape is made (Fig 4), with a bottom of cop- 

 per wire through which the flower 

 shoots can t^nd ready egress. The 

 hamper form (Fig. 5) and the log 

 form (Fig. 6) are said to be better 

 than the heavy logs or pieces of 

 bark on which the Brazilian oncid- 

 iums, cattleyas and laelias o f 

 spreading form are grown. The 

 hopper form (Fig. 7) and the manger form (Fig. 8) are 

 especially useful for the decoration of walls, and orna- 

 mental foliaged plants of fern-like 

 or trailing habit are mingled with 

 the orchids in the happiest man- 

 ner. These paniers are found 

 admirably adapted to the culture 

 of bromeliads of small size, many ferns such as adian- 

 tums, certain polypodiums,davallias, and the selaginellas. 

 They can be made the most pleasing additions to green- 

 house and conservatory, the upper parts of which are 

 often bare of vegetation. The pot (Fig. 9), cup and 



Fig. 3. 



Fig, 



Fig. 5. 



conical forms (Fig. 10) are less to be recommended, as 

 they render the cultiva- 

 tion and arrangement of 

 the plants more difficult. 

 The cubiform (Fig. 11) is 

 adapted to those specimens 

 of large size and strong 

 p,,^^ (, growth that stand upon the 



floor, only requiring to be 

 raised on the short legs, or it can be made in small 

 sizes if any one has a fancy for it. 

 All of these can be bought in France, 

 but we know of no dealer in florist's 

 supplies who keeps them all in this 

 country ; however, they can readily 

 be constructed. Do not make the 

 mistake of oiling or varnishing them, 

 as is sometimes done, as then the 

 surfaces are rendered unsuitable for 

 the plants to attach themselves, and ^ig. 7. 



are detrimental to their well-being. Teak wood is rec- 

 ommended by foreign authorities 

 as most desirable for use in con- 

 structing orchid holders, but it 

 would be difficult and expensive 

 to get it in this country. While 

 it is desirable to have wood that 

 does not decay readily, it seems 

 to make little 

 difference to 

 the plants. 

 Oak, cork, 

 pottery, the trunks of tree ferns, 

 etc., have all been most successfully 

 employed, as convenience dictated. 

 The ordinary clay pots, subject how- 

 ever to some variation in shape, are 

 now the most common among our orchid raisers, and 

 from a cultural point of view are 

 unobjectionable, but their appear- 

 ance is then so similar to plants that 

 live in the earth that one of their 

 chief distinctions is lost to the or- 

 chids. Nature 

 adapts them 

 so beautiful- 

 ly to their natural surroundings 

 that few people realize that their 

 odd rather than beautiful ap- 

 pearance is. owing to our way of 

 looking at them in badly placed 

 positions ; experience will give 

 us better knowledge. Fig. 



Fig. 8. 



Fig. 9. 



