Orchids   By: James O'Brien

EDITED BY....

R. HOOPER PEARSON

MANAGING EDITOR OF THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE....

A LIST OF VOLUMES IN THE SERIES IS GIVEN ON THE NEXT PAGE....

[Transcriber's Note: Words surrounded by tildes, like ~this~ signifies words in bold. Words surrounded by underscores, like this , signifies words in italics.]

Present Day Gardening

List of Volumes in the Series.

1. SWEET PEAS. By HORACE J. WRIGHT, late Secretary and Chairman of the National Sweet Pea Society. With Chapter on "Sweet Peas for Exhibition" by THOS. STEVENSON.

2. PANSIES, VIOLAS, AND VIOLETS. By WILLIAM CUTHBERTSON, J.P., and R. HOOPER PEARSON.

3. ROOT AND STEM VEGETABLES. By ALEXANDER DEAN, V.M.H., Chairman of the National Vegetable Society.

4. DAFFODILS. By the Rev. J. JACOB, Secretary of the Midland Daffodil Society, with Preface by the Rev. W. WILKS, M.A., Secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society.

5. ORCHIDS. By JAMES O'BRIEN, V.M.H., Secretary of the Orchid Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society.

6. CARNATIONS AND PINKS. By T. H. COOK, Head Gardener to Queen Alexandra at Sandringham; JAMES DOUGLAS, V.M.H.; and J. F. M'LEOD, Head Gardener to Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan.

7. RHODODENDRONS AND AZALEAS. ( The first popular volume published on this subject. ) By WILLIAM WATSON, A.L.S., Curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with Preface by Sir FRED. W. MOORE, M.A., A.L.S., V.M.H.

8. LILIES. By A. GROVE, F.L.S., with Preface by H. J. ELWES, F.R.S.

9. APPLES AND PEARS. By GEORGE BUNYARD, V.M.H., Chairman of Fruit and Vegetable Committee of Royal Horticultural Society.

10. ROSES. By H. R. DARLINGTON, Vice President of National Rose Society. (Double volume.)

11. IRISES. By W. RICKATSON DYKES, M.A., L. ès L. With Preface by PROFESSOR I. BAYLEY BALFOUR, D.SC., F.R.S., &c.

12. ANNUALS, HARDY AND HALF HARDY. By C. H. CURTIS, Hon. Sec. of the National Sweet Pea Society.

13. CHRYSANTHEMUMS. By THOMAS STEVENSON, with chapters by C. HARMAN PAYNE and CHARLES E. SHEA.

14. TULIPS. By the Rev. J. JACOB.

15. THE ROCK GARDEN. By REGINALD FARRER, Author of "Among the Hills," "My Rock Garden," "In a Yorkshire Garden," &c.

These will be followed by volumes on ~Dahlias~, ~Climbers~, ~Trees and Shrubs~, ~Pæonies~, ~Primulas~, ~Window Gardens~, ~Cucumbers~, ~Melons~, ~Bedding Plants~, ~Hardy Herbaceous Plants~, ~Ferns~, ~Tomatoes~, ~Bulbous Plants~, ~Peaches and Nectarines~, ~Vines~, ~Stove and Greenhouse Plants~, ~&c.~

[Illustration: PLATE I ( Frontispiece )

CYPRIPEDIUM INSIGNE SANDERÆ]

Orchids

By James O'Brien

With Eight Coloured Plates

[Illustration]

London: T.C. & E.C. Jack

67 Long Acre, w.c., & Edinburgh

PREFACE

In the early days of Orchid cultivation the idea was commonly entertained that these interesting plants could never become popular with the general public, for the reason that their culture involves a great initial outlay and permanent expense. That such an idea is incompatible with the facts is now admitted by all those who are most familiar with the subject. There is no department of "Present Day" gardening that exhibits such wonderful progress as is shown in the Orchid gardens and nurseries that are to be found in every portion of these Isles.