356 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
OBITUARY. 
Mr. JAMES CyPHER.—We regret to hear of the death of Mr. James 
Cypher, of the Queen’s Road Nurseries, Cheltenham, which occurred on 
November Ist! The deceased was in his 74th year. Mr. Cypher was born 
at Tetbury, Gloucestershire, on December 31st, 1827, and when still a 
young man was appointed head gardener to Miss Savage, of that place, and 
in her service became one of the leading local exhibitors of plants. At her 
death, some time in the early sixties, he commenced business on his own 
account, on what was at that time nothing more than disused clay-pits, but 
which under his energy and skilful management gradually developed into a 
most prosperous business undertaking. The culture of Orchids was added 
to the business, and of late years has become guite a speciality, Mr. Cypher’s 
success as a grower and exhibitor being well known. The Dendrobiums 
may perhaps be selected for special mention, his success with these plants 
being remarkable, and it may be added that his methods of treatment were 
given in a paper read before the Birmingham and Midland Counties 
Gardeners’ Association in 1895, and published in these pages, being also 
repeated at pp. 107-109 of the present volume. 
Mr. Cypher, who had been twice married, lost his first wife in 1863, and 
his second wife in February last. Soon afterwards he showed signs of fail- 
ing health, and for the last few months had been steadily declining, though 
he retained an interest in everything up to thelast. He was elected to the 
Cheltenham Town Council in 1895, and re-elected in 1898, and it has been 
mentioned as a pathetic circumstance that his second term of office only 
expired the day before his death. He was also a member of the Cheltenham 
Board of Guardians from 1884 until April last, when he retired. He was 
interred at Cheltenham on November 4th, in the presence of a large 
number of friends, and many beautiful wreaths were sent by the leading 
residents. He leaves two sons and three daughters to mourn his loss. The 
business has been managed for some years by his son-in-law, Mr. John Cypher. 
Mr. A. H. SmMee.—Orchidology has suffered another loss in the death of 
Mr. A. H. Smee, The Grange, Hackbridge, near Carshalton, which took 
place at his residence on November 8th. Deceased was the son of Mr. Alfred 
Smee, the author of that well-known and valuable work, My Garden, and 
on the death of the father the possession of the famous garden described 
descended to the son, who, not only maintained its reputation, but enhanced 
it by the addition of a most interesting and representative collection of 
Orchids, which, a few years ago, we had the pleasure of inspecting. 
Tt contained, not only the usual showy kinds, but a large number 
of botanical species, and among the former may be mentioned a fine 
series of Cattleya Mossize varieties, in which Mr. Smee took a great interest- 
