as in Cattleya, Laelia, and
Cypripedium hybrids.

Another plan adopted by some growers, and with tolerable success, is to
place squares of Osmunda fibre in pans, and after soaking them, sow the
seed on them. Others have discs of soft wood, such as Willow, cut across
the grain and placed in flower-pots or pans with the fibre of the
wood-grain uppermost; after soaking the discs, the seeds are sown on
them. When not raised in glass cases, round or square pieces of glass
are placed on the pots. Indeed, there is ample evidence that, provided
good seeds are sown and placed in a suitable temperature, Orchid seeds
germinate readily. The first sign of vitality is given by the good seeds
assuming a green appearance; in time they become little spherical green
bodies, which later produce a growing point; in due course the true root
appears, and the little plants are ready for pricking off or
transplanting into previously prepared store pots prepared with a good
drainage of small crocks or broken charcoal in the bottom, some Osmunda
fibre or other Orchid potting material, and an inch or so of very fine
compost formed of decayed leaves, Osmunda fibre, or good Orchid peat and
Sphagnum-moss in equal parts, the whole rubbed together through a fine
sieve. Some add a proportion of sand to this compost. The whole should
be thoroughly well watered before the tiny seedlings are placed a
quarter of an inch or so apart in small holes in the surface of the
compost and sprayed to settle them in position. Up to this stage the
greatest mortality is observed. Wide crosses between species of
dissimilar nature, and which have up to the production of the growth
point or root appeared to be doing well, having shown that they did not
belong to the unfertile, suddenly collapse. Those which have taken a
long time to germinate have fallen victims to the minute fungi, and
other low forms of vegetable organism, which, commencing at one or two
spots, have gradually overgrown the surface of the pot and destroyed
them. The stronger are often destroyed by small insects, while drip,
however carefully guarded against, claims its share of the spoil. These
things are specially vexing to the amateur who is working in a small
way. To the expert cultivator who has a multitude of subjects in hand,
and whose methods and appliances mitigate the evils, the losses are not
so serious, for when Orchid seeds germinate freely they provide for
losses when sown on a large scale.