LURE OF THE ORCHID 
OSTON achieved another great horticultural triumph 
when the Massachusetts Horticultural Society acted 
as host to the first national exhibition of the Amer¬ 
ican Orchid Society, May 8th to i ith. 
The display itself was remarkable for its diversity, 
for its spectacular quality, and for the whole-hearted enthu¬ 
siasm of the members of the Society responsible for it, led by the 
President, Mr. Albert C. Burrage, whose wealth of plant material 
alone completely filled the main exhibition room of Horticultu¬ 
ral Hall and who in addition filled the adjoining smaller hall 
with selections from his library of books and pictures about 
Orchids. However much a few individuals, here and there, 
may take umbrage at being invited to even consider Orchids as 
plants for the ordinary gardener (for, unfortunately, there are a 
few such) there is on the other hand, the fact that this memorable 
exhibition was visited by interested amateurs and growers from 
the Middle West and from the South and even from Europe, and 
the attendance for the duration of the show was over fifty thous¬ 
and people; eloquent testimony to the interest, lure, and appeal 
of the Orchid. 
The notable display that Mr. Burrage made surely marks a 
new standard and sets a distinct pinnacle in the method of dis¬ 
playing horticultural exhibits. The entire hall was turned into 
a perfectly orderly, unconventional—or rather naturalistic—ar¬ 
rangement of Orchids in geographic groups, while the far end 
of the hall was closed by a huge rock-work towering to the 
roof, down which tumbled a very real and ample stream of 
water splashing and spraying the plants about it as it broke and 
fell. Across the front of this lay a procumbent trunk of a fallen 
tree exhibiting epyphital Orchids as growing under natural 
conditions. This was the South American corner, dominated 
by Cattleyas in rich varieties. 
In the opposite end of the hall, the Philippine Island group, 
a full-sized orchard tree was utilized to display Moth Orchids 
(Phalaenopsis). Single large trees similarly used appeared 
elsewhere in the hall; there were two Filippino huts of bamboo, 
full-sized; and four towering Cocoanut Palms laden with fruits 
that the exhibitor had transported from Florida and set up in 
the hall. Java was represented by Vanda. A group of Mas- 
devallia portrayed South America. Cymbidium and Vanda 
coerulea represented the East Indies. And then, by contrast, 
in a little corner were four hardy New England terrestrial Lady- 
slippers. 
In addition, banked in more conventional form, was a huge 
display representative of the more spectacular forms of this great 
family and sprinkled with many specimens of the most modern 
rare hybrids including one, Brassolaeliocattleya Jupiter, with 
three expanded blooms each measuring eight inches across, the 
champion plant of the exposition, winning the gold medal of the 
Royal Horticultural Society of England—the first time such an 
award had ever been offered in this country—the silver cup from 
the European Orchid traders, and other honors. Medals of 
honor were showered around with profusion which seemed 
lavish, but was in every way justified by the exhibition. 
Such was the result of this the first effort of the American 
Orchid Society. Although the organization has had existence 
for a few years, it had never before ventured into the field of 
publicity. And very wisely, as it seems to us, the President 
formally expressed the hope that the organization would not 
attempt another public exhibition for the period of two or 
three years, thus setting a lead which might perhaps be ad¬ 
vantageously copied by some of the other special flower societies 
to the members of which the annual pilgrimage hither and 
thither has become somewhat burdensome and especially when 
one’s sympathies find active affiliations in several different 
organizations. “ Fewer and better shows ” might be a profitable 
slogan for these national flower organizations now seeaiingly 
obsessed with the “annual show” notion. Perhaps even a five- 
year period would not be too much in some cases to give a 
breathing spell not only to the much driven membership, but to 
give measurable distance and a standard of time for the intro¬ 
duction of worth-while novelties. 
In other respects there were notable improvements at Boston. 
For instance, in the minor detail of labelling, instead of the 
conventional white card the Society adopted a green both for 
entry and for the individual plant name, and this individual 
labelling was admirably carried out from beginning to end of 
the display by all exhibitors. A matter of congratulation to 
the management and of extreme satisfaction to the visiting 
public which “wants to know.” 
It is not practical to record here details of individual exhibits, 
but the exhibitors who contributed to this memorable and 
notable effort deserve the record. Mr. Thomas Roland, of 
Nahant, had a rich collection of Cypripediums, Dendrobiums. 
and Odontoglossums displayed with consummate taste so that 
each plant could be seen. 
A notable amateur exhibit occupying the center of one of 
the halls was from Mr. F. E. Dixon, of Elkins Park, Pa. 
J. T. Butterworth, Framingham; George E. Baldwin, Ma- 
maroneck, N. Y.; Edward H. Roehrs, Rutherford, N. J.; 
Lager & Hurrell, Summit, N. J.; and among the notable amateur 
displays, Mr. Clement Moore, Hackensack, N. J.; a group of 
hybrids of known American origin. A. N. Cooley of Pittsfield; 
Mr. E. B. Dane, Chestnut Hill, Mass.; and a remarkably inter¬ 
esting contribution that Sir Jeremiah Coleman sent over from 
England, admission of which was graciously granted by the 
Federal Horticultural Board. 
Mr. Gurney Wilson, who representated the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society, officiated as chairman of the jury and delivered 
a very entertaining lecture during the course of the show, and 
similar contributions came from Prof. Oakes Ames, from Mr. 
Lager, and from Prof. Knudson who detailed the sugar method 
of raising Orchid seedlings which has already been told in 
these pages. (November 1922, page 162.) 
Elsewhere in this issue the reader will find the second part of 
a broad review of the Orchid family contributed by Mr. E. H. 
