Auf^ust, 1916.] 



THE ORCHID W^ORLD. 



201 



WILLIAMS MEMORIAL MEDAL. 



THE awarding of the Williams Memorial 

 Medal to two exhibitors at the 

 Chelsea Show recalls a man who in 

 his time accomplished much valuable work 

 towards the popularity and good cultivation 

 of Orchids. Although B. S. Williams died 

 twenty-six years ago, he is still remembered 

 by the few Orchidists who can claim to go 

 back to those early days of struggles and 

 difficulties ; but to the vast number of present- 

 day amateurs his name and work are practi- 

 cally unknown, hence a few brief particulars 

 may not prove unwelcome. 



B. S. Williams, the fourth son of James 

 Williams, of Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, was 

 born in 1822, and began his gardening career 

 at the age of fourteen, when he worked under 

 his father, then m charge of the garden of 

 John Warner, a famous Orchidist. After 

 three years he sought work elsewhere, but 

 soon returned to his father at Hoddesdon, 

 where he acted as foreman of the fruit and 

 vegetable garden It was not long before he 

 accepted an appointment as Orchid grower 

 to C. B. Warner, and then the name of B. S. 

 Williams came rapidly to the front. It has 

 been stated that previous to the year 1848 no 

 less than 23 gold and 12 silver medals were 

 gained by Williams' skill. The old saying 

 that nothing succeeds like success came true 

 in the history of this able cultivator. In 1854 

 he commenced business for himself at Hollo- 

 way, where for many years he carried on an 

 extensive trade in Orchids. 



Williams' most important work, and one by 

 which he will always be remembered, was his 

 series of articles on " Orchids for the Million," 

 contributed to the Gardeners Chronicle m 

 185 1, and subsequently published as the 

 "Orchid Manual," with descriptions of more 

 than 260 of the best Orchids then in cultiva- 

 tion. The second edition, to which some fifty 

 pages of new matter were added, was 

 published in 1862. A third edition, in which 

 700 species and varieties were described, 

 came out in 1868, a fourth in 1871, and the 

 fifth in 1877. Continued success caused the 

 sixth edition to be much enlarged and to 



appear in 1885. In May, 1894, the seventh 

 and greatly enlarged edition was published 

 by Williams' only son, and this has ever since 

 been regarded as a reference book of 

 considerable value. The " Orchid Album," 

 commenced in 1881, was another important 

 work brought out by B. S. Williams. 



The announcement of the death of B. S. 

 Williams, which took place in June, i8go, was 

 received with considerable regret, and during 

 the remainder of the year a committee of 

 prominent horticulturists considered the best 

 means whereby his name might be per- 

 petuated. Part of the sum of money raised 

 was devoted to forming the Williams 

 Memorial Fund, the interest on which is used 

 by the Royal Horticultural Society to defray 

 the cost of medals. The original Williams 

 Medal was large and anything but handsome, 

 and this is probably the reason why the 

 Society has refrained from awarding it during 

 recent years. However, an entirely new 

 design is now in use, and the granting of two, 

 both struck in gold, at the last Chelsea Show 

 marks what, we earnestly hope, will be a 

 regular issuing of this much valued and 

 historic prize. The two recipients were 

 Messrs. Charlesworth and Co. and Messrs. J. 

 and A. McBean. 



At the Holland House Show it was 

 awarded to Messrs. Sander and Sons, Messrs. 

 Stuart Low and Co., and Messrs. Mansell and 

 Hatcher. 



OnCIDIUM Gardneri. — A flower of this 

 uncommon Orchid comes from Mr. H. Lakin, 

 of Pleck, Walsall, Staffs, who discovered it 

 among some imported plants of Oncidium 

 Forbesii. Originally described by Lindley in 

 1843, this plant was at first thought to be a 

 species, but is now regarded as a natural 

 hybrid of On. Forbesii, the other parent 

 probably being On. dasytyle. The expansive 

 flat labellum of bright yellow colour, with 

 reddish-brown markings on the outer area 

 and crimson near the crest, is the chief feature. 

 The sepals are only visible when the flower is 

 viewed from the back. 



VOL. VI. 



27 



