. Florists' review [microform]. Floriculture. ECHIDS are herbaceous perennials; that is an inter- esting fundamental fact, worthy of first mention here. It is true that they are not customarily re- garded as belonging to the perennial class, partly for the reason that they are eminently fitted, by unique- ness and beauty, to constitute a class by themselves. A more important point of distinction is, that the majority of ordi- nary perennials are more or less hardy, while the majority of orchids—not all of them, by any means—are tender, heat-loving exotics. Nevertheless, or- chids are truly and
. Florists' review [microform]. Floriculture. ECHIDS are herbaceous perennials; that is an inter- esting fundamental fact, worthy of first mention here. It is true that they are not customarily re- garded as belonging to the perennial class, partly for the reason that they are eminently fitted, by unique- ness and beauty, to constitute a class by themselves. A more important point of distinction is, that the majority of ordi- nary perennials are more or less hardy, while the majority of orchids—not all of them, by any means—are tender, heat-loving exotics. Nevertheless, or- chids are truly and intrinsically peren- nial. They are more persistently peren- nial, in fact, than are many plants that are invariably consid- ered as members of the perennial class. Indeed, a few of the hardy or semi-hardy orchids, such as certain cypri- pediums or lady's slip- pers, are included in some catalogues of her b a c e 0 u s perennials. They are so included on. account of their hardiness. Veil of Mystery. Another factor that has aided in keeping orchids in a class by themselves is the veil of mystery that has surrounded them. Like most other widely prev- alent notions or be- liefs, this idea of or- chids being involved in mystery is founded partly on real, substan- tial facts. There are elements of mystery in the culture of all plants, but especially in the culture of plants so peculiar as are the orchids. So greatly do orchids differ from other families of plants, and so greatly do many genera of or- chids differ from one another, that the grower who has ac- quired command of the principal details of or chid culture is a man of no meager accom- plishments. No doubt, orchids are tenacious of life and will endure a vast amount of abuse. One proof of that endurance lies in the fact that so many thousands of them have been imported from remote countries and have been reestablished so readily and with so small a proportion of loss. But orchids that are unnecessarily abused will not
Size: 1451px × 1723px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecad, booksubjectfloriculture, bookyear1912
