The Quest and Culture of Orchids 
distinct in some species as to appear like two an¬ 
thers.” The stigmas which collect the grains of' 
pollen and carry them down to the sawdust-like sub¬ 
stance in the seed-pod, are formed from the upper 
and anterior surfaces of two of the pistils. I'he 
petals and sepals may unite to 
form a roof or hood over the 
labellum, or spreading apart, 
give the blossom the appear¬ 
ance of a moth or winged in¬ 
sect. 
Can we wonder at the intri¬ 
cacy of the orchid mechanism 
after marvelling at the deli¬ 
cacy of tint and structure of 
these fairy-like creatures which 
appear to float in the very 
atmosphere.? Is it strange 
too, that barbarous African 
natives, apparently devoid of 
all imagination or poetic sense, 
upon beholding this daintiest, 
most elite of all flora have 
saluted it with a “good day, 
swefet lady ?” 
It is a common but most un¬ 
fortunate fallacy that the or¬ 
chid plant is a luxury for the 
wealthy, and we find the idea 
is general that they must be 
nurtured under great heat 
and at great expense. Those 
who associate with plant life 
in greenhouse or conservatory 
should have a more or less gen¬ 
eral collection of the aristo¬ 
cratic orchid. H. A. Burberry, 
a well-known English horticul¬ 
turist, tells us that “orchids 
are easy to grow and their cul¬ 
ture is not necessarily expen¬ 
sive, in fact,” he continues, 
“orchid culture has become 
the common heritage of all. ” 
It has been shown that when 
once the nature of the plant is 
thoroughly understood, much 
less attention is requisite than 
would be thought necessary 
to grow them successfully. 
Some tropical plants still baffle the most experienced 
cultivators, owing of course to imperfect knowledge 
of climatic and natural conditions of the peculiar 
species under treatment. There are only a few of the 
varieties that are really expensive, apart from a 
“new discovery” or an extremely rare species. 
A beautiful variety of the popular genus Odonto- 
glossum, named Oncidtwn crispiim, a native of Co¬ 
lombia and Brazil, blossoming principally in March, 
April and May, and which deserves a prominent 
place in every collection of cool orchids is purchasable 
at two dollars a plant. It is not our intention to ad¬ 
vocate the buying and growing of orchids as a pecu¬ 
niary speculation, but we do 
claim that their cultiva¬ 
tion, and “the enjoyment of 
their great loveliness” is with¬ 
in the province of persons of 
very moderate means. “It 
would be folly to buy rubbish, ” 
as some one has said, merely 
for the sake of saying “ I grow 
orchids.” It would be equal 
folly to buy small and insig¬ 
nificant plants because cheap. 
Orchids at best are slow 
growing, and small weakly 
plants require extra attention 
and are sure to prove unsat¬ 
isfactory. 
Thomas Moore, another 
celebrated British botanist, 
wrote in 1857 superb 
race of orchids, so varied in 
general appearance and so 
variegated in habits,” were 
primarily divided into two dis¬ 
tinct classes, i.e, the epiphytes, 
those found inhabiting trop¬ 
ical or semi-tropical countries 
where they adhere by tortuous 
roots to branches of trees, or 
luxuriate amongst decaying 
vegetable matter; and the ter¬ 
restrial, from the fact of their 
growing naturally in the earth, 
on mountains, in meadows, 
or in wet, swampy places; 
m any of them blooming 
in temperate zones. I'here 
were m his time, some three 
thousand known species, only 
a part of which were in culti¬ 
vation. Some were small and 
insignificant but others were of 
the most resplendent and at¬ 
tractive plant life to be found 
in the whole vegetable king¬ 
dom. In 1894 there were fifty-nine known native 
species and varieties of the terrestrial class growing 
in the Atlantic States north of the Carohnas. 
But the epiphytes, with their remarkable gamut 
of colors ranging from pure white to the deepest, 
richest reds and purples, their subtle perfumes and 
the Oriental-like sense of mystery which envelops 
their origin and habits are by far the most interesting 
PITCHER PLANT {Nepenthes Dicksoniana) 
91 
