Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-11
ORCHIDS OF THE FUTURE.
They Are Destined to He Cheap ant
Popular Some Day Before Long.

Popular Some Day Before Long.
Orchids are the blossoms of the future, :"
said dealer in flowers to a representa-
tive of The Star. "Where you see great dis
plays Of roses nowadays, you will be called
upon to admire superb collections of these
exotic blooms a few years hence. I do not
mean to say that they will take the place
| of roses. but they will be utilized to an
equal extent for purposes of decoration.
Their day has not yet fairly arrived.
"A few years ago almost nothing was
known Of orchids. Even now they are too
rare, and therefore, too costly, to be really
popular. But scientific botanists and agents
for dealers in plants have been gathering
them all over the world, until the known
species number thousands. No climate Ia
| too dangerous, no part of the earth too
wild and remote for the orchid seeker to
explore. The finding of a new variety may
be as profitable as the discovery Of a gold
mine.
Meanwhile expert gardeners have gone
into the business of propagating them on q
large scale. In the neighborhood of New
York city hundreds of acres Of greenhouses
are now being devoted to this industry
| The plants available for beginning are
undergoing a process OF rapid multiplied.
ton, so that, where there are thousands
now. millions will be blooming before long
| to supply the market with their blossoms
| Up to the present time these flowers have
been luxury for the rich; pretty soon they
Will be cheap enough to be within reach
| of people of moderate means.
Some kinds of orchids are found growing
| wild in the neighborhood Of Washington
But most of them are tropical. a majority
of them are represented in collections to-
day by only few highly-prized specimens
her 10 II
they may be obtained in quantities To
propagate from them, and obtain the plants
In such numbers as are required to supply
the market, takes time Years must elapse
before they can be furnished to order at
moderate prices. Yet it is cheerful to know
that this will be accomplished after a while.
Propagation of Orchids.
THE propagation of orchids is not a prob
lem that presents serious difficulties. In
fact, 1t is quite easy. They have seeds. of
course, like other plants, but to raise them
from seeds is a slow process. 1t is much
quicker and easier 20 multiply them by
cutting up the roots-that is, by separating
the tubers of which each root is composed.
as is done with hyacinths. Each tuber pro-
duces a new plant and thus you will get a
dozen from one. If the orchid is of a kind
that grows from earth the tubers are plant
ed in pots of earth.
Most orchids, however are epiphytes
They glow on trees, not as parasites, but
deriving their sustenance from the air. In
their native wilds. birds such as wood
peckers poke the seeds into crevices in the
bark. and they terminate. Such species
are as easy to treat as the others. Each
tuber with its stem is attached to a small
piece of board by the simple process OF
driving a staple into the plank. Then the
root part is covered up with a bit of damn
moss, the piece of board Is hung I'D by a
string, and nothing more is required The
orchid getting its food from the atmos-
phere, needs only little water from time
to time.
1T has been stated in the newspapers
that the chrysanthemum is not to be n
fashionable flower this year. The fore
most of New York florists set his face
against 1t while ago and said that he
would kill that kind of blossom SO far as
style went. In pursuance of this intention.
he did not exhibit single chrysanthemum
In his windows on Broadway. His plan
was SO well calculated that it did actually
succeed to certain extent, but 1t did not
quite go through, and during the past week
his shop has had the finest show of chrys-
anthemums in that city.
You see, 1t Is absurd to talk about the
chrysanthemum as a fashionable flower
1t can never be that. because it does not
bloom In the gay season. But at this time
OF year, when no other blossom 10 avail
able for large and snowy decorative effects.
it is Indispensable. For that reason it is
sure to hold it's own"