ORCHID CONFERENCE. 



13 



growing throughout the length and breadth of the kingdom, and 

 we may hope that they will do their very utmost to ensure this 

 result — that the collection of Orchids at Kew shall be equal to 

 those of the other natural orders of plants. In fact, it would be 

 very unwise that they should not do so, because it is very much 

 the custom and fashion with gentlemen who possess collections, 

 when they leave this world, to leave their collections to some 

 public institution, and I do not see the least reason to doubt 

 that, if there were to be found fine ranges of Orchid houses at Kew 

 ready to receive plants, some wealthy bachelor would leave his 

 collection to the public, as being perhaps, on the whole, his 

 best heir. 



With regard, ladies and gentlemen, to the absentees from 

 the Conference, I am requested by Professor Reichenbach to 

 express his very great regret that threats of an attack of pneumonia 

 have prevented him being present here to-day. I know the 

 reality of his regret, and I know he has been longing and most 

 anxious to come here to see the skill which has been displayed, 

 and the enterprise which has been shown, by English Orchid 

 growers. He has been so kind as to send a paper, which I shall 

 read to you, and he writes to say that, had he been here, he would 

 have wished to be permitted to express his warmest thanks to 

 English Orchidologists, and also to have paid a tribute to the 

 memory of the late John Lindley. (Hear, hear.) In connection 

 with the cultivation of Orchids and the science of Orchidology, 

 there is no name which has a greater respect universally felt 

 for it than that of the late Professor Lindley. (Hear, hear.) I 

 think I am bound to say that, while in the absence of Professor 

 Reichenbach we lose one of the greatest exponents of the scientific 

 Orchidology, the loss is, I think, also a great one to him, for I am 

 sure he would have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the collection here 

 to-day. Then I also have a letter from Dr. Patterson, of the Bridge 

 of Allan ; he says : "I need not tell you how deeply interested I 

 am in the objects of this the first Orchid Conference held, and I 

 sincerely wish it success. Here I may say that for over half-a- 

 century I have derived the greatest pleasure and instruction from 

 the cultivation of these plants." Then among the gentlemen who 

 would at all events have contributed to our show — and very 

 remarkable contributions they would have been — we also very 

 greatly regret the absence of Mr. Stevens and the plants which 

 might have been sent from the Duke of Sutherland's, at Trentham. 



