Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-09-05
,s0REHxDSHuNTlNG TOURS.

Expeditions (which Cost Considerable
Money and Require Great Patience.
Tulips aresof easy cultivation. They
nre multiplied without trouble, and
are of rapid growth. Orchids, on the
other hand, !, are of exceedingly slow
growth; they are obtained only at the
r expense of money and trouble, FREE
aquently attended by danger and even
loss OF: life, and are by no means easy
to grow: .@'' Many remarkable stories
, might tbe told OF the adventures OF
seekers after orchidace9. They re-
.quire the most arduous travel, the
most careful seeking, and the greatest
care in transport. Orchids are indig =
enous TO most hot climates, but ono
thing;which they need quite as much.
1T enot, indeed, + more than
heat, lis q water, Given - p
tropical climate, seek Q swa1npy
, valley, well protected from the
might winds and Z sheltered from
; the direct rays of the sun. Then you
willhbe most likely to find your orchid.
1t'mast not however, be imagined that
all orchids grow together. Their habit
ants are: as different as their colors,
and while some species are found only
inSthe. East, others are tied to the West
: until they are hunted out, gathered
and transported withSthe greatest care
bysthelassiduous collector, to ultimate
lyvnaeet in some glass-house within the
bounds OF civilization. ALI classes OF
.,orcbidacees have in their wild;state q
great, horror of man. AS settlements
advance so the orchids retire, until
their hunting grounds get smaller and
'smalk1>S and ultimately disappear alto
:gether. -
Orchids: flourish in well-nigh every
part, Of hettropical world. The coun-
: tries which are especially affected by
the or'chiaacets are Brazil, Guatemala,
Colombia, = Mexico, Borneo, Java,
Assam and sRangoon. Colombia prob
ably yiells,1aore spoil to the orchid
hunter thanall the rest put together,
> but the most prolific districts have
been prettyswel explored now, and at
tention! is being turned to the interior
of the islani1sii in the Straits settlements
and BurmAh. To equip an orchid
hunting expedition costs no trifle. "A
skilled botanist: to take the command
is a sine Q,ta non. He must be'accom-
panied by at least one practical assist
ant, and supplied with means for pro-
tecting and packing the plants when
found. The travelling expenses to the
far land to be explored are fraction
of the cost of the expedition. Arrived
In Mexico or Assam, as the case
may be, "a small regiment Of
men and boys, horses and dom
keys has to be hired to convey the
party and to carry back the orchids.
The expedition is frequently gone six
months OR more, and sometimes re-
turns empty handed. Even when
good find is reached and a burden of
several Thousand roots is safely con-
-veyed to the coast, the trouble is but
half over. Many cases are on record
where the botanist, after having seen
his precious treasures carefully slowed
away on board the steamer, muses.
contentedly over his success on the
way; until, arrived fn London, he
opens his bales to find every plant
dead. A good load brought safely to
market more than makes up for such
mishaps, however; and when it is
borne in mind that any thing like a
novelty or even "a fresh strain in an
. orchid brings a price of from $25 to
800, it will be seen that the risk is
worth running.-SprinQ1feM (Mass.
.ReD1IbEicdn.