The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-19

to q thin piece Of wood and hung
against ths wall. OF course moisture
and heat must be plentiful Given those,
the stag horns put on antlers such as
never ran through good green wood. At
the root rounded bosses, green and
brown, cover the peat and serve as the
point upon which this Archimedes of
air stands while moving his world to
growth. Fine, thrifty roots sell for 500
to $780,
That is also the price of the pitcher
plants, which the florists call nepenthes.
Queerly beautiful things they are, root
ed each IN its tiny open wooden cage
that holds barely enough moss to retain
trifle Of moisture. The roots them
selves have sort of serpentine sugges-
ton which is repeated in the dropping
long light green leaves and accented by
the wiry, threadlike stems which hang
straight down and bear each at the end
fairy pitcher that looks to have been
carved out of monster gem. Some of the
pitchers have queer outstanding lids. In
color they run the whole gamut between
clear yellow and dull pinky brown on
to the deepest brown, the richest rust
red. In their native wilds-Borneo,
slake tropic thirst with the water to
be found in the pitchers. 1t is still
moot point whether this water is a Sc
erection of the plant itself, or an accumu-
1ation from the atmosphere, or a hus-
banding of rain and dew. But with no
uncertain voice the florist declares that
to keep your pitcher plant blossoms for
long time in good condition they must
be emptied of their liquid largesse.
The Orchid Craze.
The orchidscraze, it is well known,
has come near to eclipsing Hollands
SO famous tulip mania. Over sea more
than one unique specimen has fetched
$4,000. When the most beautiful of all
the family, the catte1eyas, first were
brought from their wilderness home in
Colon bia, there was no limit other than
the buyers depth Of purse to the price
set upon them. All that is changed
now. Though as beautiful as ever, or
even improved by the florists fostering
care, the plants have been collected and
propagated in such numbers that now
the choicest blossoms may be bought
for 30 cents apiece, and lusty plants
loaded with flowers for a moderate
number of dollars. Yet still there are
orchids worth much more than their
weight in gold. Such, for instance, is
a scrawny, scraggy bit of green stuff
destitute of grace and glow, which
leading orchidist holds at 81, 900, be-
cause, forsooth, it is one of the three
plants known to be in existence.
A fine Seeding, the result of cross
fertilization, is worth more, since the
hot i1
other like it anywhere. Precious plants,
like precious stones, depend as much
upon their rarity as their beauty for
commercial value. Hence it comes that
easy propagation is not always a de-
sirable quality, but in some cases value
remains in the face of abundance-as,
for example, the blue orchid Wanda &C.
rulea. It is well known and plentifully
distributed, yet such is the beauty of
its pendent mist blue sprays healthy
and we'll grown plant is worth easily
$3.50, not very astonishing when you
stop to consider that the flowers come
to perfection in the height of the fash
ionable season and sell readily at $40
the spray.
Luxurious Plant.
A new catteleya, with pure white
flowers touched with gold on the lip, IS
held at $1,000 for the finest plants.
That is also the price of new cypre-
pedium from India, which is to the lay
mind nothing like SO handsome as the
lady's slipper of our woods. Cyprepedi-
um is the state name of all the lady's
slipper family. It is a tremendous one
and high in favor wi tn the orchid col
lectors. Houses upon houses are given
up to it, and of the developing and
naming new seedlings there is no end.
The growing of Seeding orchids is in
fact, business of itself and one near
~ as full of delicious and hopeful IN