Most of the Orchids received from the dealers have their roots contained in the mixture of chopped fern root or peat and sphagnum in which they grew in the orchid house. In my earlier attempts at growing them on my trees I made the mistake of leaving this all on and fastening the ball against the tree by means of pieces of shingle nailed on so as to press against it. I believe that the freshly imported plants which have not yet been potted are better than the potted and established ones.

No Orchid will flourish on a tree unless it is so firmly fastened to it that it cannot possibly be moved about. It must also be so fastened that the collar, that is the part of it where the roots join the stems, is not choked or smothered. I find it best with plants that come with the potting material around their roots to soak the mass a little and carefully remove as much of it as possible without unduly mangling the roots. Most of these die anyhow after the plants have been on the tree awhile. Cut window screen wire (iron wire is best) into strips an inch wide and of any length. Fasten one end of a strip with a small nail to the trunk of a tree at the side of where the Orchid is to be placed. Put a thin layer of sphagnum on each side of the mass of roots, which have been previously flattened; place the roots against the tree close to where the strip is fastened; draw the strip tightly across the roots and nail on the other side of them. If the plant is large it will be necessary to put two or more strips across, sometimes in several directions; at any rate bind it firmly and neatly to the tree, taking care that the collar of the plant is not choked. This fastening will admit air to the roots and will not look unsightly. Water well and if possible repeat the watering at least once a week during dry weather until the Orchid is established.

They may be planted at any time of the year but I prefer to put them on the trees just before the commencement of the rainy season. If one has irrigation it makes little difference. Do not put them on trees whose bark scales off. The live oak which grows generally throughout Florida is an ideal tree for this purpose as it has rough bark which never comes off and the roots seem to revel in its crevices. The red bay is another good tree for this purpose. An upright trunk four or five feet above the ground is a good place and elevation.

I have had best success with good sized plants; small specimens are liable to dry out and die. Most Orchids are very slow growers; often only a single leader is sent up in a year even under favorable circumstances, unless the plant is large. In some cases they produce fertile seed but it is excessively minute and difficult to make grow. One may scatter such seed on mossy, leaning trees in a damp hammock and rarely grow a plant. Even when he succeeds it will take from four to eight years for it to bloom. Roots are sometimes thrown off from leaders and in such cases the latter may be carefully cut off below the roots and made to grow, preferably in pots of peaty soil at first, in a close damp slat house. In the north growers are largely dependent on plants which are imported from their native countries where some species are now almost exterminated.

A few words regarding enemies and insects may not be out of place. There is a native wood rat which at times does great damage to Orchids planted on trees, working them loose and often eating them. Something may be done in the way of putting out poison but if there is likelihood of continued trouble it is best to fasten the plants only on the vertical stems of trees, and not on horizontal or sloping surfaces. There are nocturnal insects that eat the leaves of Orchids, which could probably be held in check by spraying according to instructions in the chapter on insects. The only disease that has so far troubled my plants is a blight which breaks out suddenly and sometimes destroys a large plant in a single day. The affected parts turn to a semi-transparent brown and become soft as though they had been boiled. I presume that it is the work of a fungus. Slitting the sheaths that surround the pseudobulbs and removing them, in case there are indications of trouble, is a good thing, and thorough dusting with sulfur is excellent. Cut away and burn all diseased parts.

I would advise every one who has hammock and cultivates ornamental plants to try at least a few Orchids. One can start with the Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, Epidendrums or Laelias; the cheaper plants are as good as any. Do not put them too high on the trees as it will be difficult to water and attend to them, and much of the fine effect of the flower is lost if they are out of reach. If one can have a background of thick foliage so much the better.

One can even grow Orchids in a clump or grove of planted trees; all that is needed is shade, protection from strong wind and a reasonable degree of moisture in the air. One sometimes sees them growing in exposed places in full sunshine but I have had poor success in trying to establish them in such places.

There is an indescribable charm about the Orchids and whoever once becomes interested in them can never break away from their spell. The forms of their flowers are so strange, their texture is so delicate, their colors so soft and beautiful, often so wonderfully brilliant and bizarre that it is no wonder that they claim almost universal admiration, whether seen in Orchid houses or used for decoration. But to see them in perfection one must go into the dark, steamy, tropical forests where they naturally belong. Charles Kingsley said "Even to look up at them perched on bough and stem as one rides by, and to guess what exquisite and fantastic forms may issue, in a few months or weeks, out of those fleshy, often unsightly leaves is a strange pleasure, a spur to the fancy which is surely wholesome, if we will but believe that all these things were invented by A Fancy, which desires to call out in us, by contemplating them, such small fancy as we possess".

It is only when seen growing on the trees in tropical or semi-tropical forests that they really look natural, for there they fully harmonize with the magnificent tangled growth, the confusion of struggling lianas and the veritable air gardens of wild Tillandsias and other epiphytes which sometimes load down the limbs to the breaking point. It is in such environment alone that one can appreciate their weird and almost unearthly grotesqueness and beauty; it is there that their brilliant and fantastic blossoms shine out almost like stars in the darkness.