Fesruary, 1906.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 35 
succeeds in growing them well, which is all the more to his credit. But he 
sometimes fails, and thus demonstrates that Nature’s way is not the wrong 
way after all. His success also proves much the same thing, although he 
may be unconscious of the fact, for it isa trite saying that the grower does 
not change the nature of a plant by merely cultivating it. Hybrids and 
races of garden origin, of course, do not affect the argument. 
The recent remarks by Mrs. Thwaites and M. F. Denis under the head 
of “Curiosities of Hybridisation” are very interesting, and I hope others 
will contribute something from the rich stores of their experience. There 
must be. piles of unrecorded experiments from which something useful could 
be learnt. 
I note with interest that the Royal Horticultural Society have arranged 
another Hybridisation Conference, or “Conference on Plant Breeding,” to 
be held from July 30th to August 3rd next, and the importance of the sub- 
ject may be gauged from the fact that the programme extends over five 
days, including the date of one of the usual fortnightly meetings. Orchids 
are likely to be well represented, and the event will be looked forward to 
with unusual interest. 
A correspondent sends me an amusing newspaper cutting headed “ An 
Orchid like a Bulldog” :—‘‘ The most remarkable flower in the hall was 
an Orchid exhibited by Major Holford, which experts likened to a bulldog. 
It was awarded a First-class Certificate. Its name is Cypripedium Alcibi- 
ades magnificum. 
“Tts bulldog likeness lay in its squat, heavy-jowled appearance. ‘ The 
squareness of its dorsal and inferior sepal,’ said an expert, ‘and the petals 
being so broad make it an almost perfectly round flower——-a most remark- 
able thing in an Orchid.’ ” 
How’s that for a description ? ; 
ARGUs. 
sibatace se Lee, 
ODONTOGLOSSUMS, PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. 
Tuis is the title of an interesting article in the Gardeners’ Chronicle for 
January 27th from the pen of Mr. De Barri Crawshay (p. 49). The author 
remarks that the taste in Odontoglossums has changed of late years, the 
heavily blotched forms now being the most sought after, whereas formerly 
the fine unspotted forms were considered the more beautiful. From 1880 
to 1885 the natural hybrids were much in vogue, the rosy and coloured 
