HISTORY OF ORCHID HYBRIDISATION 



than twenty years. Mr. Dominy's name will always be remembered as the 

 pioneer of this interesting branch of horticulture. In 1880, on the occasion 

 of his retirement from Messrs. Veitch's service, the Royal Horticultural 

 Society presented him with a Gold Medal in recognition of his services to 

 horticulture. 



The genus Lycaste was added to the list in 1878, when a hybrid between 

 L. Skinneri and L. Deppei flowered in the collection of Mr. W. Marshall, 

 of Enfield. It was recorded without a name, but was afterwards called 

 Lycaste X hybrida. 



Hybrids now began to increase rapidly in number, and we shall only be 

 able to indicate a few of the more prominent landmarks. Half-a-dozen 

 novelties appeared in 1879, belonging to genera already mentioned. 



In 1880 another genus was added to the list, when the handsome 

 Masdevallia X Chelsoni flowered for the first time. It was obtained by 

 Mr. Seden from M. amabilis crossed with the pollen of M. Veitchiana, and 

 the flowers exhibit a charming combination of orange and scarlet. 



In 1880 a batch of four hybrids raised by a new operator appeared, and 

 were described together as Cypripedium X meirax, X chloroneurum, X 

 politum, and X melanophthalmum. Reichenbach spoke of them as a lot 

 of fresh hybrids, raised by Mr. Robert Warner, of Broomfield, whose 

 history is not known, probably in consequence of a lost pocket book. All 

 of them he believes had C. venustum for one parent. Their history was 

 discussed some time ago {Orch. Rev., 1905, pp. 291-293). 



In 1881 a hybrid Anguloa flowered, in the collection of John C. 

 Bowring, Esq., Forest Farm, Windsor. It was named Anguloa X 

 media by Reichanbach, who spoke of it as no doubt derived from A. 

 Clowesii and A. Ruckeri. 



The existence of two new hybridists was also revealed, for Calanthe X 

 Barberiana flowered in the collection of John T. Barber, Esq., Spondon, 

 Derby, having been raised from C. Turneri nivalis crossed with the pollen 

 of C. vestita, while C. X Sandhurstiana was raised by P. H. Gosse, Esq., of 

 Sandhurst, Torquay, from C. rosea crossed with the pollen of C. vestita, 

 and thus is a form of C. X Veitchii. 



For a quarter of a century English hybridists appeared to monopolise 

 the field, but in 188 1 a French hybrid flowered. In the Revue Horticole 

 for that year (p. 346), the flowering of two unnamed seedling Cattleyas is 

 recorded by M. Bergman. They were raised by M. Alfred Bleu, of Paris, 

 from C. intermedia crossed with the pollen of C. Aclandia. The cross 

 afterwards received the name of C. X calumnata. Whether this was its 

 first flowering is not quite clear, for another hybrid which afterwards 

 received the name of Cattleya X fimbriata has been confused with it, under 

 the same record, and Mr. Bleu is said to have flowered this in 1878. The 



