ORCHID CONFERENCE. 



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somewhat of a practical nature, with regard to the naming 

 of hybrids. He had been driven to use names for his own 

 purposes, and he had adopted Dr. Masters' plan, making a 

 compound of the names of the two parents, putting that of the 

 mother first. But there was a little change which he had 

 introduced, which he would suggest as being, possibly, useful, 

 since it at once denoted that the plant was a hybrid ; and that 

 was to end the name with a consonant, instead of with a vowel. 

 For instance, if Dr. Masters' PhUageria were named PhUager 

 they would know at once that it was a hybrid. He quite 

 agreed with Mr. Ridley that when the ear got accustomed to 

 them, compound names might be used, so as not to interfere 

 with the organs of speech — names which could be written 

 down distinctly, and heard with fair clearness. Another point 

 was with regard to the suggestion which had been made as 

 to having a Registration of Plants. Here, again, he was sorry to 

 to say he differed from Mr. Hibberd. He was always sorry to 

 differ from that gentleman, but occasionally he felt himself 

 obliged to do so. He did not think it was so utterly impossible as 

 Mr. Hibberd seemed to think that the Society should have a 

 Record and Museum of plants of horticultural value. A dried 

 specimen did not occupy such a very large amount of room, and 

 they had not so much material crowded into their publications 

 that they could not find room for an adequate description and clear 

 diagnosis of any new plant with regard to which they took the 

 responsibility of giving a prize or authenticating a name. A 

 very little space would really suffice for their needs, for it 

 must be remembered that, after the lapse of a certain number of 

 years, certain plants to which names had been given and 

 which had run their day, w r ould have entirely disappeared. He 

 meant that they might have to revise their Herbarium and cast 

 out those specimens which were of no value at all ; but they 

 would have during the time of dispute an appeal to a definite 

 record and written description, furnished by the namer of the 

 plant, and to dried specimens ; and he ventured to think that 

 it was the duty of the Society to publish adequate illustrations 

 of new and important plants, so that there might be some- 

 thing authentic to appeal to at any subsequent time. 



Mr. Lynch said he was very sorry to be under the disadvantage 

 of not having heard all that had been said, but he must say that 



