18 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [JANUARY, 1906 
end of January in a house where Primulas are happy. A clump exhibited 
by him, in 1894, bore seven long spikes of flowers, from thirteen to fourteen 
each, of the deepest blue, and in some cases touching five inches across—a 
very picture of loveliness. The secret—if secret there be—he considered 
was “‘air; abundance of it whenever possible, with sufficient moisture in 
the atmosphere to counteract the excessive drying caused by ventilation.” 
What we believe this plant particularly resents is close warm treatment, 
particularly when it should be at rest, this being totally at variance with its 
native climate. In the Khasia Hills it grows at a slightly lower elevation 
than Cypripedium insigne, and Sir Joseph Hooker remarks: ‘‘ The dry 
grassy hills which it inhabits are elevated 3,000 feet to 4,000 feet; the 
trees are small, gnarled, and very sparingly leafy, so that the Vanda which 
grows on their limbs is fully exposed to sun, rain, and wind. There is no 
moss or lichen on the branches with the Vanda, whose roots sprawl over 
the rough bark. The atmosphere is, on the whole, humid, and extremely 
so during the rains; but there is no damp heat or stagnation of the air, and 
at the flowering season the temperature ranges between 60° and 80°, there 
is much sunshine, and both air and bark are dry during the day. In July 
and August, during the rains, the temperature is a Jittle higher than above, 
but in winter it falls much lower, and hoar frost forms on the ground.” 
“In the Shan States it also grows at about 5,000 feet elevation, in what 
is described as a temperate climate, averaging about 80° in summer to a few 
degrees below freezing point in the winter.” 
These facts should afford a very useful guide to the culture of this 
beautiful autumn-flowering Orchid. 
OBITUARY. 
JoHN CarpDER.—It is with great regret that we have to announce the 
death, on December 7th last, of Mr. John Carder, the well-known Orchid 
collector. The deceased gentleman was for some years collector for the 
late Mr. William Bull, of Chelsea, and through his agency many Masde- 
vallias and other interesting Orchids were introduced to cultivation. After 
that he was for some time in partnership with Mr. Shuttleworth, the former 
continuing to collect Orchids, and particularly Odontoglossums, his name 
becoming famous for a fine type of the popular O. crispum. This business. 
being abandoned, Mr. Carder continued to import O. crispum on his own 
account, and was engaged in the work right up to the last. He was in the 
City on Friday, December 4th, apparently in his usual health, but on the 
following Monday morning passed away rather suddenly at his residence at 
‘Wood Green. He was highly esteemed by a wide circle of Orchidists. 
His name is commemorated in Masdevallia Carderi, one of his earlier 
introductions. 
