36 REPOKT ON THE ORCHID CONFERENCE. 



sciously, have performed their allotted tasks for ages past, and 

 proving, by the perfection of their work, how inapt an operator 

 is man. 



I cannot conclude this paper without availing myself of this 

 opportunity of publicly expressing my personal obligation to 

 Professor Keichenbach for the great trouble he has taken in 

 examining, reporting on, and naming our various hybrids, to do 

 which has occupied much more of his valuable time than is 

 generally supposed. (Applause.) 



This paper was illustrated by a number of coloured drawings 

 showing the development of seedlings at various stages of their 

 growth, extending over some years. 



The PRESIDENT: Ladies and Gentlemen, there will be now 

 an opportunity of discussing the exceedingly interesting paper 

 we have just heard, and if anybody wishes to make any remarks 

 upon the subject, now will be the proper time. 



Dr. MASTERS, F.R.S., said : I am afraid that the number of 

 amateurs and commercial gentlemen who are present to-day will 

 have been so struck with the value of the paper we have just 

 heard read that they will think there is nothing left for the 

 botanist to say ; but I hope you will allow me to say that I have 

 listened to that paper with the utmost admiration. I have been 

 much struck by its value, and the number of facts brought 

 forward in it, many of them of surpassing interest, renders it one 

 of the very finest papers ever delivered before this Society. 

 (Hear, hear.) I am anxious to say this at once, and not to go 

 into any points of detail, because they are far too numerous to be 

 discussed on this occasion. The only contribution I would make 

 in the way of discussion is this, that amongst the hundreds and 

 thousands of Orchid seeds I have seen, not one- tenth have been 

 perfect ; and this is the reason in all probability why so few of 

 them have germinated under Mr. Veitch's care. The ordinary 

 Orchid seed is a really circular or elliptical bag or membrane, 

 and in the centre of it there is a very small, almost microscopical, 

 germ, and in not one-tenth of the seeds is this little germ present. 

 I merely now wish to repeat that Mr. Veitch's paper is one of 

 the grandest ever delivered before the Royal Horticultural 

 Society. (Applause.) 



The PRESIDENT then rose and said : Ladies and (Gentlemen, 

 Mr. Veitch mentioned my name as one of those who have had 

 some experience as hybridizers, and I can entirely corroborate, 



