The herald., 1897-08-07
ooLr1vA r1oN OF rae ORCHID
Amateur 0iowers Are Becoming as
Successful as Professionals

tlS-kHoWu TtSlOnS, tHey were SOlu "
wealthy collectors at fabulous prices;
bnt their popularity among the masses
could not express itself in practical
ways. or the thousands who read about
the wondrous beauty and fragrance of
these strange plants not one per cent
could hope to view them either in the
private or public collections where they
were carefully and jealousy guarded,
and the idea of possessing amy of them
was too absurd for a second considera-
ton. They were fit only for the wealthy
who could spend money with lavish
hand, or possibly for the scientific trav-
eler who sought them in their natural
habitat at the risk of life and health.
Plants that ranged in price from S100 to
$4,000 could hardly become popular in
the ordinary meaning of that word.
Since the orchid craze of ten years
ago, a change has been effected that
makes the plants more interesting and
more attractive to the multitudes than
when they were peerless in price as well
as in beauty, fragrance and oddity Of
form and habite. Successful orchid cul-
ture has become the common heritage
of all Intelligent people, and the plants
that a few years ago commanded $500
apiece can be purchased today for one
or two dollars. AS a consequence we
find specimens of the great family
Orchideae in homes that could have i'll
afforded such luxuries a few years ago,
and amateurs are vying with profess
SIGNALS in the endeavor to hybridize the
rare sorts to produce mule of great
value. The enormous sums that have
been realized in former days for mule
orchids has stimulated growers to try
their luck in hybridizing, and onesof the
peculiar fea lures of the popularity of
the plants today is the great number of
people who cultivate and propagate
orchids in a small way.
The importa tions of plants are greater
than ever before, and they are steadily
Increasing, although probably represent
ing much less money. Famous private
collections have been sold, but this, in
stead of being a loss, is really gain.
Smaller but more numerous collections
are being formed and the rare specimens
that formerly aStonished the botanical
world have become the parents of nu-
merous progeny. The number of firms
engaged in orchid culture and orchid i'm
porting is twice as great as ten years ago.
when the craze seemed to have reached
its height; but, in spite of this, the num-
ber of new and beautiful species that are
Introduced is comparatively small. Hun
dreds of thousands of orchids are an
nually brought to Europe and this coun-
try by collectors from all parts of the
wosld, but they are mostly well known
species, or, if not, possessing rather
doubtful qualities. Collectors are not
willing to pay fabulous prices today for
new species unless they really possess
beautiful flowers and graceful forms
and the day has forever passed when
traveller could secure a big sum for an
ugly plant picked UP in the dense forest
or swamp of an uneXplored country.
successful cultivation, and Bentham
the most of the rare forms, and their
efforts are now directed towards their
improvement through careful culture
and hybridizing.
The species of orchids number now
over 5000, of which half are brought into
Growers have all the stock they need of
and Hooker admit 1884 genera. The genera
best known to gardeners, and under
which nearly all of our best orchids are
classed, are the following five: % Tribe
Epidendraeae. (2) Tribe Vandeae (3)
Tribe Neittieae. az Tribe Orphrydeae.
(5) Tribe Cypripedieae. The last is ons
of the most distinct genera, and more
than half Of our cultivated corts' belong
to the cyprlpediums. The cypripediums
"a name meaning Venus stocking) are
commonly known as ladies' slippers, and
great many of them are inhabitants Of
the temperate zone, For this reason they
are easy of culture, and respond more
quickly to good culture and attention
than many of those from the tropics.
They are undoubtedly the most popular
of all the orchids, and every beginne.
uses them for his first stock
In our northern woods the leading ma
tive orchids live upon the roots of trees,
and they are called coral roots or coral
lorhizas. They are nearly always rare
and infrequent, and very few soils or
locations appear to suit them The
seeds are produced in great abundance,
but they are so slow and uncertain of
termination that not more than one in
thousand produces a plant Two of
the handsomest native orchids in the
north are the beautiful calypso and
arethusa, both of which are occasionally
found in swamps.
The growing orchids demand attention
of a certain kind, and after a hybrid is
once started upon it's precarious exist
ence, its needs should be supplied as
completely as possible. The cypripe-
diums are the easiest of culture and the
showiest of orchids. They require fair
amount of potroom and the soil should
be composed Of equal parts of peat ard
ephagnum moss. The pot should first
be filled nearly halfway up with finely
broken potherds, and then the plants
Should be pressed firmly into the soil.
Thrips are the worst enemy to the
orchids, but these can be controlled by
Swinging the plants from above. The
temperature of the house should not fall
below 55 degrees or above 10 degrees
Fahrenheit. Most of the orchids re-
quire plenty of water, especially from
March to October, and at no time should
they be allowed to get dry. They can
not stand the direct rays of the midday
sun either in summer or winter, and they
should be shaded by newspaper or
something very light and thin. In the
summer time daily sprirkling of the
plants and the ground around. them viii
help their growth.-New Yorw Evening
Fost.
MILLIONS FROM FRA CTTONS