St. Landry democrat., 1888-04-07
THE ORCHID CRAZE.
A Widespread Mania That Equals the
Celebrated Tulip Madness.

dV never became alarming I'LL ABOUT
eix years ago, when it began to at
tract 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 announced
1ncurable. That it is contagious is
admitted by all who have given atten-
ton to the matter Some wealthy
Americans who were in London four
or five years ago contracted the dis.
ease 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 Chicago, st.
Louis and other Western cities. 1t
has for several years been the custom
of hay fever sufferers to hold an an
nual reunion. The victims of the
orchid mania are following their ex-
ample. About fifty of them met in
New York not long since and had
very enjoyable time. They brought
with them about eight hundred varie-
ties 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. Oh amberlan 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..
Chamberlain collection cost him $40.-
900, but is valued at more than twice
that sum. He has nine glass houses
full of orchids, many of which are ex-
ceedingly rare. They are all joined
together, and are connected with con-
servatories and hot houses, in which
other flowers are raised. All the build.
ings are lighted by electricity, and are
supplied with beautiful birds and trop-
ical insects. You can pass from the
drawing-room of his mansion to
mosaic-foored. plate glass covered
promenade and walk for 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.
The trade in orchids has reached
enormous proportions in England.
Larger sums have been paid for orchid
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 one
hundred guineas ten years ago can
now be bought for few shillings A
single root of newly-discovered
variety will command fabulous sum.
Every person who is trying to get
large collection will endeavor to OBJ
tain it.
Every portion of the tropics is now
being searched by the orchid-hunters
sent out by the London importers, who
have grown rich by obtaining rare
specimens. One dealer has sixteen
collectors in various parts of tropical
South America, Africa, Asia and the
islands in the Pacific and Indian
oceans. Their salaries. and expenses
amount to over one hundred thousand
dollars per year. In their travels and
explorations they employ many ma
tives. One of our consuls in Ven-
ezuela reports that the orchid trade is
rendering the country prosperous. A
poor man will often obtain more for
an orchid root procured from swamp
OF the branch of tree than he re-
ceived for hard labor during dozen
years.
Collecting orchids is attended by
many dangers and great losses OF
property. Several collectors in the
jungles of India have been devoured
by tigers. bitten by venomous SER
penis. or drowned in bogs. Quite
number have been overturned while
in canoes, and it is presumed that
several have been roasted and eaten
by the cannibals of Polynesia. Many
valuable specimens are lost on ac- /,
count of lack of facilities for trans
portaion. One London dealer lately
received telegram from Port Said
informing him that ten thousand 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
twenty thousand specimens, which
he spread out on the beach to
dry, but an unusually 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 confiscated by party OF soldiers
who declared they had immediate
need of the animals. The soldiers
laughed about the orchids hav ing any
value.
Some things can be said in favor OF
the orchid mania. 1t is harmless. DO
tar from injuring the poor IN any
country, it benefits them. 1t encour-
1 r~h