\ 
THE ORCHID REVIEW. 13] 
is now carried out in other places. Sir Michael Foster was lucky in 
hybridising Iris, and very often he adopted the two specific names, or a 
portion of the two names. Iris Monspur was a cross between I. Monnieri 
and I. spurius. To a certain extent this principle works fairly well; but I 
really think that we should go further to the root of the matter, and do 
away with the Latin names altogether for hybrids and garden plants. I 
think if we passed the resolution adopted by the Narcissus Committee, only 
making it apply to all plants, we should meet the case.” 
Does Mr. Burbidge then ask us to believe that the use of Latin names 
is responsible for the fact that the origin of many early hybrids has been 
lost, and that all confusion will vanish at the touch of his magic wand? 
If so, he is very optimistic. I have already discussed the use of the 
vernacular pretty fully, and have shown that it is the cause of more con- 
fusion than the much maligned Latin names. The causes of our deplorable 
ignorance on the history of some of our early hybrids is due to very 
different causes, and the remedy lies in quite another direction, as I have 
already pointed out. 
‘“Cumbrous names are an ‘unmitigated nuisance, whether they refer to 
Orchids, persons, or aught else, and anything that can be done to reduce 
such to reasonable limits must necessarily be an improvement.”—Gard, 
Mag., April 7, p. 206. This is not a comment on my last month’s remarks, 
but it might have been, and the sentiment is so admirable that I would fain 
annex it. 
The late Mr. B. S. Williams many years ago wrote an excellent series 
of articles entitled ‘‘ Orchids for the Million,” which ultimately developed 
into his excellent Orchid Growers’ Manual. But in his wildest flights of 
imagination it is doubtful if he ever dreamed of seeing Orchids distributed 
in penny packets. I have, however, received a Catalogue bearing the 
legend :— 
«* All seeds, from Orchids to Mustard and Cress, in penny packets.” 
I naturally turned to the contents for further particulars, and find them 
stated as follows :— 
“ Orchids, greenhouse, greenhouse plants, 1 foot high, 25 seeds, many 
- grand kinds, one penny.” 
Should anyone feel disposed to experiment in this direction I hope he 
will let me know the result, for this is a step towards the popularization of 
Orchid growing which I had hardly anticipated, 
| ARGUS. 
