14 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
exhibitor who, in two successive years, should gain the highest number of 
marks. Mr. Veitch was the winner on the first occasion, and Mr. James 
Anderson on the second. 
About this time Mr. Bateman commenced his Monograph of Odonto- 
glossum, which was completed in 1874, and was dedicated to the Princess of 
Wales. It contains 30 beautiful plates, with an introductory essay, in which 
the early struggles of Cool Orchid growing is graphically depicted, the 
author describing how for years Orchid growers persisted in the “ incredible 
folly of growing Cool Orchids in hot stoves,’’ which resulted in their culture 
being regarded as hopeless. 
Mr. Bateman had a strange antipathy to hybrids, and some of our readers 
doubtless remember his characteristic speech on the subject at the Orchid 
Conference at South Kensington in 1885, and how Mr. Veitch soon after- 
wards dedicated to him the beautiful Sophrocattleya x Batemaniana. 
This aversion he never entirely overcame, for almost on the last occasion 
when the writer had the pleasure of seeing him he, pointing to a beautiful 
Cypripedium venustum, remarked ‘‘ the hybridists are spoiling these plants.” 
When the present work was commenced he wrote, ‘‘ I never had a more 
agreeable Xmas greeting than the announcement of the Orchid Review, which 
I heartily hope may flourish in your hands,” but the “ History of Orchid 
Hybridisation ” proved a thorny subject to him, for a little over a year 
later he wrote “‘ I am not interested in hybrids.” 
In 1885 he was awarded one of the Veitch Memorial Medals, and the 
presentation was made at the Royal Horticultural Society’s meeting on 
June 11th by Sir Trevor Lawrence, who alluded to the recipient’s work in 
eulogistic terms. Mr. Bateman was interested in other plants besides 
Orchids but these are outside our special province. He has been well 
described as “‘ one of the most remarkable men in the horticultural world 
which the century has seen,” and although he has not appeared much in 
public of late years he retained his interest in his favourites to the last. 
WILLIAM GREY, gardener to the late Hon. Erastus Corning, of Albany, 
N.Y., U.S.A., passed away after a long illness of dropsy of the heart on 
November 25th last. _ Deceased was born in Greenlaw, Scotland, on 
February 12th, 1828. He went to America in 1851, and after holding several 
important positions engaged as superintendent to Mr. Corning, where he 
remained until his death, nearly forty years, surviving his employer less 
than three months. The Corning collection was at one time the finest in 
the United States, embracing 2,300 species and varieties and many fine 
hybrids, part of which were raised on the grounds, 
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