Scptemljcr, 191 6.] 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



223 



Cymbidium Humhlotii. 



tion of Madagascan Orchids, among them 

 being several plants of C. Humblotii, which 

 arrived in fairly good health and soon com- 

 menced to make rapid growth. One of them 

 was exhibited at the Royal Horticultural 

 Society, April ist, 1913, when a First-class 

 Certificate and Cultural Commendation were 

 awarded. 



Mr. O. O. Wrigley, Bridge Hall, Bury, 

 purchased one of the plants from Messrs. 

 Charlesworth's importation, and although it 

 was but a small piece the careful attention 

 given to it by Mr. E. Rogers has produced 

 the handsome specimen which we reproduce 

 from a photograph. When exhibited at the 

 Manchester Orchid Society, July 20th, igi6, 

 a First-class Cultural Certificate was granted 

 to Mr. Rogers in recognition of his skill. The 

 branched inflorescence carried 75 flowers and 

 buds, over 50 of them being fully expanded. 



The flowers are thick and fleshy, of a light 

 yellowish-green, with blackish spotting on 

 the base of the petals and on the labellum, the 

 apex of which is much crisped. The side 

 lobes of the labellum are incurved. 



SIXTY YEARS AMONG ORCHIDS. 



IT was in April, 1856, that I entered the 

 service of Messrs. Hugh Low and Co., of 

 Upper Clapton. The Orchids were then 

 a feeble and weakly lot, so much s(j that Mr. 

 Low, the head of the firm, deterinined to 

 place these quaint plants from the tropics 

 under better care and cultivation. A fresh 

 foreman was engaged and three men placed 

 under him, the writer, then a lad, to be at the 

 call of any or all. I well remember these 

 three fellows. No. i, a German, tall and 

 slim, his coat always buttoned close up, his 

 walk and bearing conveying the impression 

 that he had had at least some military 

 training. No. 2, a Swiss, short, stout, full of 

 life and fun, and withal of extraordinary 

 strength. He would lift a garden barrow full 

 of soil right up to the bench and there empty 

 it, never troubling to use a shovel or a spade. 

 No. 3, a Frenchman, I think from Rouen, a 

 smart, kind and lively fellow, perhaps still 

 living. The incessant clatter of these three 

 when all were at the bench was sometimes 

 too much for the busy foreman, and although 

 he did not quite reach the angry stage, he was 

 oftentimes much chagrined. 



When first the Orchids were taken over 

 from the general foreman's charge, they were 

 overhauled and the majority repotted. There 

 were no shears to clip the top of the peat and 

 moss, so a pair of hedging shears were placed 

 m the hands of the German. I fancy I can 

 see him now, cutting all sorts of capers with 

 his weapon, the bench being rather low and 

 he a trifle the highest of the group. Of course, 

 this was rectified in due time, the hedging 

 shears were laid to rest and a pair of neat 

 hand shears brought into general use. 



At that time cases of Orchids were received 

 from Borneo, Burmah and other parts of 

 India, as well as the Straits Settlements. All 

 had come by slow sailing vessels and by the 

 long voyage round the Cape, consequently 

 many of the plants died. Sometimes the 

 unpacking was more than a dismal lifting out 

 of the dead plants for cockroaches were 

 th ere in large numbers, having entered the 

 cases whilst in the holds of the vessels. I 



