September, 1912.] 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



277 



and the upkeep of houses, gardeners, etc., in 

 many instances runs into thousands per 

 annum. Perhaps the most famous is Mr. 

 Chamberlain's collection at Highbury ; but, 

 though a fine one, it is very far from being 

 the best, or even among the best. Of recent 

 years the culture of the Orchid has made 

 immense strides all over the world — princi- 

 pally, perhaps, in America and m Belgium, 

 where new theories of treatment have suc- 

 cessfully been demonstrated. It is note- 

 worthy that one hundred years ago only a 

 dozen species of exotic Orchids were known 

 to botanists ; to-day they are numbered by 

 hundreds. Many syndicates, and even some 

 private individuals, have collectors searching 

 the uttermost ends of the world for new 

 specimens ; and the expense of maintaining 

 these collectors in the field must be enormous. 



A Field for Speculation. — The com- 

 paratively speaking poor man is not, however, 

 altogether out of the running. London is the 

 centre of the world for the Orchid trade, and 

 here come for sale plants collected in Burma, 

 Brazil, Mexico, and many other countries. 

 As many of these are unflowered at the time 

 of sale their worth is altogether unknown ; 

 and it is quite within the bounds of possi- 

 bility that in a batch of half a dozen dry 

 roots picked up for a few shillings in an 

 auction-room may be one worth naming 

 which will eventually sell for several hun- 

 dreds of pounds. This has actually occurred 

 time and again, and it is said that one of the 

 gems of Mr. Chamberlain's collection — a 

 Cypripedium — was originally bought for half 

 a crown in Cheapside. But it is altogether a 

 matter of luck. No matter how expert the 

 eye may be, it is impossible to say what a 

 plant will do until it has actually flowered. 

 The picture-hunter or the curio-collector 

 relies on his judgment ; but the Orchid-buyer 

 is in the hands of the Fates. This, perhaps, 

 only adds to the excitement, and gives a 

 gambling element to the pursuit. It is cer- 

 tainly stimulating to think that for half a 

 crown you may get something worth £^00. 

 Even the best of South African shares will 

 never yield so heavily as that. It is also 

 worth remembering that some of the most 



valuable specimens are " cool-house " species, 

 which call for no great expense or skill in 

 culture. It is quite a mistake to think that 

 all Orchids need great heat. Many Odonto- 

 glossums, Dendrobiums, and Cymbidiums — 

 the former family certainly the most beautiful 

 of all —are grown excellently in houses out of 

 which the frost is only just kept in the winter. 



Yet to be Exploited.— As a field for 

 investment the Orchid has not yet, perhaps, 

 been properly exploited. Diamonds, as has 

 already been pointed out, are commonly 

 bought as- a "lock-up" of capital; in China 

 many rich men systematically put their 

 money into furs. Now that the market for 

 Orchids has become so wide, and the cult is 

 established in many countries, rich men 

 might do worse than consider the possibilities 

 of investing in Orchids. If they bought 

 judiciously and nursed their " stock " assidu- 

 ously, they would no doubt find the invest- 

 ment an excellent one. The day might even 

 come when the capitalist m want of a few 

 thousands in " ready " could stroll into his 

 bank and ask for an overdraft against his 

 collection of Odontoglossums ! At present 

 we are afraid the average bank manager 

 would politely, but firmly, refuse the security, 

 and that the fall in the temperature of his 

 office as a result of his coolness would put the 

 plant in imminent danger of its existence. 



The North of England Horticultural 

 Society held a show at Harrogate, August 

 8th and gth. Messrs. Mansell and Hatcher, 

 Rawdon, were awarded the cup presented by 

 Mr. H. Webster, Chairman of the Harrogate 

 Local Management Committee, for the best 

 exhibit from Yorkshire, and a Gold Medal 

 from the Orchid Committee. 



A First-class Certificate was granted to 

 Cattleya Gaskelliana alba magnifica, ;ind a 

 Second-class Certificate to Laslio-Cattleya 

 Ivernia Muriel Wilson, both shown by W. P. 

 Burkinshaw, Esq. (gr. Mr. J. T. Barker). 



Messrs. Charlesworth and Co., Haywards 

 Heath, received a Silver Medal for a very 

 choice selection of Orchids. 



