4 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [JANUARY, 1908 
to be made, and a large number of Orchidists will doubtless be present.. 
Our own exhibitions will remain much as usual, and hybridists may have 
some surprises in store. There are also signs of awakening interest in some 
of the remarkable species of Orchids which have been too much neglected 
of late. The future is full of promise, and we hope and believe that our 
correspondents will have more interesting matters to report than even last 
year. Such help is greatly appreciated, and give increased interest to our 
pages and satisfaction to our readers, to all of whom we wish A HAPPY NEW: 
YEAR AND INCREASED PROSPERITY TO THEIR COLLECTIONS. 
ORCHIDS AT THE SHRUBBERY, OXFORD. 
My visit to the collection of F. M. Ogilvie, Esq., at The Shrubbery, Oxford, 
took place during the latter half of November, the Cypripedium insigne- 
being then at their best. These with the other things in flower would have 
made an excellent group in Vincent Square, but the danger of taking exotic 
plants along way at this time of year will be readily understood, It will be 
remembered that an excellent group, which was awarded a Gold Medal, was: 
staged from this collection at a R.H.S. meeting in December, 1905. 
This collection has been in charge of Mr. William Balmforth for a 
number of years, and the condition of the plants speaks highly for the treat- 
ment which they have received. Mr. Balmforth has been carrying out 
experiments with different composts, which I shall comment upon presently.. 
The principal honse here is span-roofed, with side and centre staging, 
and containing three divisions, cool, intermediate, and warm. 
The first division is devoted chiefly to Odontoglossum crispum, but 
Masdevallias, Lycastes, including several plants of L. Skinneri alba, 
Dendrobium Falconeri, &c., find room. The Odontoglossums were throwing’ 
up exceedingly strong spikes for the time of year, and among those in 
flower was an interesting variety with peloriate markings on the petals. The 
very fine blotched crispum, ‘“ F. M. Ogilvie,” which has the colour laid on very 
thickly, and looks as if varnished, is being propagated. Odontoglossum 
crispum has been making Orchid history for a number of years, and if I, as 
a modern Orchidist, were asked if I had found anything of extraordinary 
interest in the Shrubbery collection, I should point to the number of plants. 
of pure white (true albino) varieties of Odontoglossum crispum. The. 
blotched and spotted varieties of this popular species which have appeared 
since its introduction have been propagated with the zeal that their high 
value rendered desirable, while the albinos, appearing much more rarely, andi 
at later dates, are among the rarest of Orchids. While thousands of plants 
have had to be flowered to find one of these coloured varieties, at least ten, 
if not twenty, times the number have had to be sifted over to discover a pure: 
white and yellow variety. Numbers appear with white sepals and petals,. 
co yt ee. 
