Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-02-19
RiskING LIFE FOR ORCHIDS.
Philadelphia Woman Has The Finest
Collection in America.

Not content with possessing the fin
est collection of orchids in America, il
net in the world. Mrs. George b. Will
SON. of Philadelphia, is planning to
send an expedition to South America
to search for rare specimens that have
eluded the vigilance of the hunters in
the past. Mrs Wilson has already ex-
pended 100000 in the pursuit of her
lifelong hobby. but orchidists. like 9TH
er wealthy collectors. can never reach
the goal of their ambition. While
there are rare specimens to be had for
the searching, there will be collectors
willing to finance expeditions of reck-
less men who penetrate to the heart of
"a poisonous wilderness for floral treas
'ures.
With the collection already under
glass ut her capacious greenhouses in
Philadelphia, Mrs. Wilson has an or
child variety that is the envy and won
der of enthusiasts the world over, and
lovers of this rare flower come from
all countries to examine and admire
the specimens.
Unlike some orchid collectors, who
are content to cultivate "a few plants
with Il view to obtaining blooms for
decorative purposes, Mrs Wilson has
always aimed TO secure as many
unique and hitherto unknown speci-
mems as possible. With this object in
View she equips expeditions to scour
the orchid countries and bring to her
Philadelphia greenhouses as many
rare varieties as can be found. She
has commissioned Eugene Andre, of
Trinidad. to search the forests OF Bra
zil and Venezuela for plants, and has
for years supported private expedi-
tions. under the leadership of George
Barratlt, an intrepid F'rcnehman. for
merly in the employ of Baron Roths-
child
With such enthusiastic research it is
not To be wondered at that Mrs. Will
son has collection second to none in
the country She hass acquired as
many as $4,000 specimens. For one of
these she recently refused an offer of
S2001. When the collection of Erastus
Corning Of Albany, n. Y, was sold at
auction after his death, Mrs. Wilson
purchased 1000 of the most valuable
specimens AS this collection had cost
Mr. Corning something like $500. 0a0 To
Accumulate and had taken 30 years in
the gathering. the value of the entire
collection in Philadelphia may be i'm
agined.
From the Corning collection Mrs.
Wilson secured the wonderful Wanda
Trieelor. Wanda Gigantica and Wanda
BethInania. three specimens more than
a hundred years old. The Gigaatiea is
known to be more than $50 years old.
The plants are priceless in the estima-
of fIhRSr al.
the tallest and largest plants under
cultivation. all being more than "a
feet tall.
The value of such plants as these
may be better appreciated when 1t is
known that an orchid takes about two
years to appear above the mould as
tiny leaf half an inch high, and does
not acquire the growth of three in-
ches under five years and frequently
does not flower until 1t is 20 years old.
An orchid blooms only once year 1t
may throw out two flowers or a elnst-
er of tleleately traced blossoms, which
remain bright and fresh for month
or six weeks.
One little bifurcated branch of white
flowers grown on a Dendroblum phai-
aenopsis album plant is valued at $500.
1t is a freak the purple towering
plant of the same species being worth
little intrinsically Single specimens of
the exquisite white and yellow Cypri-
pedium from India are valued at $1,000
each. The largest Ainsworth calorum
of the Cipripedium family is owned by
Mrs. Wilson, and is valued at $4,000.
A rare plant that bears an interest,"
ing historyis the Cypripedium Fairrle-
mum Many years ago this wonderful
orchid was discovered by an English
collector in India. He brought four of
the plants to England, and they caused
a sensation there among collectors.
The finder was urged to tell where he
had discovered this beautiful orchid,
but no inducement could make him be-
tray the hiding place of the treasure
All four of the plants he had brought
to England died. but the discoverer
kept his secret, always intending to go
back to India and gather more speci-
mems Death interviewed and the secret
of the hiding place of the rare orchid
was lost. For more than 40 years the
search for the plant was kept up as
siduously, orchid hunters examining
every nook and corner of the country
where Slt'tfiItHH pt iN''Ni'at -
one found single specimen. At last
a prize of thousand pounds tSo,oo0l
was offered by English horticulturists
to any person who might rediscover
the variety. Under the stimulus OF
this reward the waning energies of the
hunters became galvanized into re-
newed activity, and at last, about six
wears ago. collector won the prize,
finding the plant in the interior of
India near the Burmese border. Tnere
are only two specimens In this country.
They are priceless. Mrs Wilson has
refused enormous sums for her plant.
The collection Of Mexican Laelia or
chids owned by Mrs. Wilson is proba-
bly, the finest in the world. These
blooms are of white waxy radiance,
growing in clusters on long aTling
spikes or stems. One greenhouse con-
tains a complete collection of purple
Mexican Laelia. In one of the. East
Indian houses Is q specimen OF the
Phalenopsis or the great white moth
orchid called the "Harrietta.' 1t is
the Only example of this hybrid plant
in existence, and is priceless. There is
also a large collection of the East In