Orchid

“ It is astonishing to me that so few people grow orchids. Every modern book on gardening tells how five hundred varieties at least, the freest to flower and assuredly as beautiful as any, may be cultivated without heat for seven or eight months of the year. It is those "legends," I have spoken of which deter the public from entertaining the notion. An afternoon at an orchid sale would dispel them. ”

“ Cœlogyne coronaria, Lindley, Botanical Register, 1841, misc. 178.
Eria coronaria, Reichenbach, in Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ, vi., 271.
The Orchid, of which we now submit a figure, is a very pretty free-growing species; it is also distinct from any other Orchid, and one well worthy a place in any collection. Almost every one who sees it in flower admires it, not, perhaps, so much for its showy character, as for its neat pleasing inflorescence and fragrant flowers. There are admirers of small flowered Orchids as well as of those with larger and more showy blossoms. ”

“ And what is an orchid? How are we to know that this blossom which we plucked is an orchid? The average reader will exclaim, "Because it is an air-plant"—the essential requisite, it would seem, in the popular mind. Of over 3000 known species of orchids, it is true a great majority are air-plants, or epiphytes—growing upon trees and other plants, obtaining their sustenance from the air, and not truly parasitic; but of the fifty-odd native species of the northeastern United States, not one is of this character, all growing in the ground, like other plants. ”

“ We here present a picture of one of our oldest cultivated Orchids, and one which, we believe, is a universal favourite, for no person who is fortunate enough to see this grand old plant in flower, can fail to admire its beauty. The flowers make their appearance, too, when Orchid blossoms are scarce, and at our autumn exhibitions it becomes invaluable on this account. ”

“ The woods are full of a pretty ground orchid, beautiful trailing blossoms of others droop from the boughs of the great trees, and on the magnesium limestone hills one of the rarest orchids grows in profusion. ”

“ The class of Orchids to which our present subject belongs, is one of the most useful for the decoration of our Orchid houses and exhibition tables, as they are free growing and profuse blooming plants, the flowers being also of long duration. ”

“ We have no hesitation in stating that this is the most wonderful Orchid that has been introduced for many years—one which all growers will be delighted to possess, as it belongs to a most noble section of the Orchid family, of which there have long been many beautiful species in cultivation. ”

“ It is simpler to describe an orchid as a tropical air-plant which apes the appearance of an insect and never roots in the ground than it is to master by patient study and observation the various characteristics which so combine in such a plant as to make it finally recognizable and describable. ”

“ Next to the floral orchids, the mechanism of our milkweed blossom is perhaps the most complex and remarkable, and illustrates as perfectly as any of the orchid examples given in Darwin's noble work the absolute divine intention of the dependence of a plant species upon the visits of an insect. ”

“ Disa grandiflora.—We received a wonderfully fine spike of this superb Orchid from Mr. Thomas Speed, the Duke of Devonshire’s gardener, at Chatsworth. The spike was two feet six inches in length from the pot, and bore twelve flowers of large size and fine colour—a bright scarlet and crimson, the lip veined with pink, which gives a nice contrast. It is a most charming cool-house Orchid that every one may grow who has an ordinary greenhouse. Mr. Speed is a most successful cultivator of this fine plant. ”

“ The great advantage and pleasure which Orchid Growers have derived from the publication of such illustrated works as the Select Orchidaceous Plants, and such practical instructions as are given in the Orchid Grower’s Manual, lead us to believe that there exists a desire and a taste for further Orchidic literature, which we trust the Orchid Album may in some considerable degree supply. ”

“ Many members of the Orchid family perch themselves aloft in this fashion. But the roots which provide these plants with the greater part of their nourishment are those which hang loosely in the air. One of these orchids you see in the picture (Fig. 117) . It is found in warm countries. The orchids of our part of the world grow in the ground in everyday fashion, and look much like other plants.
Fig. 117
These hanging roots which you see in the picture are covered with a sponge-like material, by means of which they suck in from the air water and gases. ”

