But the deeper their research
commonly, the more they become convinced that these mysteries lie beyond
their attainment. I am not aware of any treatise which makes a serious
effort to teach the uninitiated. Putting technical expressions on one
side--though that obstacle is grave enough--every one of those which
have come under my notice takes the mechanical preliminaries for
granted. All are written by experts for experts. My purpose is contrary.
I wish to show how it is done so clearly that a child or the dullest
gardener may be able to perform the operations--so very easy when you
know how to set to work.
[Illustration: CYPRIPEDIUM (HYBRIDUM) POLLETTIANUM.
Reduced to One Sixth.]
After a single lesson, in the genus _Cypripedium_ alone, a young lady
of my household amused herself by concerting the most incredible
alliances--_Dendrobium_ with _Odontoglossum_, _Epidendrum_ with
_Oncidium_, _Oncidium_ with _Odontoglossum_, and so forth. It is
unnecessary to tell the experienced that in every case the seed vessel
swelled; that matter will be referred to presently. I mention the
incident only to show how simple are these processes if the key be
grasped.
Amateur hybridizers of an audacious class are wanted because, hitherto,
operators have kept so much to the beaten paths. The names of Veitch and
Dominy and Seden will endure when those of great _savants_ are
forgotten; but business men have been obliged to concentrate their zeal
upon experiments that pay.
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