M
ON THE CULTURE OF TROPICAL ORClilüACE.Ii.
O F Orcbis-cuhiire the ancients were entirely ignorant, nor does it appear to liave made any progress among tlic
moden\s until the commencement of the present century. A few species had, it is true, been establislied at Kuw, and in
t h e collection of the Messrs. LODDIOES, at a somewhat earlier period; but these may be said to have succeeded rather in
defiance than in consequencc of tlie barbarous treatment they received, If, however, the gardener was in tlie dark as
to the management of the tribe, the botanist was as much at fault as to their numbers and importance, for even Professor
LiNDLEY tho first to entertain enlarged views upon the subject—iu an early edition of his " Natural System," estimates
t h e probable extent of the tribe at only two thousand, a number that is exceeded, at the present time, by those acinally
cultivated in the hot-houses of England alone 1
But, before we enter upon the details of the prevailing modes of culture, it may not bo uninteresting to make bricl'
mention of the parties who, by their zeal and skill, have successively contributed to bring Orehis-gi'owing to its present
palmy state; and first on the hst must stand the well-known firm of C. LODDICUS and SONS. A collection appears t o have
existed in tbis establishment for more tlian half a century, which, in tlie last ten years, has increased so rapidly that it
now includes more than one tliousand eight hundred species. Mr. CATTLEY, of BNI-net, whose memory is embalmed in
the splendid genus that bears bis name, appears to have been the firet successful private grower, and luul tlie merit of
inti'odiicing many excellent plants.* The Horticultural Society iind also, from the first establishment of their garden
a t Chis-wick, spared no pains to discover the secret of epiphyte culture, and their experiments enabled Professor LINDLEY
to compile bis memorable paper " Upon the Cultivation of Epiphytes of the Orchis Tribe," which was read May 18,
1830, and from which the science of Orchis-culture may be said to date.f Contemporary with Mr, CATTI.ÜY, and
n o doubt prompted by his success, other collectors soon appeared, of whom tlie most remarkable were the late
Mrs. ARNOLD HARHISOS and her brother, Mr. RICHARD HAititisos, the Rev. J. T . HU.STLEY, and the late LORD FITZWILUAH.J
Mr. R. HARRISON'S collection was, for many years, " t h e leader," and was visited accordingly not by epiphyte-lovers only,
but by botanist s and men of science from all part s of the world. Aigburgth, in fact, became a sort of Mecca, to which the
faithful Orchis-grower made his annual pilgrimage, and never witliout finding himself abundantly rewarded by tlie sight
of its then imrivalled treasures. What are called " fine specimens" ^vere here seen for the firet time, and many were
t h e years of patient care and skill that had been reciuisite to produce them. Next in order, and second to none of
his predecessors in enthusiasm, came the writer of this article, who, impatient of the tardy rate at which new species
crossed the seas, determined to e.vpedite matters by dispatching a botanical collector t o seek them in their native haunts.
T h i s sen-ice was undertaken by Mr. COLLEV, who sailed for Dcmcrara in the winter of 1833, and although his success
fell short of expectation, it yet was sufficient to encourage other parties to embark in similar adventures. From this
period the importation of Orchidacea: has steadily increased, and, although we now reckon the species by thousands, an
inexaustiblc fund of novelty seems to be in store for u s : and collections have multiplied almost as rapidly as tlie ¡ilauts.
Those of Mr. BAHKER and Mr. WILLIAMS, in the neighbourhood of Birmingham, became celebrateti about the year I83 T;
and the former gentleman, by sending out Mr. Ross to Mexico, added greatly to the number of species in cultivation. The
collection of the Rev. Jons CLOWES n ext came into notice, as did shortly after\vards that of the DUKE of DEVo.ssiiiaE, at
Chatsworth, ^^•hich was incalculably enriched by the mission of Mr. GIBSON to India, in 183G. But the annus mirubUis
of Orchis-importatum was 1837. In addition to the spoils brought by Mr. GIBSON from the Nipalese HiUs, and which
reached Chatsworth in thi s year , Mr. SKINNEII poured into our stoves the richest treasures of the barrancas of Guatemala;—
Mr. CuMMiso sent a profusion of the choicest air-plants from the Philippine Islands;—Mr. SHOMBUKOK contributed some
exquiste species from the interior of Guiana;—and M. DESCHAMI-S, a Frenchman, arrived with his vessel from Vera
Cruz, entirely laden with Mexican Orchidncere. In the whole, not less, probably, than three hundred species were seen in
England for the first time in this memorable year.
Besides tho collections already noticed, many others deserve t o be enumerated, Avhich, although
e have named, are not less rich in species, especially those of Mr. RUCKER, the DDKE of N
recent than some
ND, BAKON DISIS-
8T'« colltclion wu diii>ia«l of to Mr. KKIOUT, of Üio Enolic Surserj', «bom ihc year 1832.
the " norticullural Tmnsnction»," 2v.i Serie», Pari I. : csccpt Uiat il odvocalM n tcinperalure iinniccmrily high, il co
imply conlirmcJ.
ill i«cpl Ilio collection at Wcnlworll., have diiappcored. At the ÜMlh of Mr.. AasoiD lUaKiio!., ll.il lady", collcilion paucd, Ulte
• - li in 1835, and Mr, R. lUaKiK^i dapcrjcdby the hammer la<t year.