jum-Jiily, 1916.] 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



175 



SALE OF SIR TREVOR 

 LAWRENCES COLLECTION. 



THE celebrated Burford collection, 

 formed by the late Sir Trevor Law- 

 rence, Bart., was sold by auction 

 May 9th, loth and nth, 1916, by Messrs. 

 Protheroe and Morris. On all three days 

 there was a. good attendance, and amateurs 

 as well as members of the trade bid freely to 

 secure mementoes of this famous assemblage 

 of rarities. 



Previous to the sale commencing consider- 

 able interest was taken in Cypripedium Stonei 

 platytaenium, for this plant was one of the 

 much-prized gems at Burford. At Mr. Day's 

 sale in 1881 a strong plant realised 140 

 guineas. At the disposal of Mr. Lee's col- 

 lection, at Leatherhead in 1887, no less than 

 310 guineas were obtained, and with the 

 intention of purchasing this plant Mons. 

 Franz Masereel came over from Belgium, 

 while his brother horticulturists arranged to 

 meet him on his return with a brass band 

 playing " See the Conquering Hero Comes." 

 But M. Franz Masereel's expectations were 

 not realised, for at the high sum of 310 

 guineas he ceased bidding and allowed the 

 plant to remain in England. Since that notable 

 event the glory of C. Stonei platytaenium has 

 gradually departed, and when Sir Trevor's 

 plant was placed on the auction table on May 

 9th Mr. Waters Butler was allowed to pur- 

 chase it for the comparatively low sum of 14 

 guineas. An illustration appears in THE 

 Orchid World, Vol. V., p. 18. 



Lot 41, described as " Bulbophyllum 

 barbigerum — the flowers are quite sensitive. 

 This is the plant that caused such a sensation 

 at the Temple Show some years back, and 

 was purchased at the Dangstein Collection, 

 1878." The following note appeared in a 

 London evening paper : — "Orchid v. Camera. 

 The trembling Orchid exhibited at the 

 Temple Show has caused some amusement 

 by its eccentric behaviour towards a Press 

 photographer. For an hour and a half it 

 defied all his efforts to take its picture. 

 Every time the operator fixed his camera and 

 posed his subject this plant with nerves 



began to quiver violently. After spoiling 

 several plates, the persevering man, brought 

 to a state bordering on desperation, attempted 

 to snap the Orchid with a hand camera. 

 Finally it was carried to the Temple con- 

 servatory, where it was surrounded by old 

 friends, and its nerves being thus quietened, 

 the photographer was rewarded for his 

 patience." 



Other noteworthy prices are Odonto- 

 glossum crispum Moonshine, a sj^ecially fine 

 white type crispum, 4 strong bulbs, 1 1 gns., 

 and a smaller plant of the same, 10 gns. ; O. 

 Uro-Skinneri Burford var., 4 bulbs, made 

 3i gns. ; O. crispum Oakfield Sunrise, 

 14 gns. ; O. crispum aureum, 15 gns.; O. 

 Insleayi splendens, 6i gns. ; O. crispum 

 purpurascens, large plant, 17 gns.; Den- 

 drobium Victoria Regina, specimen plant, 

 I I gns. ; Laelio-Cattleya Smilax Prince of 

 Orange, 16 gns. ; Laelia anceps Veitchii, 

 6i gns. ; Odontoglossum crispum Mrs. de B. 

 Crawshay, 15 gns.; Cypripedium Rossettii, 

 large plant, 6 gns. There was a good demand 

 for plants of the elegant Brasso-Cattleya 

 Triune (L.-C. Hyeana splendens x B.-C. 

 Digbyano-Schroderae). The total sum 

 realised was just over 1,407. 



Sir Trevor was passionately fond of his 

 plants, no matter whether they were of the 

 popular gorgeous flowering kind or small 

 botanical species. In opening the proceedings 

 of the Orchid Conference of May, 1885, he 

 said: — ^" I do not think anybody can walk 

 round the show to-day without thoroughly 

 understanding how we, who are fond of 

 Orchids, come to be enthusiastic about them. 

 If you want to find a justification for the 

 hobby, I would say walk once or twice round 

 the show and you will find it. Whether you 

 regard the splendour and richness of colour- 

 ing, the delicate grace and beauty of the 

 flowers, or the weird and fantastic characters 

 of some of them, I think you will find a justi- 

 fication for and will understand the affection 

 Orchid growers have for their plants." 



