ORCHID AMATEURS OF THE PAST. 129 



advantage of the commercial facilities of the town and by its 

 intercourse with the New World have introduced from thence its 

 most beautiful productions."* One was Mrs. Moss, of Otterspool, 

 whose name is commemorated in tiie popular (Jattleija Mossice. The 

 other was Mrs. Horsfall, after whom was named the beautiful Iporacea 

 Horsfallice by Sir William Hooker. 



During the period 1830 — 40 was formed the celebrated collection 

 of Earl Fitzwilliatn at Wentvvorth VVoodhouse, near Rotherham, 

 already referred to.f The genus Miltonia commemorates the great 

 services rendered to Natural History by that nobleman. Also the 

 still more celebrated one at Chatsworth, for many years superintended 

 by Mr. (afterwards Sir Joseph) Paxton. Ci/iiihidinm Vevonianum, 

 Dendrohhim Devonianmu, Galeandra Devoniana will carry the memory 

 of the Duke of Devonshire who formed it, far into the future. On a 

 more modest scale than these was that of the Rev. J. T. Huntley 

 in Huntingdonshire, whose name is preserved in the section Huntleya 

 of Zygopetalura. One of the motives for taking up the cultivation 

 of orchids was peculiarly his own and is tlms expressed by Mr. 

 Bateman — " he liked the plants because those fiends, the hybridisers, 

 could not touch them.";}: 



In friendly correspondence with Mr. Huntley and, in fact, with most 

 orchid cultivators of note of that period was Mr. Bateman himself, 

 the most accomplished amateur of his time, the patriarch of " Orchid 

 Worthies" and still providentially with us, but who has long since 

 given up the cultivation of his favourites. It was his intention to 

 have written a short sketch of his career as a cultivator of orchids 

 for this work, but the infirmities of age have rendered its fulfilment 

 impossible; the loss of his personal narrative will be deplored by 

 eveiy lover of orchids, whilst the cause of it cannot fail to awaken 

 the warmest sympathy. In a letter to Mr. Veitch, dated Friday 

 (March 9th, 1891-), he writes:— 



" I gladly undertook to send you some of my acta as an orchid 

 grower, but alas, I find it cannot be done. A year ago I found 

 myself compelled to give up writing for a Protestant newspaper on 

 account of jiains in the head caused therel)y, and I now find a similar 



* Bot. Mag. sub. 3669 (1839). 

 t See p. 118. 



X Orchid Confurence, Journ. of Royal Hort. Soc. p. 49. It is needless to conjecture what 

 his views would have been had he been spared so long as his friend Mr. Bateman. 



