About Orchids

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About Orchids

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Title: About Orchids A Chat
Author: Frederick Boyle
Release Date: November 26, 2005 [EBook #17155]
Language: English
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[Illustration: VANDA SANDERIANA Reduced to One Sixth.]

ABOUT ORCHIDS
A CHAT BY
FREDERICK BOYLE
WITH COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS LONDON: CHAPMAN AND
HALL, LTD. 1893
[_All rights reserved_]
LONDON: PRINTED BY GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, LIMITED,
ST. JOHN'S HOUSE, CLERKENWELL, E.C.

I INSCRIBE THIS BOOK TO MY GUIDE, COMFORTER AND
FRIEND, JOSEPH GODSEFF.

CONTENTS.
PAGE MY GARDENING 1
AN ORCHID SALE 24
ORCHIDS 42
COOL ORCHIDS 60
WARM ORCHIDS 103
HOT ORCHIDS 138
THE LOST ORCHID 173

AN ORCHID FARM 183
ORCHIDS AND HYBRIDIZING 210

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE VANDA SANDERIANA Frontispiece ODONTOGLOSSUM
CRISPUM ALEXANDRÆ 67
ONCIDIUM MACRANTHUM 88
DENDROBIUM BRYMERIANUM 127
COELOGENE PANDURATA 160
CATTLEYA LABIATA 173
LOELIA ANCEPS SCHROEDERIANA 197
CYPRIPEDIUM (HYBRIDUM) POLLETTIANUM 210

PREFACE.
The purport of this book is shown in the letter following which I
addressed to the editor of the Daily News some months ago:--
"I thank you for reminding your readers, by reference to my humble
work, that the delight of growing orchids can be enjoyed by persons of
very modest fortune. To spread that knowledge is my contribution to
philanthropy, and I make bold to say that it ranks as high as some
which are commended from pulpits and platforms. For your
leader-writer is inexact, though complimentary, in assuming that any
'special genius' enables me to cultivate orchids without more expense
than other greenhouse plants entail, or even without a gardener. I am
happy to know that scores of worthy gentlemen--ladies too--not more
gifted than their neighbours in any sense, find no greater difficulty. If

the pleasure of one of these be due to any writings of mine, I have
wrought some good in my generation."
With the same hope I have collected those writings, dispersed and
buried more or less in periodicals. The articles in this volume are
collected--with permission which I gratefully acknowledge--from The
Standard, Saturday Review, _St. James's Gazette_, National Review,
and _Longman's Magazine_. With some pride I discover, on reading
them again, that hardly a statement needs correction, for they contain
many statements, and some were published years ago. But in this, as in
other lore, a student still gathers facts. The essays have been brought up
to date by additions--in especial that upon "Hybridizing," a theme
which has not interested the great public hitherto, simply because the
great public knows nothing about it. There is not, in fact, so far as I am
aware, any general record of the amazing and delightful achievements
which have been made therein of late years. It does not fall within my
province to frame such a record. But at least any person who reads this
unscientific account, not daunted by the title, will understand the
fascination of the study.
These essays profess to be no more than chat of a literary man about
orchids. They contain a multitude of facts, told in some detail where
such attention seems necessary, which can only be found elsewhere in
baldest outline if found at all. Everything that relates to orchids has a
charm for me, and I have learned to hold it as an article of faith that
pursuits which interest one member of the cultured public will interest
all, if displayed clearly and pleasantly, in a form to catch attention at
the outset. Savants and professionals have kept the delights of
orchidology to themselves as yet. They smother them in scientific
treatises, or commit them to dry earth burial in gardening books. Very
few outsiders suspect that any amusement could be found therein.
Orchids are environed by mystery, pierced now and again by a brief
announcement that something with an incredible name has been sold
for a fabulous number of guineas; which passing glimpse into an
unknown world makes it more legendary than before. It is high time
such noxious superstitions were dispersed. Surely, I think, this volume
will do the good work--if the public will read it.

The illustrations are reduced from those delightful drawings by Mr.
Moon admired throughout the world in the pages of "Reichenbachia."
The