“ At the same time, the popularisation of Orchid culture is only now in its very commencement. Amateurs are but just beginning to realise that Orchids, like other plants, are capable of being understood by any one who really desires to understand them; and, when once understood, the cool species, at any rate, are not less tractable than common greenhouse plants. ”

“ From that day I became a hunter of orchids and a haunter of far-away forests and lonely marshlands and unvisited hill-tops and mountain-sides. Wherever the lovely hid-folk dwell, there go I. They are strange flowers, these orchids. When first they were made out of sunshine, mist, and dew, every color was granted them save one. They may wear snow-white, rose-red, pearl and gold, green and white, purple and gold, ivory and rose, yellow, gold and brown, every shade of crimson and pink. ”

“ The plant we now introduce to the notice of our readers is very distinct from the ordinary types of Orchids, and is remarkable for its reed-like stems, and its very charming and beautiful blossoms. Its habit is to keep flowering in succession for a long period. When better known it will be much sought after; at present there are but few plants in cultivation, at least very few have come under our notice. There exist several varieties which vary in the colouring of their flowers; that which we now figure being a very good type. ”

“ This genus of Orchids does not comprise so many species as many others, but among those which are known and introduced, are some which make very useful autumn and winter flowering subjects, and which are well adapted for decorating our stoves and Orchid houses. Amongst them occur some of the oldest of cultivated Orchids, such as are generally to be met with in good old-fashioned places. ”

“ Orchids, old gold and violet, cling to the rocks with the white claws of the sea snatching at their toughened roots, and beyond the extreme verge of ferns and orchids on abrupt sea-scarred boulders are the stellate shadows of the whorled foliage of the umbrella tree, in varied pattern, precise and clean cut and in delightful commingling and confusion. ”

“ Therefore I perceived or suspected, at an early date, that orchid culture is, as one may say, the natural province of an intelligent and enthusiastic amateur who has not the technical skill required for growing common plants. ”

“ Orchid, or′kid, n. a plant with a rich, showy, often fragrant flower, frequently found growing, in warm countries, on rocks and stems of trees.—adjs. Orchidā′ceous, Orchid′ēous, pertaining to the orchids.—ns. Orchidol′ogy, the knowledge of orchids; Or′chis, a genus containing ten of the British species of orchids. [Gr. orchis, a testicle.]
Orchil, or′kil, n. the colouring matter derived from archil (q.v.) . ”

“ The tremendous energy of growth covers bark and branches with creeping plants innumerable, with a profusion of moss, liverworts, and ferns such as we cannot imagine from our own experiences in this country. So the roots of our orchid find on the branches rich leaf-mould, 332 and it lives happily and contentedly on the salts and moisture accumulated by the mosses and other plants. ”

“ Orchids for the Drawing Room.—We often hear objections made to the growing of Orchids on account of the great heat which, it is alleged, is kept up in the houses required for their cultivation, many ladies and gentlemen not caring to go into these heated structures. ”

“ The Angræcums form a very interesting genus in the great Orchid family; and although amongst those that have bloomed in this country there are not many that we consider to be worth growing as ornamental plants, yet some, on the other hand, are very beautiful, and these we hope to be able to figure in due course. ”

“ The flowers, which are rather large for so small a plant, being of a rich and brilliant colour, become rather effective; and though, of course, they do not compare at all in gorgeous beauty with those of many of the larger-flowered Orchids, they are by no means to be despised even from the decorative point of View; indeed, when grown on a block, as represented in the accompanying Plate, and suspended from the roof of the house, the plant forms a very pretty and distinct object, occupying, as it does, but a small space in which it displays much beauty and attractiveness. ”

