] 
It is worthy of note that one year he earried off all the first prizes for Orchids 
at the London shows, in competition with Mr. Hanbury, Mrs. Lawrence, and 
others, who owned the premier Orchid collections at that time. 
His name will be handed down the vistas of time to future’ generations 
associated with Orchids—the Royal family of plants; to their study and cultivation 
the most important part of his active life was devoted with a zeal and enthusiasm 
that knew no bounds, because his whole soul was wrapt up therein. He _ excelled 
in this department on account of his wide and varied experience and extensive 
knowledge, and became a frequent exhibitor of these gorgeous flowers at the 
London Shows, and that, too, with marked success. He always maintained that 
— 
single specimens made the best plants for exhibition purposes, and were far in 
advance of made-up plants. 
The great event of his life was the foundation of the present business, which 
he commenced in partnership with Mr. Robert Parker, in the Seven Sisters toad, 
Holloway, in 1854, and continued until the year 1861, when the partnership was 
dissolved by mutual consent; Mr. Parker establishing himself at Tooting, and 
devoting his attention to the cultivation of hardy plants. Mr. Williams then removed 
to the premises where the business is now conducted, at Upper Holloway, where 
we were recently taken into partnership with him. The success which he achieved 
here is well known, and through his indomitable energy and perseverance the firm 
enjoys a world-wide reputation for the excellence of their plants and seeds. He 
was a continuous exhibitor of Orchids and other plants at all the principal London, 
Manchester, and other provincial shows, as well as at all the most important shows 
on the Continent and in America, in every instance honourably maintaining his 
reputation, and coming off with ecldé. 
In 1851, at the suggestion of Dr. Lindley, he wrote a series of articles for 
the Gardeners’ Chronicle, entitled ‘Orchids for the Million.” These articles were 
re-published in an amplified form in the first edition of the Orchid Growers’ Manual, 
a work which has since passed through six editions ; the last of which has been 
entirely remodelled and revised, and is now considered the standard work on Orchids, 
besides being the most complete work on the subject ever published. In addition 
to this, he published his work on Choice Stove and Greenhouse Plants, in two 
volumes, also a work on Select Ferns, all of which have passed through several 
editions, and have found a ready sale, which is steadily increasing. In addition to 
this, he wrote the cultural notes for Select Orchidaceous Plants of Mr. Robert 
Warner, which was commenced in 1862, and is still unfinished. 
In 1881 he commenced his magnum opus—the Orcuip ALBUM—which was 
projected with the idea of supplying a demand for illustrations of Orchidaceous 
plants, with botanical descriptions of the plants figured, notes on their cultivation, 
and such general observations concerning them as might be likely to prove of 
interest or utility to Orchid growers. The work was dedicated by special per- 
mission to H.R.H. The Princess of Wales. Its appearance was hailed with great 
satisfaction in horticultural circles throughout the world, and it numbers amongst 
its subseribers nearly all lovers of Orchids and many of our leading and most 
