﻿THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



Vol. XII.] APRIL, 1904. [No. 136. 



DIES ORCHIDIANI. 



The recent announcement respecting the forthcoming Orchid Stud-Book, 

 (page 65) is the most important which uv haw had for some time. About 

 three years ago we had a discussion respecting the Registration of Novelties, 

 for which it was proposed to establish a sort of Central Institution. I then 

 commented on the proposal (vol. ix, p. 97), and was rather curious as to 

 how the idea would develop. Nothing, however, came of it, and now the 

 proposal crops up again in another form, at all events so far as hybrids are 

 concerned. The idea of compiling an Orchid Stud-Book was an excellent 

 one, but it has evidently been recognised that even a book of Records would 

 rapidly get out of date, and so it is announced that the additions will be 

 recorded monthly in the Review as they appear, arranged on the same 

 system. 



Such a scheme has long been badly wanted. I have got rather tired of 

 calling attention to confusion in nomenclature, and indeed it seems of little 

 use when we have no up-to-date standard of reference. Those who wish to 

 avoid the multiplicity of names for the same hybrid, so frequently complained 

 of, scarcely know where to look for the necessary information as to what 

 crosses have already been raised, so rapidly do the various lists become 

 out of date. And the want of uniformity which has characterised many of 

 the records of recent years, owing to the existence of several different 

 systems, has been rather bewildering. Some hybrids have no names at all, 

 their parentage alone having been recorded, which in some cases has arisen 

 from the uncertainty as to whether they had previously flowered, and the 

 praiseworthy desire to avoid adding to the existing confusion. With the 

 appearance of the Orchid Stud-Book this uncertainty should be removed. 

 The prospectus issued states that the work aims at providing a standard of 

 nomenclature, as well as a ready means of ascertaining what hybrids have 

 already been raised, and this should add immensely to its value. The 

 appearance of the work will be awaited with considerable impatience, and 

 I hope all my readers will show their appreciation of this very practical 



