ORCHID PRICES 



Some yesirs ago Mr. Ballantine, who has charge of 

 Baron Schroder's peerless collection, made some 

 remarks iip<m the beauty and value of CypriiKclium 

 Sandcrcc, which were published in the Pall Mall 

 Gazette. The comments of that lively journal 

 tempted me to write a coujjle of letters in explana- 

 tion which may properly be quoted here. In the 

 lirst place, they contain some facts of general 

 interest ; in the second, they point the moral 

 thereof 



" Sir, — Mr. Ballantine is modest in describing 

 Clip. Sanderce as ' finer by far than any other 

 " Lady's Slipper " known,' and his estimate of one 

 thousand guineas should be understood as a con- 

 ventional phrase for priceless (1894). But the true 

 story of the plant is more interesting than that you 

 have heard, and not less dramatic. I chanced to 

 be at St. Albans when it opened, and we have not 

 nearly reached the last chapter. 



" Messrs. Sander had imported a vast quantity of 

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