The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-06
WRITES TREATISE
 ON ORCHID FAMILY
Number of Known Species Over 6000-Greater Than
 Any Other Plant

Washington, February 5--(Special) Probably there is no flower in the whole plant world which is admired more and understood less today than the orchid. the development and cultivation of which are discussed by J. Constantin in a paper of the Smithsonian annual report. Even the simpler orchids are very curious plants, of the so-called endogenous type, belonging to the same group as the lilies, ralms and grasses. but differing from them greatly in having showy and often highly colored flowers of remarkably di- verse forms. Upon entering house filled with orchids one is literally amazed by the bizarre display; the brlliance of color, and the peculiar forms of leaves, petals and roots. The number of known species is greater than that of any of the related families, even not excepting the grasses, totalling 6000 species, included in 100 genera. This great humber is, no doubt, due very largely to the diligent search which has been made for these plants in all countries, for purposes of cultivation, on account of their beauty and very great popularity. They have otherwise very little economic value, ex- cepting few members, such as the va- nilla plant from which the well-known extract is prepared.
 Some of the orchids are terrestrial; that is, they grow with their roots in the ground. The great majority, however in- cluding most tropical species, are cpl phytes-'air plants which grow on trees and shrubs but receive no nourishment from them. This peculiarity was chiefly responsible for the difficulty which was experienced in successfully growing many species upon their introduction into Eu- rope from Asia and Malaysia in the eighteenth century. The proper mode of cultivation was perfected little by little, however as soon as the necessity was realized of reproducing artificially the con- ditions under which the plant grew in pa ture. For most epiphytes the scheme was devised of fastening the roots to a piece of wood, together with little moss or absorbent peaty substance, by means of copper wire. Plants thus prepared were hung in very warm greenhouses and kept constantly moist by frequent drenching It was supposed that tropical plants re- quired an invariably hot, humid atmos- phere; and it was not foreseen that mountain species of tropical regions could not be treated essentially like tropical plants that are accustomed to elevated temperatures.
 There are, in fact, many orchids and some of these very beautiful which grow in the neighborhood of snow. The error of associating plants from widely differ ent surroundings was finally recognized and eventually more rational methods of cultivation developed, leading to the usual separa tion of orchids in three kinds of greenhouses, according to temperatures maintained in them-hothouses, temperate houses and cold houses. Many of the finest orchids are found in the last.
 The writer also discusses at some length the wonderful creations in the shape of artificially produced hybrids, in which the new plant not infrequently differs greatly from both parents. Some of these are extremely beautiful. as well as pc culiar, and the difficulty of their produc- ton is such that they command extra ordinary prices. as high as s1500 having been paid in a single instance. Once ere ated, these hybrids may be propogated indefinitely by dividing the root stock as 1t grows, permanently enriching the collections of our conservatories.