JiNE 2, 1910. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



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GREAT BOSTON 



ORCHID SHOW 



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i^pS. 



THE FIRST IN AMERICA. 



One of the Largest Ever Held. 



Tlie great exhibition of orchids un- 

 <U'V the auspices of the Massachusetts 

 llditicultural Society, Boston, looked 

 fill ward to for about two years, has 

 iiiiw gone over into history and will 

 live long as a most remarkable dis- 

 |ihiy of those aristocrats of the floral 

 kingdom. Nothing like it has ever 

 been seen in America and few orchid 

 ilisplays in the world have approached 

 it in magnitude. Such adjectives as 

 " hewildering, " "overwhelming" and 

 •'immense" were commonly heard, 

 even from those who are orchid grow- 

 ers and fanciers. The exhibition set 

 M high mark, one which will be diflfi- 

 iiilt to even approximate for years to 

 I'iime. 



The end of May, selected as the 

 most suitable date to accommodate the 

 largest exhibitors, is a little late in the 

 treason to draw crowds such as can 

 l)e had at a winteF or spring show, and 

 in the event of such a show being 

 held again, as is not improbable, the 

 early part of the month might advan- 

 tageously be selected. Still, from the 

 munber of genera and species on ex- 

 hibition, the end of May proved a popu- 

 lar date, although coming so near Me- 

 morial day made it difficult for many 

 in the trade to attend it. 



John K. M. L. Farquhar, chairman of 

 tlio ])rize8 and exhibitions committee, 

 ind Robert Cameron, manager of the 

 t'xhibition, put in an immense amount 

 ot hard work and deserve hearty com- 

 mendation for the admirable manner 

 ill which everything was arranged. The 



resources of Horticultural hall were 

 taxed to accommodate all the exhibits, 

 even though the number of exhibitors 

 was not large, and some had to be 

 staged in the basement. 



The Thousand-Dollar Class. 



Of course the keenest interest at- 

 tached to the competition for the group 

 covering 400 square feet of space. For 

 this there were five entries, but one 

 withdrew, leaving four competitors, 

 all of whom put up superb groups. The 

 one with which the Julius Roehrs Co. 

 won the blue ribbon of the show, the 

 .$1,000 cash prize and a gold medal, was 

 one of the most artistic and impressive 

 orchid exhibits ever staged. A huge 

 Dicksonia in the center was clothed 

 with magnificent odontoglossiims of 

 such varieties as O. cnspum, I'escatorei, 

 album, eximium, Ossaltonii, Wilckea- 

 num, brilliantissima, aspersum and 

 others. On the walls, running up to a 

 height of fifteen feet, were quantities 

 of other odontoglossums, Phalaenopsis 

 amabilis, P. Rimestadtiana, Dendro- 

 bium thyrsiflorum and other graceful 

 varieties. Over the delightfully un- 

 dulating surface of the group the 

 orchids Avere largely arranged in 

 groups, with choice or handsome speci- 

 mens given well elevated jtositions. 



Among the wealth of choice and 

 beautiful subjects noted were: Odontio- 

 das Vuylstekia', Dradshawice and luditis, 

 Brasso-Cattleyas Queen Alexandra and 

 Maroni, beraitiful batches of the pure 

 white dendrobiums Dearie and nobile 

 virginalis, Cypripediums Rossetti, 

 Maudiae, callosum Sanderu , caudatum 

 and Lawrenceanum Hyeanum, a hand- 



some lot of Oncidium ampliatum majus, 

 several plants of the chaste pure white 

 cattleya, Dusseldorfia? Undine, C. Mos- 

 sia) Reineckiana, C. Mendellii alba, C. 

 intermedia alba, the pure white C. 

 Mossiaj Gravesiana, C. Mossia; Mrs. 

 Julius Roehrs, Lailio-Cattleyas Fascina- 

 tor and luminosa, numerous miltonias, 

 excellent trichopiiias and other varie- 

 ties embracing about everv genus 

 flowering at this season. Cattleyas, 

 such as gigas, Mossia^, Mendellii and 

 Gaskelliaua, were shown in large num- 

 bers, but the odontoglossums were the 

 commanding feature of this wonderful 

 group. A separate gold medal was 

 awarded to the interesting group of 

 brasso-cattlevas. 



Charles Q'. Roebling. Trenton, N. J., 

 James Goodier gardener, put up an en 

 tirel}- difi'erent group in the lecture 

 hall, of nearly square formation, with 

 pagoda-like entrances on each side, the 

 arches being covered with drooping 

 orchids, asparagus, etc., and the benches 

 sloping on the outside to the ground. 

 It contained an immense assortment of 

 orchids, including many rare and valua- 

 ble varieties. Lager & Hurrell, who 

 secured third prize, had an artistic 

 group containing thirty-one genera and 

 over 200 varieties. It gave a good 

 representation of a South American 

 jungle, with a charming ravine with 

 waterfall effects. The most eagerly 

 scanned and valuable plant in the en- 

 tire show, Cattleya gigas alba, carry- 

 ing four of its large, pure white flow- 

 ers, was the gem of this group. Some 

 other good things noted were Epi-Cat- 

 tleya Nebo, Lailio-Cattleya G. S. Ball, 

 Vanda Amesiana, Miltonia Bleuana, 

 Cattleya Mossia- Reineckiana and C. 

 intermedia alba, Miltonia flavescens, 

 splendid specimens of Dendrobinm 

 thyrsiflorum, Phaltt'noi)sis Rimestadt- 

 iana and many other good things. 



W. A. Manda. by means of large 

 mirrors at the back of his group and 

 another to |)roduce water effect, put up 

 a group which, while lacking in the 

 variety of the other groups, showed 

 great taste and was more satisfying in 

 many ways than any other group in the 

 hall. The tree trunks clothed with cat- 

 tleyas were excellent. In this way 



Group of Julius Roehrs Co., Winner of the Gold Medat and Thousand-dollar Premium at the Boston Orcfiid Show. 



