146 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [Juty-Aucust, 1918. 
undeveloped at their first time of flowering. The Cultural Commendations 
were given to exceptionally fine specimens of Cattleya Astron, Dendrobium 
acuminatum, Epidendrum polybulbon and var. album, and Odontioda 
keighleyensis. . 
The Manchester and North of England Orchid Society had another 
successful year, and a large number of brilliant Orchids gained Certificates, 
which we have not attempted to summarise. The extent of the groups has 
naturally suffered by the abnormal conditions, but the interest is kept alive 
by a series of annual competitions, which terminate with the close of the 
session in May, when the results are announced. There has also been 
plenty of evidence of the progress made by hybridisation and selection, 
which only await the return of normal times to resume their full activity. 
A large number of new hybrids have flowered for the first time, the 
majority being further crosses among existing hybrids, raised along definite 
lines with the object of obtaining improvements in form and constitution, 
increasing the range of colour or the number of albinos, and extending the 
flowering season, in all of which steady progress is being made. Colour 
developments have been the subject of many experiments, and experience 
is being gained as to the lines along which improvement is possible, as 
among the Odontiodas, and in the further crossing of the hybrids of 
Sophronitis grandiflora with the showy Cattleyas and Leliocattleyas. The 
work is subject to many limitations, and has to be carried on with much 
care in the selection of parents so as to retain the colour improvements 
already effected. The search for yellow in the Cattleya group has been 
rewarded by at least one brilliant acquisition, in Brassocatlelia Lady 
Manningham Buller, in which the yellow of Lelia xanthina was combined 
with qualities derived from Cattleya Dowina aurea, the albino C. Mossle 
Wageneri, and Brassavola Digbyana. The immediate parents were 
Leliocattleya Ophir and Brassocattleya Veitchii Queen Alexandra, and 
the cross will doubtless be repeated, but other crosses of Le. Ophir may be 
expected to yield similar results as regards colour. It is largely a question 
of time and continued experiments. 
Losses during the year were heavy, and include the veteran Mr. 0. 0. 
Wrigley, an Orchid cultivator of fifty-five years standing, Mr. Elijah 
Ashworth, another old and enthusiastic Orchidist, and M. Oscar Fanyau, 
the raiser of the beautiful Odontonia Fanyauiana and O. Cleverleyana, # 
veteran victim of the war. Mr. William Thompson, who passed away 3 
few days before the end of the previous year, at the age of 84, left another 
great blank, for he had been an enthusiastic Orchidist, and especially . 
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