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Mr. Siebrecht in his paper referred to the hardships undergone 
by the orchid-collector, and paid a tribute to the energy displayed 
by three friends of the speaker, Carmiole, an Italian, who had come 
to New York when the speaker was a‘’boy; Féstermann, who 
died about two years ago, the victim, like most collectors, of 
disease contracted in that enterprise ; and Thieme, who had made 
three trips for Mr. Siebrecht, and who went last to Brazil in 
search of the Ca/tleya autumnalis, but was never heard from. 
Mr. Siebrecht referred also to three trips of his own in quest 
of orchids, to the West Indies, Venezuela, Brazil and Central 
America. He then exhibited the lantern views, which were of 
remarkable beauty and evoked frequent applause. They included 
numerous representatives of the chief tropical genera cultivated, 
also with views of interiors showing a house of Catdeyas in full 
blossom, etc. Slides showing numerous species native to the 
eastern United States followed. 
Mr. Siebrecht then described the culture of orchids and classed 
their diseases, as chiefly because too wet, when the “ spot” closes 
the stomata, or too dry when they collect insects. He referred to 
their insect enemies at home, the “ Jack Spaniard,” which eats the 
marrow from the bulb, and the cattleya-fly, now introduced into 
English houses. He mentioned the ravages of Cladosporium, and 
the great difficulty with which orchids of the genus Phalaenopsis 
are preserved from fungal diseases. 
The subject was further discussed by the President, Dr. Brit- 
ton, Mr. Samuel Henshaw and Mr. Livingston, the latter referring 
to his recent experience as an orchid collector. A slide was ex- 
hibited, made from a photograph taken by Mr. Livingston, show- 
ing his orchids packed upon oxen and so carried down from the 
mountains to Magdalena. 
Mr. Henshaw spoke of his visit to Mr. Siebrecht’s nursery in 
Trinidad, and of the growth made there by Cvofons, as much in 
one year as here in four or five. In those gardens they divide 
their plants by rows and edges of Crotons which are sheared off 
as we would trim a privet-hedge. Mr. Henshaw also paid a de- 
served tribute to Mrs. Van Brunt for the wonderful success of her 
coloring of the orchid slides. 
