Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-12
RARE j. S. ORCHIDS
TO Be SHOWN HERE
Federal Horticultural Re-
calls Recent Developments
of Rare Flower.

The favored belle, whose popularity
Is frequently attested by the wearing of
that costly floral parasite, the orchid. is
probably little aware that she has
pinned to her gown a blossom which
was unknown rs years ago.
DR.. David Lumsden, horticulturist of
the Department of Agriculture, who will
be one of the judges of the exhibition
to be held at the Willard Hotel by the
American Orchid Society Thursday,
Friday and Saturday, recalls some in
teresting facts relative to the blossom
which Is now considered the greatest
aristocrat of the flower world.
Crossing Believed Impossible.
"The crossing of flower species was
believed impossible rs years ago" DR..
Lumsden said, land when it was learned
that John Dominy, an Englishman.
with the firm of Sir Harry Veitch of
London, had successfully proved his
theory that hybrid orchid could be
produced from crossing two native
species, Sir Harry exclaimed, 'Dominy,
you will drive the botanists mad
However, Dominy not only did not
"dSive the botanistS mad" but, accord
ing to Eumsden, he started the intensive
cultivation Of the exotic parasite. which,
carried down to the present day, has
produced the most tnterbred and highly
cultivated plant in the world. 1t takes
six years. explained the horticulturist
to produce an orchid blossom from the
planted seed
Some of the flowers which will be
exhibited at the orchid show here are
the eleventh generation descended from
the blossom which resulted from John
Dominys experiment in 1883
The orchid which takes so long to
cultivate and Is Of extremely fragile
character, has now become such a
costly flower, that its raising Is only
possible to horticulturists or persons of
wealth.
One Collection Worth $4,000, 900.
One orchid grower alone, A. G. Bur-
rage of Boston, values his collection of
orchids at $4,000, 900. One plant, to
be exhibited at the show, is worth
$4,000, bringing the value of a single
blossom up to the three and four figure
mark. In all, the show here will be
million-dollar affair.
A particularly interesting exhibit at
the show will be that Of Mrs. William
du Pont of Wilmington Del. who viii
contribute some of her famous blue
orchids. There are only two genera OF
blue orchids in the world, and Mrs.
du Points specimens will be the only
Fall-blooming species. The blue orchid
Is indigenous to Burma, India.
A rare feature of the show will be an
the orchid is without fragrance, and for
that reason Is not always as popular as
its sisters, the rose or the violet. But
hOrticulturists have now produced an
exquisitely perfumed orchid by cross
ing an insignificant but highly per-
fumed wild orchid with a cultivated,
non-fragrant variety. The perfume Is
Of the fragrant lilac and the lily Of the
valley.
Special cars have been chartered by
DR.. George Moore, director of the Mis-
souri, Botanical Gardens, to bring his
magnificent collection from st. Louis |
Cut flowers, contributed by DR.. John
Breasted of Anaheim, Calf. will be
flown in airplanes from the West Coast. |
Collections exhibited by orchid growers |
Of Boston. New York and Philadelphia, |
as well as other Eastern cities, will be |
brought to Washington in large vans.
Names prominent in the social and |
financial circles of the country will be |
found among the contributors to the
Orchid Show. Awards to the value Of
more than $4,000 will be made to ex-
hibitors. A gold medal has been do
mated by w. H. Jewel and silver cups
have been donated by Albert C.. Bur-
rage, Mrs. William K. du Pont, Mrs.
Pierre S. du Pont and Mrs. F. z. Dixon
Among other prizes to be competed
Ior will be gold medals Of the Massa-
chusetts Horticultural Society, the New
York Horticultural Society, the New
Jersey Florists Association, the Ameri-
can Orchid Societys gold. silver and
bronze medals and silver trophies. An
international touch will be added TO the
competition In the gold medal offered
by the Royal Horticultural Society of
London. England.
Special awards will be made for the
most meritorious exhibit In the show,
regardless Of size; for the best orchid
Mower; for the most original exhibit
and for the most artistic exhibit
washington contributors will be Mrs
Henry p. Erwin Of Abremont, Mrs.
Joseph Herbert, Charles Seigwart and
Miss Seigwart Of Jessup, Md, and Mrs.
Charles J. Bell. Twin Oaks.
First Exhibition Of Kind in U. 8.
This viii be the first exhibition Of
Fall Towering orchids ever held in the
United States, the previous shows hav-
ing been made up of Spring blooming
varieties, and is the first exhibition of
the Orchid Society TO be held outside of
Philadelphia, New York and Boston,
where the Spring exhibitions have been
staged in the past.
The awards will be made by Clement
Moore Of Hackensack, N j.; DR. George
Moore, director Of the Missouri Botanic
Gardens. st. Louis, Mo-; Joseph Manda,
South Orange, N. j.; Edward Roehrs,
Rutherford. N. j.; w. NJ. Wicks Of Will
mington, Del, and James Hanson of
Greystone. Palisades, N. Y, nationally
known judges Of the orchid.
The exhibition committee in charge
of the show, of which Prof. Lumsden
Is chairman, includes George E. Bald
win Of New York, Joseph Manda Of
South Orange, N. j.; John w. Slotter
of Chadds Falls, Pa: Oliver Lines of
Philadelphia, Pa, prominent members
of the American Orchid Society, assist
ed by Dr.. Earl w. Sheets, DR.. Earl B.
White, j. Marion Shull, Gustav Ander-
son. v. z. Grotlisch, Furman l.. Null
ford J. M. r. Adams and Axel Somers
Of this city.