JANUARY, 1918.) THE ORCHID REVIEW. y 
| 2 Eee ray? 
Ay THE ORCHID REVIE AND ITS EDITOR. Oe 
HEN, a quarter of a century ago, the first number of the Orchid 
Review appeared, there were people who prophecied a very short life 
to a journal devoted entirely to the interests of so specialised an industry. 
The fact that it has continued over this period, and is still carrying on after 
three and a-half years of the Great War, is sufficient evidence of the part it 
has filled in the affections of the Orchidophiles, to whom it has long been 
the guide, philosopher, and friend. To its pages one may turn when in 
search of information on any point, whether as regards cultural or 
historical details, nomenclature, or other matters, with the assurance that 
the subject will be treated in a concise, authoritative, but, withal, interesting 
manner. Before the advent of the Review Orchid lovers had to be content 
with a Jiterature sandwiched here and there among a multitude of horti- 
cultural matters in general, with a corresponding difficulty of consulting it 
afterwards. In this connection the projected general index to the twenty- 
five volumes will be invaluable. 
It is little difficult to pick out from such a wealth of material the out- 
standing contributions to Orchid literature. One may, however, instance, 
The History of Orchid Hybridisation, which was the leading feature of the 
first volume, the History of Orchid Cultivation, which commenced in the 
succeeding one, the series of papers on Natural Hybrid Odontoglossums | 
and the histories of many of the more important garden Orchids 
which have appeared from time to time. The series of articles on the 
Evolution of the Orchidacez and the Mechanism of Heredity have also 
been features of the more recent volumes. Among the articles that have 
always appealed to the writer, as containing sound instruction, occasionally 
not unmixed with amusement, have been those appearing under the titles 
‘“ Dies Orchidiani” and ‘‘ Our Note Book,” for the subjects selected have 
always been topical, and the way they have been presented has given quite 
a character to the work. Even such an intricate and elusive subject as 
Mendelism has been rendered almost intelligible. 
One herculean task which its Editor set itself from its inception was to 
clear up the confusion in hybrid nomenclature which was the inevitable 
concomitant of the rapid development of Orchid hybridisation. This 
ultimately led to the publication of the Orchid Stud-Book, in the compilation 
of which the Editor was associated with Mr. C. C. Hurst, a work which 
showed how numerous were the hybrids that had been saddled with several 
different names. The work entailed must have been tremendous, and 
several useful Addenda have since appeared in the Review. We hope fora 
continuance in the future. 
