Morning journal and courier., 1886-03-23

l that the red man should know it by the same 1 identical appellation! The flower of the or 1 chlds is always perfect in form," MT. Grey l said, caressing bright red orchid blossom,
 the the roots of which spread over cedar board 1 like the coils of devil fish. FfThey have | three sepals, two petals, lip and column. About four thousand varieties have been found, two thousand of which are worthy of cultivation. The orchid remains in blossom from one to six months. We have had three
 hundred and fifty flowers on one plant. The collecting of orchids was begun in about 1880 in Europe The orchid attains it's growth in the summer and blooms when at rest in the winter" The gardener explained how some orchids grow out from the roots | while others propagate from the spike or stem.
 Gardener Grey says A. R. Smith of Troy was the most successful window eultivator of orchids few years ago that he ever knew. ''Then one can cultivate the orchid at home?' ''Yes, it can be done;, but it's troublesome" the gardener replied, pointing to a Portland cement tank filled with water under the or | chids. "You see most orchids get tLeir nourishment out of the moisture in the at | mosphere. This explains why they thrive over swamps. We endeavor to initiate the swamp with the air of oar glass roofs, steam | pipes and artificial lakes" The scribe | sniffed the heavy, damp air and announced mentally that it did smell real swampy. "Mr. Smith used to hang his orchids in bay win dows where they got the sum-" Mir. Grey continued: ssBut some of the orchids are very fvalyble' When the sale of the late Mrs. Morgan's occurred in New York I bid five hundred dollars for an orchid just like this" It was Wanda Sanderiana orchard with seven beautiful flowers on it and the gardener almost hugged it. tI call it lake eolored with tinge of purple. I bid for Mir. Corning" unused the gardener "But a
 gentleman from Jersey run it up to nine
 hundred dollars before he got it. I hear the Jersey gentleman has died since he effected the purchase" Then MT. Grey ished two foot carpenters rule out of his baggy trou- sers pocket and found, by measuring, that the spur of pure ivory orchid was one and one-half feet long. He threw back his head and smiled with conscious pride.
 Then the scribe trotted along after the genial gardener as he swung around through kaleidoscopic vistas of orchids. These are few of the most striking colors and shapes: Tiger-spotted, grayish blue leaves and fid- dle-shaped, chalky white, star-shaped, yolk of egg color, funnel-shaped, light pink, ele- phant shaped, dark red, wrinkled and | shrimped shaped, dark brown, scarlet, stag horn shaped, flesh color, bird peaked, pan ther mottled, white, clouded with rose, 1 heart shaped, saffron colored, thick and thin leaves, heart shaped, crumpled up and crisp flowers, etc.
 MT. Corning possesses many hybrids. A very chaste and beautiful orchid has not been named yet. MT Grey IS not sure aDOuG l it's being the only one of its kind in the | world. He is making inquiries now. If it l is new species MT. Corning is entitled to | name it. MT. Corning's favorite orchid is the Cattleya Penelope, which has a deep rose lip with rosy sepals and petals It is the
 only plant of it's kind in America. "lt is very 'valyble,' sir," exclaimed Gardener Grey. 'FOh, no, sir. could not say how
 much it is worth, sir. MT. Corning does not
 put any price his orchids MT. Grey
 said it required several years to propagate an orchid. In some cases it was impossible to
 propagate them. Mrs. Corning's favorite
 was found in north side greenhouse and is
 called Wilckeaum in honor. of an early col
 leetor of orchids in South America. The
 orchids in this house thrive mountains
 and some of them belong on the snow line.
 Mrs. Corning's favorite is small flower of light straw color dotted with delicate red
 dish brown. It is an Ondontogiosoum or enid. General Rathbone's favorite is named Rathbonei, but the scribe did not see the
 generals pet and therefore cannot note it's shade and shape.