OcTOBER, 1912.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 291 
will surely be conceded that an exhibitor’s own handiwork should receive 
a little more recognition than appears to obtain at present. I would 
venture the suggestion that a special medal be struck and awarded to groups 
in which all, or a considerable portion, of the things shown are of the 
authenticated raising of the exhibitor, and I trust that this proposal may 
receive the consideration of the Council of the R.H.S. As things are at 
present a hybridist has his opportunity of gaining an Award of Merit or (in 
very rare instances) a First-class Certificate for an individual subject placed 
before the Committee, and, if he perseveres, and is fairly successful, he may, 
perhaps, at the age of seventy-five or thereabouts, obtain the coveted 
V.M.H., and I think the time has now come when some further form of 
encouragement should be offered to induce people to take up and labour 
at this beneficient science. To encourage and foster to the utmost in its 
power work of this kind is surely one of the principal objects for which the 
Royal Horticultural Society exists. A step in the right direction I have 
indicated will cost the Society nothing, and will be an immense stimulus 
to a number of people who are at present just amusing their spare moments. 
The chance of some tangible recognition of their labour will cause them to 
take up the subject in real earnest, and the result will tend to strengthen 
and popularise the very good work that the Royal Horticultural Society 
has done and is doing.” 
There may be something in the suggestion, but we cannot think that 
«« Progressive’? has paid much attention to Orchids during his frequent 
visits to these meetings. Judging by the constant stream of novelties 
exhibited, we should not describe such achievements as the work of a 
number of people who are just amusing their spare moments. Nor do they 
appear to stand much in need of some stimulus to further effort. 
A communication respecting the Odontoglossum disease whose history 
was given at pp. 267-269 suggests a little misconception as to its develop- 
ment. Cercospora Odontoglossi is a perfectly definite organism, which 
develops from a spore, and passes through a regular cycle of existence, 
ultimately producing a crop of spores for a new generation, and unless 
these spores are present it cannct possibly develop. It is not a question of 
good or bad culture; the under surface of the leaf of a well-cultivated 
Odontoglossum crispum furnishes just as good a seed bed for its develop- 
ment as a badly-cultivated one, and, of course, every injury to an Odonto- 
glossum leaf must not be attributed to the presence of the Cercospora. It 
js something to have definitely identified the organism, and it would now 
be interesting to trace the phases of its life history. Orchidists, however, 
will probably be more concerned how to get rid of it than to cultivate it. 
