72 
THE ORCHID WORLD. 
Orchids. By James O'Brien, V.M.H. This 
is the title of a book just pubhshed by 
T. C. and E. C. Jack, price is. 6d., and 
is one of the series of " Present-Day 
Gardening," edited by R. Hooper Pear- 
son, managing editor of the Gardeners 
Chronicle. 
In recommending this exceedingly well- 
written and useful book to every amateur 
desiring greater knowledge in the fascinating- 
art of orchid culture we cannot do better than 
quote from the editor's prefatory note : 
" There is no department of present-day gar- 
dening that exhibits such wonderful progress 
as is shown in the orchid gardens and nur- 
series that are to be found in every portion 
of these isles. Amateurs are but just begin- 
ning to realise that orchids, like other plants, 
are capable of being understood by anyone 
who really desires to understand them. As 
a practical cultivator m the old Pine Apple 
Nurseries of Messrs. Henderson, Mr. O'Brien 
had the good fortune to flower many species 
for the first time after their introduction, and 
ever since those early days he has continued 
to specialise in these plants. He is secretary 
of the Orchid Committee of the Royal Horti- 
cultural Society, and in 1897 he was included 
in the first sixty horticulturists who were 
selected to receive the Victoria Medal of 
Honour in commemoration of Queen Vic- 
toria's Jubilee." 
The first of the twenty-one chapters is 
devoted to the rise and progress of orchid 
culture. Commencing with the year 1728, 
the most important facts are noted in each 
period of orchid history : the early introduc- 
tion of species, the first raising of seedlings, 
and the commencement of the cool-house 
treatment. 
Each succeeding chapter deals with an 
important matter, which is available for refer- 
ence when any question on the subject crops 
up in another portion of the book. We thus 
have chapters on the structure of orchid- 
houses, the methods of heating, and the pro- 
cess of potting, with all the information 
written in a style which can be understood 
by the youngest amateur. To those more 
advanced the remarks on hybridising and 
raising seedling orchids will be read with 
interest, while even the professional may 
refresh his memory with the enumeration of 
the principal genera and species in cultiva- 
tion given in Chapter XX. 
A subject upon which we entirely agree 
IS the chapter on useless pseudo-bulbs, and, 
knowing the great importance of this matter, 
we reprint the following to show the practical 
style the author adopts in his mode of treat- 
ing each subject :^ — 
" If an imported orchid, such as Cattleya 
or Laelia, which has been cultivated under 
glass for several years and has manv pseudo- 
bulbs, be turned out of the pot and the roots 
freed from the potting material, it will be 
seen that the new roots which nourish the 
plant are confined to the freshest pseudo- 
bulbs, and that the roots beneath the older 
pseudo-bulbs are in such a condition that they 
are useless in the economy of the plant. This 
fact goes to show that the old bulbs are being 
supported by the newer growths, and that 
they are seriously impeding the full develop- 
ment of the flower-producing part of the 
specimen. In such a case it is a common 
thing to see large specimens collapse and die 
off, the decay being traceable to the old bulbs 
in the centre of the plant. It is, the^-efore, 
better to remove old pseudo-bulbs behind the 
last three or four leading ones, and, if it is 
desired to retain all leading portions of a 
large mass in one pot or pan to form a speci- 
men, they should be potted together, when it 
will be found that, given reasonable treat- 
ment, they will make better specimens than 
if left in a mass." 
As examples of the reward of good culture 
eight coloured plates are given illustrating 
specimen plants grown by Mr. H. G. Alex- 
ander, orchid grower to .Sir George Holford, 
K.C.V.O., the beauty of any one of which 
should alone act as an incitement to master 
every detail which is included in the book. 
One of the finest specimens of colour 
p'hotographic work which has been done is 
the figure of Brasso- Cattleya Digbyano- 
Mossiae Westonbirt variety. The plant bears 
seven grand flowers, which are most realistic 
in colo'Ur, and this plate alone is worth the 
small sum charged for the whole work. 
There is only one thing that can happen to 
this book, and that is, an ever increasing 
popularity as the work becomes known. 
