Doubtless Cypripeds rarely fertilize—­by comparison, that is, of course—­in their native homes.  The difficulty that insects find in performing that service has been mentioned.  Mr. Godseff points out to me a reason far more curious and striking.  When a bee displaces the pollen masses of a Cattleya, for instance, they cling to its head or thorax by means of a sticky substance attached to the pollen cases; so, on entering the next flower, it presents the pollen outwards to the stigmatic surface.  But in the case of a Cypriped there is no such substance, the adhesive side of the pollen itself is turned outward, and it clings to any intruding substance.  But this is the fertilizing part.  Therefore, an insect which by chance displaces the pollen mass carries it off, as one may say, the wrong side up.  On entering the next flower, it does not commonly present the surface necessary for impregnation, but a sterile globule which is the backing thereof.  We may suppose that in the earlier age, when this genus flourished as the later forms of orchid do now, it enjoyed some means of fertilization which have vanished.

Under such disadvantages it is not to be expected that seed capsules would be often found upon imported Cypripeds.  Messrs. Veitch state that they rarely observed one among the myriads of plants that have passed through their hands.  With some species, however, it is not by any means so uncommon.  When Messrs. Thompson, of Clovenfords, bought a quantity of the first Cyp.  Spicerianum which came upon the market, they found a number of capsules, and sowed them, obtaining several hundred fine plants.  Pods are often imported on Cyp. insigne full of good seed.

In the circumstances enumerated we have the explanation of an extraordinary fact.  Hybrids or natural species of Cypripediums artificially raised are stronger than their parents, and they produce finer flowers.  The reason is that they get abundance of food in captivity, and all things are made comfortable for them; whilst Nature, anxious to be rid of a form of plant no longer approved, starves and neglects them.

The same argument enables us to understand why Cypripeds lend themselves so readily to the hybridizer.  Darwin taught us to expect that species which can rarely hope to secure a chance of reproduction will learn to make the process as easy and as sure as the conditions would admit—­that none of those scarce opportunities may be lost.  And so it proves.  Orchidaceans are apt to declare that “everybody” is hybridizing Cypripeds nowadays.  At least, so many persons have taken up this agreeable and interesting pursuit that science has lost count of the less striking results.  Briefly, the first hybrid Cypripedium was raised by Dominy, in 1869, and named after Mr. Harris, who, as has been said, suggested the operation to him.  Seden produced the next in 1874—­Cyp.  Sedeni from Cyp.  Schlimii x Cyp. longiflorum; curious as the single instance yet noted in which seedlings turn out identical, whichever parent furnish the pollen-masses.  In every other case they vary when the functions of the parents are exchanged.