Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-10-07
ORCHIDS IN THE HOUSE
BY FRANK n. SWEET.


During my leisure hours in the
greenhouse 1 find no plants so inter
esting as the orchids. Each succeed
ing season is making this exquisite,
fantastic plant more popular with
commercial florists and private col
lectOrs who have greenhouses of their
own.
The increasing demand for the cut
flowers and the fact that, in spite Of
popular belief, orchids are easily
grown and very little trouble, are
sufficient inducements for many en-
terprising growers to include them
among their plants.
But as yet the ordinary house grow
er has been unable to overcome her
fear of these beautiful, curious pro-
auctions of nature To her they are
something extremely delicate and fra
gile-something that an ordinary whff
of air will shrivel and destroy. She
looks at them Iongingly on her rare
visits to the neighboring greenhouse,
but shakes her head when approached
on the subject of purchasing.
They are too tender, she declares,
with conclusive regret in her voice.
They would be out of place among
her window collection of sturdy car
nations and begonias and callas and
geraniums, and rarely do the persua-
sive arguments of the florist weaken
her deep-rooted belief.
However, there is now and then one
who yields to the fascination Of an
exquisite dendeobium or odonto CLOS
sum, and bears the treasure home
with the shrinking conviction that it
will live under her care but a few
days
Still even for those few days Of pos
session she is willing TO pay the pur-
chase money, and she places the or
child among her plants and gloats over
it with the joy Of an ignorant con-
noisseur-if the term may be used.
And it goes without saying that hav~
ing once begun she will not cease I'M
til she discontinues growing plants.
But the days and the weeks and the
months go by, and the beautiful fan
tastic foreigner shows no disposition
to die, or even to languish.
Long spikes of beautiful flowers,
wonderful flowers, creep down among
the geranium leaves, and other spikes
rest caressingly against the rich green
of the ca1las. Indeed so long as it is
plentifully supplied with water the lit
tie stranger is apparently well salts
fed with the surroundings.
It fills the room with fragrance, and
it's curious, white, finger and toelike
roots cling tightly to the small board
home thc5 hangs suspended above the
other plants.
But not all orchids are so COM
PLEASANT. Many will not thrive outside
of greenhouses, and many others
would best be left alone, even by for
lists.
However, among the hundreds of
varieties, there are plenty that will
accommodate themselves to their sur
roundings. l have had orchids that
were far less trouble than ordinary
bedding plants, and whose flowers
were exquisitely beautiful and fra
grant
The great secret of their cultivation
is the resting. Many species that are
considered hard to grow and flower,
suffer much from too kind treatment
when they should be left entirely
alone in a cool temperature.
In winter a daily Swinging of grow
ing plants is sufficient, and during the
hot months fresh water evaporated
several times a day makes a much
better moisture than that of stagnant
water.
AS a rule, orchids do better when
suspended, and apple wood with very
little or no moss at all is preferred
by the majority of growers. Often
strong roots, some of them one and
half feet long, hang in punches far