HYBRID ORCHIDS. 



181 



drawn upon by the production of capsules resulting from false 

 fertilisation by the irritation of the stigma by foreign bodies such 

 as grit or fine vegetable deposit, of which class the seemingly 

 prolific colonies of plants in exposed situations mentioned by 

 Mr. Lehmann doubtless are. 



Comparatively few as the good seed capsules are in a general 

 way in the native habitats of Orchids, the supply of seeds, were 

 even a small proportion of them to germinate and make mature 

 plants, would be sufficient to stock the whole of the countries 

 which they inhabit; and yet we are told that some of the species, 

 apart from the raids of the plant collector and destruction by the 

 land developer or plantation maker, have had work to maintai 

 their places in creation. Lamentable as the fact is, the raiser 

 of garden hybrids who is continually complaining that the 

 proportion of plants he secures from the quantity of seeds sown 

 is very small may console himself that his proportion of mature 

 plants is in many cases far greater than in nature, and that the 

 causes which militate against the more profuse supply of plants 

 are about equal in effect, though different in detail. In their 

 native habitats each species of Orchid is very partial as to the 

 locality in which it will grow, and hence when the thousands of 

 minute seeds are scattered those which fall near fall into quarters 

 already well inhabited, and those which are carried beyond the 

 zone find their surroundings unsuitable to them. In any case 

 but very few lodge where they can germinate, and even after 

 germination the climatic changes and other causes prevent all 

 but a small proportion from attaining maturity. 



The garden hybridist may sum up his disappointments under 

 various headings. 



First, he can only do his best to imitate nature, in the place 

 he has to attempt to raise his seedlings in, and in the arrange- 

 ment of the temperature, &c. Secondly, I am convinced that a 

 large proportion of the seeds sown have never had the power of 

 germinating. And thirdly, the long and dreary winter during 

 which the sun is absent or obscured, and fogs often prevail. 

 These and other unpreventable matters have to be dealt with as 

 best one can. To the careless they bring absolute failure ; but 

 the thoughtful and diligent succeed in the end. 



Crosses are effected between widely differing species and 

 genera, and in some instances plants have been obtained from 



