196 
Committee will take place till the end of the recess, but, in the mean- 
time, I shall be glad to learn your views on the subject, and to receive 
any communication for the Committee with which you may be inclined 
to favour it. 
I am, &c. 
The rere (Signed) MAXWELL T. MASTERS. 
Royal Gardens, Kew. 
ROYAL GanpENS, Kew, to ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Sm, oyal Gardens, Kew, 26th August 1889. 
HAVE the honour to нана the receipt of your letter to 
hand this toring, in which you inform me that the Council of the 
Royal Horticultural Society have appointed a Committee to draw up 
the rules which they consider should be followed in the naming of 
orchids for ean purposes, M requesting me to name one member of 
my staff to act on the Committ 
2. In Stiticipation of this Wetton on the part of the society, I have 
already тет to the Gardeners’ Chroniele my views upon the 
RE appears to me that there are two entirely different questions 
e, colo 
which, though of very great horticultural importance, are not for the 
most part taken note of by botanists. is purely scientific work, 
which can on у : carried on with the resourees of a herbarium and 
library by ex who have given careful study to the subject. I have 
already вау i that I am prepared, as far as the resources of this 
рат ge will allow, to name orchids on precisely the same footing 
as all other plants not coming within the designation of florists" ur ii 
already largely been taken advantage of, with, I think, mutual benefit to 
peines and to Kew. o not, however, see how this branch 
ofthe work could be in any way aided by the deliberations of a com- 
mittee, or “that ерлк go would be gained by a member of the Kew staff 
attendin 
ii. The ВНЕ of а definite system of nomenclature for cultural 
strains of ascertained "species of orchids. This is a task of great impor- 
tance which the proposed Orchid Committee is well qualified to take up. 
But the diem ge of ерте — have nothing to do with 
the matter, and botanists should in my judgment not meddle with it. 
It appears 8 me that ten ferit will create their own standards of 
excellence with regard to the eultivated varieties of orchids, just as with 
any other florists’ flowers. Such a standard will be a matter of taste 
| judgment but not of science, and horticulturalists are entitled to name 
on a purely horticultural basis any form which they wish to recognise 
_ 88 distinct, when they have secured adequate evidence of its permanence. 
Jt appears to me that the proper precedent to follow is that of the Nar- 
_cissus Committee. Such forms should be distinguished by Meine m 
_ names so that they may no longer be confused with botani arieti 
7 г such names as having its authority, 
accompanying the name in each case with such distinctive marks as ma; 
serve to to define it. 
