JUNE, 1922.] THE ORCHID REVI. 177 
THE R.H.S. SPRING SHOW OF 25 YEARS AGO. 
TWENTY-FIVE years ago the Royal Horticultural Society, held its 
tenth Spring Show in the Temple Gardens. Of all the floral 
events of the year the. Temple Show was considered by far the most 
important, and horticulturists from all parts of England, as well as from the 
Continent, visited it in large numbers. The enthusiasm then was quite as 
great as that witnessed in the more recent and much larger shows held at 
Chelsea. How considerable has been the advance made in the breeding 
of Orchids is not always realised by the younger generation of amateurs. 
They admire the hybrids as they see them, and not as improvements on the 
original forms. But anyone with upwards of twenty years’ experience will 
readily agree that-vast strides towards the perfection of the hybrid Orchid 
have been made, and that the future will see still further advances. 
Well, let us go back to the Temple Show of 1897. The President of 
the Society, Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., exhibited a selection of rare species 
from his celebrated collection, among them being the charming Epidendrum 
Endresii, with its descendants E. endresio-Wallisii and E. elegantulum. 
Odontoglossum excellens, a natural hybrid between. Pescatorei and 
triumphans, was a feature of the group, for artificially raised hybrids in the 
genus were then almost unknown. Sir Fred. Wigan and Baron Sir H. 
Schréder also exhibited fine groups, but the only Odontoglossum hybrids. 
contained therein were varieties of O. Wilckeanum and O. Andersonianum, 
both of which were obtained from importation of O. crispum from 
Colombia. But O. Wilckeanum when well grown is quite a showy thing, 
aS was proved by the two plants of it in Mr. W. Thompson's oe with 
sixteen and twenty flowers, respectively. This Staffordshire exhibitor also 
Staged a fine variety of O. excellens, and to which an Award of Merit was 
given. An amateur from still further north was Mr. F. Hardy, of Ashton- 
on-Mersey, who exhibited a splendid variety of Cattleya Schilleriana, which 
received a First-class Certificate. Mr. E. Ashworth, of Harefiéld Hall, 
Wilmslow, received a similar award for L. purpurata Ashworthiana, 
while an Award of Merit was given to L. purpurata fastuosa shown 
by Mr. A, Warburton, of Haslingden. Another well-known amateur 
exhibitor was Mr. R. Ashworth, of Manchester, who staged Odontoglossum 
€xcellens, which obtained an Award of Merit, while from the same district 
Mr, T. Statter showed Cypripedium conco-bellatulum, and received a 
Similar award. The Duke of Sutherland sent from Trentham, a grand 
form of O, crispum, with a spike of thirteen Howers, the largest four and : 
half inches across. But where are these northern exhibitors to-day : 
True, they have the Manchester Orchid Society near at hand, but their 
exhibits would be greatly welcomed in London. Let us hope when normal 
