46 THE ORCHID REVIEW. _ [Fervary, 1915. 
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ILLIAM BRADBURY LATHAM.—This distinguished horticulturist, 
who was for thirty-five years Curator of the Birmingham Botanic 
Garden, passed away on December 17th last, within a few weeks of his 
eightieth birthday. Mr. Latham was an excellent all-round gardener, and 
very early in his career made his first acquaintance with our favourites, as 
he himself related to us when some years ago we had the pleasure of 
spending an evening with him at Edgbaston. Born on February 13th, 
1835, he commenced his gardening career thirteen years later, and at the 
age of twenty entered the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where he remained 
for two and a-half years, being employed in the Palm, Heath, Orchid, and 
Stove houses. Leaving in 1857, he went to Chatsworth, and soon after- 
wards for over a year to the Jardin des Plantes, Paris. On his return he 
‘was employed for six months in Messrs. Parker and Williams’ Nursery at 
Holloway, and afterwards for eight years head gardener to Lt.-Col. 
Perkins, Birtley Hall, Chester-le-Street, where there was a good collection 
of Orchids. He was appointed Curator of the Birmingham Botanic 
Garden in 1868, on the retirement of Mr. Catlin, and during his term of 
office carried out great improvements there. Here Mr. Latham paid some 
attention to hybridising, and in 1888 flowered Cypripedium Lathamianum, 
obtained by crossing C. Spicerianum with C. villosum. Later on C. 
edgbastonense (nitens X Chamberlainianum) and C. Deedmanianum 
(Spicerianum X Chamberlainianum) also flowered. About thirteen years 
ago Mr. Latham was awarded the Veitchian Medal for distinguished 
services to horticulture. A portrait and an interesting account of Mr. 
Latham’s other activities are given in the Gardeners’ Chronicle for December 
26th last. His remains were interred at Leighton Buzzard Cemetery on 
December 2ist. si 
JuLes Hye pE CromM.—We deeply regret to announce the death of 
M. Jules Hye de Crom, which took place on the evening of January 6th. 
The deceased was one of the oldest and most enthusiastic amateur 
Orchidists in Belgium, and has followed his favourite hobby for over thirty 
years. His name came into prominence in connection with Cypripedium 
Lawrenceanum Hyeanum, or C. Hyeanum as it was called when, in April, 
1886, it was exhibited by the Compaignie Continentale d’Horticulture, and 
received a First-class Certificate from the R.H.S. It was afterwards purchased 
by M. Hye, who was then said to have every known species and hybrid of 
Cypripedium in his collection. In October, 1889, his portrait appeared in 
the Orchtdophile, when he was described as one of the most enthusiastic 
OBITUARY. 
