74 
ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE GENUS MAXILLARIA. 
This genus belongs to the third tribe, Vandeae, of the natural 
order, orchideae, and it is a genus which is very variable, and 
contains a great number of species, and many of them are very 
beautiful and well worth cultivating; wherever there is a stove 
this genus has in part been divided into several genera, but if 
those genera can, with any propriety, be divided from maxillaria, 
I can see no reason why they should not divide the whole of 
the genus maxillaria, and arrange them according to their 
external habit, which, in my opinion, would be more compre¬ 
hensive than separating them by some slight difference obscured 
in the minute parts of the flowers, which none can know of 
but those who have the use of a powerful microscope. Not 
anything can be more beautiful than a description of the minute 
parts of flowers, as seen under a powerful microscope; and 
especially that of orchideae, in which the parts of fructification 
are not so distinct as in other tribes of plants, although they are 
equally as perfect. All the minute parts of flowers should be 
given in a general description, both of the genera and species, 
but not with any view of making a separation by those minute 
parts, at least a separation as genera, but would be beautiful 
as a sectional deviation. By this mode of dividing plants into 
genera, by the minute parts of flowers, they have rendered 
botany a perfect Babel instead of a science perfect and beau¬ 
tiful; and the longer they continue, they seem to make confu¬ 
sion doubly confused. Before we can expect ever to see 
botany perfect, we must wait for another Linnaeus, which I fear 
will be a long time. Our present race of botanists does not 
appear to have the good of the science at heart, but merely a 
wish to make themselves appear great and to confuse one 
another. 
The plan which I should recommend for the successful culti¬ 
vation of this tribe of plants is, that they should be grown in 
pots or on pieces of hard wood ; but for the large growing 
species pots are best suited, for then when grown in pots turfy- 
peat and sphagnum, cut small, is the best for them. When 
this is used, it unites into a fine porous mass, which never 
