Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-05-10
THE ORCHID CRAZE.
a Widespread Mania that Almost Equals
the Celebrated Tulip Madness.

the Celebrated Tulip Madness.
1t is genuine mania. There were
| a few cases of it before, but the maladv
never became alarming till about six
years ago, when it began to attract
public attention in England Like
govt and hay fever, it is most likely
to attack persons of large means,
high social position and blue blood.
Poor people are never victims of it.
A singular popularity about it is that
it Is much more likely to attack men
than women. Like hydrophobia, lep-
rosy and consumption, it is pro-
nounced incurable. That it is con-
tagious is admitted by all who have
given attention to the matter Some
wealthy Americans who were in London
four or five years ago contracted the
disease and brought it to this country.
1t is now quite prevalent in New
York, and there are few cases in
Boston and a smaller number in Chi
cago and St. Louis and other Western
cities 1t has for several years been
the custom of hay fever sufferers to
hold an annual reunion. The victims
of the orchid mania are following their
example. About fifty of them met in
New York not long since and had a
very enjoyable time. They brought
with them about eight hundred va
rieties of the plant over which they
have gone daft.
A large proportion of the nobility
and gentry of England are victims of
the orchid craze. All the members of
the Rothschild family, whether living
on the Continent or in Great Britain,
are orchid fanciers. Baron Schroeder,
Mr.. Chamberlain and Sir John Lub-
book have very large collections. Mr..
Sanders, of st. Adams, has four acres
covered with glass that are entirely
devoted to producing orchids. Mr..
amberlain's collection cost him
$4,000, but is valued at more than
twice that sum. He has nine glass
houses full of orchids, many of which
are exceedingly rare. They are all
joined together and are connected
with conservato ries and hot houses in
which other flowers are raised. All
the buildings are lighted by electricity
and are supplied with beautiful birds
and tropical insects. You can pass
from the drawing-room of his mansion
to a mosiac-foored, plate-glass-coyered
prom enade and walk several rods
among the vegetable marvels of the
tropics. The owner is an excellent
botanist and a skillful florist, and
spends most of his leisure among his
plants.
TIE trade in orchids has reached
enormous proportions in England.
T ho f.,
roots than were ever given for any
specimens of live stock. The most ex-
pensive flowers are not always the
finest. The price of plants range in
the order of their scarcity. Some
specimens that readily brought 100
guincas ten years ago can now be
boUg for q few shillings. A single
root IF Il newly discovered variety
vii command fabulous sum. Every
person who is trying to get large
collect on will endeavor to obtain it.
Every portion of the tropics is now
beng searched by orchid-hunters sent
out Ivy the London importers, who
have grown rich in the business of OBJ
tanning rare specimens. One dealer
has sixteen collectors in various parts
of tropical South America, Africa,
As Il, and the Islands in the Pacific and
Atlantic oceans. Their salaries and
expenses amount to over $1,000 per
year. In their travels and explora-
tions they employ many natives. One of
our Consuls in Venezuela reports that
the orchid trade is rendering the
will often obtain more for an orchid
root procured from a swamp OF the
branches of tree than he received
for hard labor during a dozen years.
Collecting orchids is attended by
many dangers and great loss of pro-
perty. Several collectors in the
iungIes of India have been devoured
by tigers, bitten by venomous SER
penis, OF drowned in boys. Quite a
humber have been overturned while in
canoes, and it is presumed that several
have been toasted and eaten by the
cannibals of Polynesia. Many valu-
able specimens are lost on account Of
lack of facilities for transportation
One London dealer lately received o
telegram from Port Said informing
him that 10000 orchid roots had been
killed by exposure to the sun on the
Red Sea or by being knocked about
during storm. A collector on one of
the Philippine Islands got together
10000 specimens, which he had spread
out on the beach to dry, but an I'M
usually high tidal wave swept them
all into the sea. Another collector in
Peru had his roots in sacks on the
backs of mules, which were contiscated
by party of soldiers, who declared
they had Immediate need of the ami
mails. The soldiers laughed about the
orchids having any value.
Something can be said in favor of
the orchid mania. 1t is harmless. So
far from injuring the poor in any
country, it benefits them. Itfurnishes
employment for many people. 1t en-
courages the study of botany, which
is the most neglected of all the natural
sciences. What is of more conse-
quence to the world, it is the means of
causing many outlandish countries to
be explored.