“ Under such constant drenching the leaf-beds decay, throwing up those gases and vapours in which the orchid delights at home. Thus the amateur should arrange his greenhouse, so far as he may. But I would not have it understood that these elaborate contrivances are essential. If you would beat Nature, as here, making invariably such bulbs and flowers as she produces only under rare conditions, you must follow this system. But orchids are not exacting.
The house opens, at its further end, in a magnificent structure designed especially to exhibit plants of warm species in bloom. ”

“ An orchid can fling out gorgeous blooms, though it grows on a piece of dry wood, but plants set in rich soil often show poor flowers. Our hope will be worthy of its foundation, only on condition of our habitually reflecting on the firmness of that foundation, and cultivating familiarity with the things hoped for. ”

“ But a man who has almost forgotten what little knowledge he gathered in youth about English plants does not readily turn to that higher branch of horticulture. More ignorant even than others, he will cherish all the superstitions and illusions which environ the orchid family. En [Pg 2] lightenment is a slow process, and he will make many experiences before perceiving his true bent. How I came to grow orchids will be told in this first article. ”

“ Despairing of horticulture indoors as out, I sometimes thought of orchids. I had seen much of them in their native homes, both East and West—enough to understand that their growth is governed by strict law. Other plants—roses and so forth—are always playing tricks. They must have this and that treatment at certain times, the nature of which could not be precisely described, even if gardening books were written by men used to carry all the points of a subject in their minds, and to express exactly what they mean. ”

“ Distribution--From New Brunswick and Ontario southward to our Southern states, westward to Nebraska.
Of the six floral leaves which every orchid, terrestrial or aerial, possesses, one is always peculiar in form, pouch-shaped, or a cornucopia filled with nectar, or a flaunted, fringed banner, or a broad platform for the insect visitors to alight on. Some orchids look to imaginative eyes as if they were masquerading in the disguise of bees, moths, frogs, birds, butterflies. A number of these queer freaks are to be found in Europe. ”

“ There are many varieties of this charming Orchid with spotted flowers, differing in the size of the blossoms and in the colour and amount of the spotting, which are cultivated under different varietal names, but the representation of the one we have now the pleasure of illustrating will, we hope, be the means of inducing growers to range some of them as forms of guttatum instead of so greatly multiplying names, which becomes inconvenient. ”

“ Then its endless variations of form, its astonishing oddities, its wide range of hues, its easy culture, its readiness to hybridize and to ripen seed, the certainty, by comparison, of rearing the proceeds, each of these merits appeals to one or other of orchid-growers. Many of the species which come from torrid lands, indeed, are troublesome, but with such we are not concerned. The cool varieties will do well anywhere, provided they receive water enough in summer, and not too little in winter. ”

“ We venture to believe that by the time we have said all we have to say—and how small a portion that is of what we could say!—those who peruse this paper will find it somewhat difficult to resist running off to the nearest nurseryman and asking to be shown over his houses, or to the nearest bookseller and ordering one of the numerous popular manuals which will instruct them how to set about becoming orchid growers themselves. We have often heard the uninitiated wonder what there is to attract in the orchid, more than in any other beautiful flower. ”

“ Hugh Low and Co., of Clapton, several of which have bloomed and, even in their first feeble attempts to flower, have more than justified the very high expectations formed of the plant which, as it gathers strength, cannot fail to become an established favourite with all Orchid-lovers. ”

“ On one of the spikes there were five of these charming flowers, each measuring three inches across. We saw this plant last year, and a most wonderful old specimen it is. It is trained cylindrically, and forms a grand massive plant, curious, withal, on account of its terete dark green climbing stems, thinly clothed with leaves, which are also terete, and of the same colour. No doubt it is one of the most distinct-looking of Orchids, and one, moreover, that few growers succeed in flowering well. ”

“ Each kind of orchid has its own kind of insect, and all of the elaboration of the flower is connected with this fact. In greenhouses orchids are among the most prized of plants, on account of the showy colors and the strange forms of the flowers, the most conspicuous being the epiphytes from the tropical forests. ”