RECOLLECTIONS, 1865-70. 57 



them to me. Now, said Grey, so that you cannot re- 

 pair the blunder you have done, send ns that ^Erides 

 for $40, and $20 you have had for the Vanda, will 

 make your loss lighter. Mr. Corning has told ine, as 

 soon as that plant produces an offset we will give it to 

 you. And, mind ; nobody at that time knew what it 

 would be until it bloom. Now, if I was asked how 

 long it was before it bloom, I could not tell to save my 

 life. From the time the plant left me until 1880, all 

 is confusion in my mind. All I know is what our 

 friend Grey has told me, that they gave me a plant ; 

 but when, I can't tell. But it must be, because in 

 1873 I sold a plant to Mr. K S. Rand, who is now at 

 Para, Brazil, but who lived in Boston then ; and I sold 

 that plant without knowing it was Yanda Corn- 

 ingiana ! ! You sold a plant without knowing what 

 it was? Yes! Well, it is carrying the jokes a little 

 too far. It seems so ; I admit it. It will be a little 

 lengthy to explain, but I cannot avoid explanation, or 

 else everybody would call me an idiot, if nothing else. 

 In 1873 Mr. Rand bought a Yanda snarls. He picked, 

 selected it himself, among a few plants. I had the 

 plant in the shed to be packed, with all the other ones 

 he had selected, orchids and other plants, when my 

 wife came and looked at them, especially to the Vanda 

 he had selected, and told me, you are not going to send 

 that to Mr. Rand ? It is a mean looking plant. It 



