January, 1914- | 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



«7 



O. Eric (Clytie x Bradshawiae), Davidson, 

 November, 191 2. 



O. Constance (Clytie x Bradshawiae), 

 Charlesvvorth, December, 1912. The parentage 

 of this is similar to O. Eric, of which it must 

 be considered a variety. 



O. Minerva (Edwardii x Bohnhofias), 

 McBean, October, 191 3. 



Odontonias. 



O. Boadicea (Clytie x Warscewiczii), 

 Charlesworth, August, 191 2. 



O. brugensis (Edwardii x vexillaria), Sander, 

 June, 1913. 



O. McNabiana (Edwardii x Bleuana), Sander, 

 September, 191 3. 



Odontocidium. 



O. Edwardatum (Edwardii x serratum), 

 McBean, April, 1913. 



ORCHIDS FOR AMATEURS. 



IF I grow Orchids how much attention will 

 they require ? This is a frequent question 

 amongst amateur gardeners who desire 

 to cultivate something more attractive than 

 the ordinary greenhouse plants, and without 

 spending an excessive amount of money. 

 Almost every lover of flowers, and their 

 number is countless, desire something not 

 only interesting and beautiful, but something 

 that will raise the dignity of his greenhouse 

 to a higher level than that of his neighbour. 

 Orchids are the acknowledged aristocratic 

 flowers, and he who enters upon their study 

 and cultivation finds that as his collection and 

 knowledge of the plants increase so does his 

 pleasure and ambition multiply in like propor- 

 tion. Most amateurs will willingly agree with 

 the statement concerning the loveliness of 

 Orchids, yet there are a few who believe tha' 

 their cultivation is a trouble ; in fact, to use a 

 common expression, the game is not worth 

 the candle. 



Now too much enthusiasm is often as 



detrimental to the welfare of Orchids as 

 considerable inattention. Very often the 

 amateur retires from the honourable position 

 of an Orchidist for no other reason than the 

 plants require too much attention and occupy 

 more of his leisure time than he cares to 

 spend. This, however, is only his opinion, 

 and if the truth were known it would 1)C 

 discovered that the plants had received more 

 than the necessary attention. The care 

 bestowed upon them had made their sur- 

 roundings quite different from that of their 

 natural climate, so much so that instead of 

 benefitting accordingly they have shown signs 

 of deterioration. To put the whole matter in 

 a nutshell, they have been killed by excessive 

 kindness. 



It has often been said that the plants m a 

 large trade establishment owe their healthy 

 and vigorous existence to the fact that their 

 great number prevents the owner from 

 continually upsetting their growth, or rest, as 

 the case may be, by unnecessary attention. 

 But this statement, true as it is, does not 

 mean that general neglect is to be encouraged, 

 but rather that the enthusiastic amateur, 

 wishing to give the plants every possible aid 

 to growth, meddles with them so much that 

 their very existence is frequently imperilled. 



Nature has given all plants a certain power 

 of adapting themselves to the surrounding- 

 climatic conditions, not to the wide extent 

 sometimes imagined, but just sufficient to 

 enable them to withstand the various 

 atmospheric changes. When an Orchid is 

 cultivated in a shady and excessively damp 

 position the bulbs and leaves are produced in 

 a soft and tender state, and they will remain 

 so as long as these atmospheric conditions 

 last. To suddenly expose such a plant to the 

 strong light of direct sunshine would cause 

 considerable damage, resulting in the burning 

 of the tissues, as well as other defects. This 

 is one of the evils which amateurs have to 

 guard against. In their anxiety to assist the 

 plants by frequently removing them to other 

 positions they often unconsciously place them 

 in a totally different atmosphere, and the 

 sudden change is detrimental to the plants' 

 welfare. Of course, when the plant has 



