ORCHID CONFERENCE. 61 



plants, and everything around their plants, let me finish with a 

 few observations as to the cost of the plants. 



THE COST OF ORCHIDS. 



On this head it may safely be said that never were good 

 showy Orchids to be obtained at more convenient prices, and 

 that the present regulation of supply and demand, while pre- 

 senting to the wealthy collector rare plants for which he must 

 pay well, at the same time offer to him who finds a congenial 

 pastime in tending his one or two little houses of Orchids, 

 plenty of beautiful things as well within the reach of his purse 

 as any ordinary plant would be. Indeed, good things are 

 cheaper now than ever they were, and with the exception of a 

 few very high prices, those realized now-a-days are not the 

 outcome of a new Orchid craze, as a comparison with former 

 prices will prove. 



Bare things, according to the esteem in which they are held 

 in their day, have always commanded good prices. In March, 

 1846, at a sale of Guatemalan Orchids at Steven s's, Ccelia 

 macrostachya realized 10 to 12 10s. ; Barkeria spectabilis, 5 

 to 17 each; Epidendrum Stamfordiamim , 5 guineas; Lfflia 

 superbiens, 13 to 15 ; Morrnodes and Epidendrums, 5 to 10 

 guineas each, and Arpophyllums, 10 to 15 each ; the 168 lots 

 realizing 600. In 1845, D. aqueum fetched 10 a plant, and 

 later on D. formosum 15 guineas, other dendrobes, 10 to 12 

 each ; Oncidium macranthiim, 5 to 8 each. In 1847, the 

 imported plants of Vanda Loicii fetched from 10 to 25 each ; 

 Aerides maculosum, 20 ; A. crispum, 21 ; A. odoratum, 16, and 

 others equally high prices ; Mrs. Lawrence, the Earl of Derby, 

 Mr. Backer, and Mr. Schroder being the principal buyers. 

 Notes taken at the same period also tell us that errors of 

 description were more frequent in former times than in ours. 

 A nsellia Africana is described as having immense sprays of hand- 

 some flowers each as large as a tulip, and in another case the 

 auctioneer is entrusted with the sale of a bright scarlet vanda ! 



It will, therefore, be seen that ever since Orchids were 

 introduced they could command prices according to their beauty 

 or rarity, and so no doubt it will continue to be. Let us hope 

 that the now great facilities for obtaining handsome things, 

 formerly very expensive, may, with the aid of the display of 

 their beauties at this Conference, induce many new growers to 



