Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-30
WHITE HOUSE ORCHIDS.
Moss Bronght From the Eastern
Branch and Peat From Oregon.

Moss Brought From the Eastern
branch and Peat From Oregon.
This green stuff Is swamp moss" said
Gardener Pfster, in charge at the White
House, to Star writer. 'It is gathered
along the Eastern branch of the Potomac
ana Is furnished to US by contract. We use
1t fer our orchids. Some of these odd plants
grow In earth, as you are aware, and may
| require only top dressing of MOSS Others
derive their sustenance entirely from air
and moisture, and they are hung in open
baskets made of cedar sticks usually
though certain varieties undcr natural con-
ditions cling to the bark of trees. Such
epiphyte orchids, as botanists call them
are treated differently in the dollhouse
They are fastened with copper wires to
pieces OF cork bark. the roots enveloped in
moss. -.@.>
You will notice that my assistant here is
picking out those pieces Of the moss which
are alive and green-in condition; that Is, to
grow II they We're planted. The rest he
throws away. In the White House con-
scrvatories are about 1000 orchids At in
tervals it is necessary that the old moss
shall be removed from them and replaced
with fresh. Some OF, them require such at
three or four years What is the purpose
of the swamp moss, you ask? 1t is simply
to retain moisture, and so keep the plants
from getting too dry. The orchids that
ally.
This moss is to be found in unlimited
quantities in the swamps along the Eastern
branch. With it is used peat for putting
around the orchids. The peat helps to re-
tain moisture, and it may be that the
plants obtain some slight amount of nour-
ishment from 1t. The best peat for the
purpose comes from Oregon, and it is that
which we employ exclusively 1 should
nave told You that We prefer cork bark for
the epiphytes, because 1t does not decay.
Other kinds of bark are soon rotted by the
moisture, and fungi injurious to the plants
are developed. We propagate our orchids
mostly by dividing the roots, but for some
varieties we take cuttings.
TO propagate orchids in the greenhouse
however, is very slow process, and for
that reason We import most of the plants.
The business of gathering these vegetable
curiosities has become quite an important
Industry within the last few years. Search
Is made for them in all parts of the world.
especially In remote and UNEMPLOYED re-
gions. No peril is too great to be risked by
the orchid hunter, inasmuch as the dis
covery of new variety may be worth q
fortune. London is the great orchid mar
ket of the world. auctions of the plants be-
ing held at intervals and attended by deal
ers from everywhere. The orchids are
shipped in dry state, looking so withered
and dead that you would not stop to pick
up the most valuable of them in the street.
You see, orchids are tropical plants as
rule, and in those ATTITUDES there is no
rain for three or four months. During that
period the plants dry up and rest, and that
is the season chosen for shipping them.
However, there are some orchids which
grow in comparatively cold climates. Eight
trict of Columbia. Nest common among
these are the yellow and pink ladys slip
pers. You will come across them in the
woods, In moist but not swampy places"