■\HE ORCHID WORLD. 



[March, 1915- 



Development of Cypripedium seedlings from 3 — 12 months. 



way of a non-porous or slimy surface can ever 

 be expected to brmg about success. Speakin(j 

 !4"enerall\-, a plant that has been repotted 

 about two or three months and which has a 

 certain amount of life still left m the 

 sphagnum moss of its compost forms a 

 suitable subject upon which to sow the seed. 

 The rough surface should be trimmed with 

 scissors in order that a level and uniformly 

 moist material may be obtained. Too much 

 living sphagnum moss may smother the 

 germinating seeds. 



Cypripedium seed, like that of many other 

 genera, is extremely light and easily blown 

 away, so a still atmosphere is needed when 

 sowing IS m progress. After a few hours the 

 seeds will have absorbed sufficient moisture to 

 cause them to adhere to minute fragments of 

 the compost, which can be proved by the use 

 of a magnifying glass. In order to secure the 

 most favourable results the pots should be 

 placed m the warmest portion of the house, if 

 possible in a frame-like structure covered with 

 a sheet of glass to prevent too extensive a 

 change m the atmosphere ; any conditions 

 likely to rapidly dry the germinating seeds 

 may prove fatal in the course of a few hours. 

 The amount of moisture and nutritive 

 material in a single seed is extremely minute, 

 and if, when germination has once started, a 

 severe check is received it is but rarely that 

 any further progress can be effected. We 

 may compare these seeds to a sitting" of hen's 

 eggs, each one of which is supplied with 

 sufficient nutriment to ensure the complete 

 development of a living chick, but should the 

 mother hen neglect her duty by leaving the 



nest for a period sufficient to permanently 

 arrest the development of the embryo then no 

 known skill can ever replace the former 

 condition of life. Thus we can understand 

 how necessary it is to ensure a continuation 

 of atmospheric conditions suitable to the 

 minute speck of life situated in a germinating 

 seed. Sometimes, when the seed has been 

 sown about two or three weeks, the attendant 

 may rum his prospect of success by uncon- 

 sciously allowing the seeds to remain for a 

 few hours in an atmosphere that is sufficiently 

 hot and dry to fatally injure such a minute 

 particle of life, yet he continues for several 

 ensuing weeks to devote the closest attention, 

 and onl\- gives up when he has satisfied 

 himself that the art of seed raising is far 

 beyond his skill and knowledge of the subject. 



Now one can easily understand that if the 

 atmosphere is kept in a condition of moisture 

 nearing the saturation point but very little 

 watering will be required. Such a condition 

 is rarely obtained, nor, as a matter of fact, 

 should it be attempted, for fear of producing 

 an unhealthy and slimy condition of the 

 compost. A \ ery light spraying of tepid rain 

 water, applied by means of a scent-spraymg 

 bottle, IS necessary whenever the surface 

 shows the slightest sign of becoming dry. 

 On some days this w-ill not be required, while 

 on others two or three applications may be 

 needed. Whenever the whole compost 

 requires watering it will be found much the 

 better plan to dip the pot in a pail of water, 

 only allowing the water to reach half way up 

 the pot, the remainder will become damp by 

 absorption. 



