The Culture of Greenhouse Orchids 



their customers, they sent one half to public 

 auction, when Baron Schroder bought it for 72 

 guineas. The other half they designed to keep 

 and propagate. But Mr. Measures, of Streatham, 

 a very great collector, would not be refused, and 

 presently he secured this half for 100 guineas. 

 The year following he cut it in two, selling one 

 piece to his brother, also a great amateur, for 

 100 guineas; next year cut what remained into 

 three, sold one portion for 100 guineas to 

 whom, I forget kept one, and sold back the 

 third to Messrs. Sander for 250 guineas. This is 

 the true tale. Baron Schroder's piece has never 

 been mutilated. As you say, it is ' indescribable 

 and incomparable.' 



"I may cite a few other instances. The case of 

 Cyp. Stonei platytcenium is, perhaps, the only 

 parallel to this, but a volume would not exhaust 

 our orchid legends. That plant also came un- 

 announced, in a consignment of the ordinary Cyp. 

 Stonei. Sir Hugh Low cherishes a fond fancy that 

 he sent it from Borneo in one of his parcels, but 

 the record is lost. Platytcenium made its appear- 

 ance in the collection of Mr. Day at Tottenham 

 assuredly he paid but a few pence for it. At the 

 sale of his plants in 1880, two small bits were put 

 up : Sir Trevor Lawrence bought one for 147 ; 



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