THE ORCHID WORLD. 



[March, 1915. 



EARLY REMINISCENCES OF 

 ORCHID GROWING. 



AREQl'EST by a friend interested in 

 this fascinating hobby to relate a few 

 early recollections on this subject is 

 one which I feel some difficulty in expressing 

 m a manner worthy of the ORrnil) WORLD. 

 I wish to avoid anything of the nature of an 

 autobiography, but I fear I cannot escape it, 

 so will do my best. 



The period I am now referring to dates 

 back to the late seventies, and the circum- 

 stances here recorded are as vivid in my 

 recollection as if it were but \ esterday. Being 

 very fond of flowers I was never so happy as 

 when amongst them. A buttonhole was a 

 weakness, were it the humble mangold or 

 modest mignonette, especially if of my own 

 cultivation. M)- employer soon discovered my 

 proclivities, which in after years developed 

 into a strong attachment between us in a 

 marked degree. One day he came into my 

 office and asked me how my work stood. 

 " Everything is in order, sir," I replied. " Very 

 well, then, I want you to do a little thing for 

 me ; I want you to go to .Stevens, King 

 Street, Covent Garden, and buy the lots I 

 have marked off ; here is the catalogue and 

 ;^"lo. Lay it out to the best of your ability." 

 On perusing the catalogue 1 saw it described 

 a sale of imported Orchids. Orchids — I 

 thought — what are they and what does it 

 mean ? The\- might have been wild animals 

 or limbo for all I knew, except there was 

 some reference to them being plants. I was 

 rather doubtful as to the outcome of m\- 

 errand, and my doubts increased still further 

 when, on reaching the sale room, I saw 

 scarcely anything but a lot of dried, withered, 

 dead looking stuff that had some resemblance 

 to vegetation of a remote period. I am in 

 for trouble, I thought ; my employer will not 

 thank me for buying him a lot of rubbish. 

 \\'hat am I to do ? There was not time to go 

 back and tell him. I looked around to see 

 what other folks were doing and noticed they 

 seemed to be handling the subjects rather 

 tenderly and with the air of a connoisseur. 



There is something in it after all, I thought, 

 and where ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be 

 wise. I set about looking up the lots I was 

 told to purchase, not omitting to see if there 

 were any better than those marked off. The 

 sale commenced and shillings and guineas 

 seemed to flow freeh-, which relieved my mind 

 greatly. Eventually I completed my purchase 

 and exhausted the ;^io within a few shillings, 

 gathered together the dcbrix, packed them 

 into a parcel and wended my way back to the 

 warehouse. 



1 had great misgivings as to the outcome of 

 what I thought " a wild goose chase," and 

 prepared myself for a reprimand of no mean 

 order. Determined to make my case as good 

 as possible 1 entered the private office of 



Mr. with an apology on my lips, first 



looking round for the most easy means of 



exit. " I am very sorry, sir, but " " What, 



haven't you got the plants ?" " Yes, sir, but 

 the\' are all dead." How I scanned his face 

 to see the result, but I detected a merry 

 twinkle in his eyes. " Let's look at them," and 

 after a keen examination he said : " They are 

 very nice," and with a pat on my back 

 complimented me on the purchase. How 

 thankful I felt that I had unconsciously 

 pleased my employer, and, moreover, it was 

 not the only parcel of Orchids that I had the 

 pleasure of buj'ing for him. After directing 

 me to take the plants to his house, with 

 instructions to give them to the head 

 gardener, I was to be sure to ask for some 

 tea, which I heartily enjoyed, and to finish 

 the day with a good look round the garden 

 and houses. In pausing, I might say I 

 distinctl)' remember the first lot of Orchids I 



bought for Mr. , which comprised 



Cattleyas, La^lias, Dendrobiums and Odonto- 

 glossum crispums. What a revelation it was 

 for me to go through the Orchid houses, how 

 I revelled in the heat of some of them, the 

 wondrous beauty of the flowers, the colours, 

 shapes and odd looking plants ; I had never 

 seen anything like them or even thought such 

 plants existed. 



Of course, I eulogised my visit to my 

 employer and related my joy at the privilege 

 of seeing such wonderful things. After that 



