50 



bium, 34: Cattleya, 27; Oncidium, 19; and Laelia, n. Taking 

 the number of times they were shown in distinct collections, 

 and exclusive of duplicates in the same collection, these genera 

 stand in the same order with the following numbers Odonto- 

 glossum, 174 ; Masdevallia, 91 ; Cypripedium, 84 ; Dendrobium, 

 67 ; Cattleya, 66 ; Oncidium, 31 ; Laelia, 16. If the number oi 

 plants of each variety or species had been counted, the Odonto- 

 glossums would still further predominate. It might be estimated 

 that under 1,000 plants were shown. 



On the second day the conference was opened by the President, 

 Sir Trevor Lawrence, with an appropriate speech, and the first 

 paper read was one on botanical subjects, from Professor 

 Reichenbach ; this was followed by " The Hybridisation of 

 Orchids," by Mr. Harry J. Veitch, a most interesting and 

 valuable contribution, and an able paper on " The Cultivation of 

 Orchids," by Mr. James O'Brien. When these were concluded 

 the President stated that three gold medals, placed at the disposal 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society by the Trustees of the Veitch 

 Memorial Fund, had been awarded to Professor Reichenbach, 

 for his labours in connection with Orchids ; to the Rev. C. P. 

 Parish, late of Moulmein, for numerous introductions of novelties ; 

 and to Mr. Seden, for his success in the hybridisation of Orchids. 

 At the afternoon meeting some discussion took place concerning 

 nomenclature, and the employment of manures for Orchids, but 

 the principal points introduced respecting the latter are men- 

 tioned in another portion of this treatise, 



Three distinguished Orchidists died in 1885, namely : Mr. R. 

 P. Percival, The Clevelands, Birkdale Road, Southport, who died 

 on December i4th. His name is celebrated in Cattleya Per. 

 civaliana, and the collection was sold by the Liverpool Horticul- 

 tural Company, February 2nd, 1886. M. Regnier, curator of the 

 Botanic Garden, Saigos, the importer of many Orchids, including 

 Calanthe Regnieri, who was killed at Pursat, Cambodge, and 

 Herr Benedict Roezl, the collector and introducer of many rare 

 South American Orchids, who died at Prague, October 14th. 



THE VALUE OF ORCHIDS. 



THE auction sales conducted at Steven's Rooms, King Street, 

 Covent Garden, for so many years, at Messrs. Protheroe's, 

 Cheapside, by the Liverpool Horticultural Company, and others, 

 have dispersed many fine collections, and have also been the 

 means of large numbers of imported orchids being placed in the 

 hands of the public. A record of these sales would afford some 



