138 ORCHIDS. 



mens. Mr. Corning began his collection about 1850, 

 with thirty species brought by him from England, and 

 has added to it ever since ; we find seventeen species of 

 Aerides, thirty-five of 'Cattleya, thirty of Cypripedium^ 

 twenty-eight of Dendrobium, twenty-one of Lcelia, six of 

 MasdevaHia, twenty-seven of Odontoglossum^ twenty-four 

 of Oncidium, seven of Phalcenopsis, and twelve of Vanda, 

 and among these only the choicest kinds, many of which 

 are almost unpurchasable in England. Among plants 

 specially worthy of notice as large specimens are Aerides 

 odoratum purpur ascent, Angrcecnm sesquipedale, Cattleyas 

 labiata and Schilleriana, Lcelia superbiens, Masdevallia Har- 

 ryana, Odontoglossum Dawsonii, Phalcenopses grandiflora 

 and Schilleriana, Vandas tricolor, insignis, and suavis, and 

 Saccolabium retusum. This collection owes its perfec- 

 tion to the watchful care and intelligent culture of the 

 head gardener, William Gray, who unites to an ardent 

 love of these plants much scientific knowledge and 

 great cultural experience. 



The Orchid house of Gen. John F. Rathbone, in Al- 

 bany, contains some of the finest plants in America. 

 Although in species the collection of Mr. Corning is supe- 

 rior, there are, in General Rathbone's, single plants which, 

 as specimens, are unsurpassed. The Cattleyas, Vandas, 

 Angrcecums, and Phalcenopses, of this latter collection, 

 have no equals in the country. 



General Rathbone in 1860 imported from London his 

 first Orchid, Vanda suavis. He writes : " I was so de- 

 lighted with the plant and flowers that I caught the Orchid 

 fever, which I am happy to say is now prevailing to con- 

 siderable extent in this country, and which I trust will 

 become epidemic ; I purchased each year following a few 



