JANUARY, I911.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 3 
well-known nurserymen, and, since most of the above was written, his 
Honour Judge F. A. Philbrick, an old Orchid amateur after whom Lelio- 
cattleya Philbrickiana was named. 
THE COMING YEAR > 
is full of promise. Orchids are becoming increasingly popular, and this we 
believe is largely due to the rapid progress made in hybridising and 
selection, which has resulted in an enormous advance during the last 
decade. There are also indications of a welcome revival in the popularity 
of the wild species, which afford such abundant material to select from. 
We can look forward to the events of the coming year with confidence. It 
now remains to thank our readers for their continued support, and to invite 
their co-operation in making the ORCHID REVIEw of the widest interest and 
utility. In conclusion we Wish them all A HAPPY NEW YEAR. 
IMPORTING ORCHIDS BY POST. 
WE have several times been asked by correspondents abroad for advice as 
to the best means of packing Orchids for transmission to Europe, and have 
given a few general instructions. We have now received from Dr. Hans 
Goldschmidt, Essen-Ruhr, Germany, some particulars of a method of 
sending small parcels by post, which we believe will be read with interest, 
for with the rapid means of transit now available a good many Orchids are 
received from friends abroad. Dr. Goldschmidt has had some personal 
experience, and it will be seen from a notice on another page that he is 
desirous of obtaining plants of the Ancectochilus group, and others in 
which he is greatly interested. He has also sent a sample of the materials 
employed, which seem admirably adapted to the purpose. He writes :— 
“* The simplest and safest means of forwarding small living plants from 
tropical countries is by post as ‘sample of no value.’ I have had good 
experience, especially with the packing of Orchids of all kinds, including 
the very delicate terrestrial Orchids of the Ancectochilus group. The 
packing should be done as follows :— 
*“It is best to pack the Orchids in sawdust, which should only be slightly 
moistened. Avoid using it too wet. By no means should it be so damp 
that even a drop of moisture comes out when the packet is pressed tightly. 
Slightly moistened cocoanut fibre, or the brown fibrous earth found in the 
leaf axils of many tropical palms, can also be used instead of sawdust. The 
earth must, of course, be broken up and sifted. 
‘*The small plants are well surrounded with this material, and then 
wrapped several times in gutta-percha tissue or oiled silk, so that it is 
practically impossible for them to come into contact with the air. This 
should be tied up with string or bast, so as to make a firm parcel, and then 
wrapped in one or two layers of parchment-paper. Several plants can often 
