October, i9i4-] 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



19 



CYPRIPEDIUM STONEI. 



THIS very distinct species is a native of 

 Sarawak, Borneo, where it occurs on 

 limestone hills at 1,000-1,5000 feet 

 elevation, growing generally on rocks where 

 there is but little vegetable soil, and m the 

 shade of the forest. Its discovery is due to 

 .Sir Hugh Low, who sent plants to Messrs. 

 Low and Co., of Clapton, in i860. Some of 

 these plants flowered during the following 

 year in the then celebrated collection of John 

 Day, at Tottenham, and were named in 

 honour of his gardener Stone. The flowering 

 season extends from May to July. 



In 1863 a second importation was received 

 by Messrs. Low and Co. Some of the plants 

 passed into Mr. Day's collection, among them 

 being the magnificent variety known as 

 platytasnium, although it was not until 1867 

 when the plant first bloomed that the owner 

 became aware of his valuable acquisition. 



This variety was carefully cultivated and 

 several plants obtained by propagation, one 

 of which was purchased at Mr. Day's sale in 

 1 88 1 by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., for the 

 sum of 140 guineas, a remarkable figure at 

 that time. Baron Schroder also acquired a 

 considerable portion of the stock. 



EARLY NOTES. 



IN 1833 Mr. Bateman's collection at 

 Knypersley Hall, Cheshire, was enriched 

 by sending a collector to Demerara, but 

 although the mission fell short of expectation, 

 the success was sufficient to encourage others 

 to embark in similar adventures. Among 

 them was Mr. George Ure Skinner, a 

 merchant trading with Guatemala, at that 

 time an unworked mine in Natural History, 

 and where there was believed to be a rich 

 store of Orchids. Having heard of Mr. 

 Skinner through the specimens of birds and 

 insects which he presented to the Natural 

 History Museum at Manchester, Mr. Bateman 

 wrote to him in March, 1834, and explained, 

 by means of sketches of some Orchids, what 

 kind of plants he wished to see introduced 



from that country into England. Mr. Skinner 

 responded to the appeal in a manner that far 

 exceeded the expectation of the writer, and m 

 less than ten years all the finest Orchids of 

 Guatemala were in cultivation in British 

 gardens, most of which flowered for the first 

 time in Mr. Bateman's houses at Knypersley. 



The many new and beautiful Orchids thus 

 brought to light, together with the energy 

 displayed by that gentleman both in practice 

 and by his publications to promote Orchid 

 culture, secured for him a very prominent 

 position among the Orchid authorities of this 

 country. So early as 1837 Sir William 

 Hooker dedicated to him the volume of the 

 Botanical Magazine for that year, which Mr. 

 Bateman fancifully designated the annus 

 mirabilis of Orchidology. 



It was in 1837 that Gibson brought to 

 Chatsworth the rich collection he gathered on 

 the Khasia Hills. In that same year Skinner 

 sent to England the finest of the Guatemalian 

 Orchids ; Cuming sent home his first consign- 

 ment from the Philippine Islands including 

 the first Phal^nopsis received aHve in 

 England, a single plant of P. Aphrodite ; tlie 

 brothers Schomburgk made their first contri- 

 bution from British Guiana ; and lastly, a 

 Frenchman named Deschamps brought from 

 Vera Cruz a large consignment of Mexican 

 Orchids, nearly the whole of which was 

 disposed of in England. Probably not less 

 than 300 species were seen in England for 

 the first time in that memorable year. The 

 Orchidomania which had been rapidly 

 spreading became greatly intensified by such 

 an unusual addition of new forms. " From 

 that time," wrote Bateman, " houses for their 

 accommodation were raised in every direc- 

 tion ; pots for their exclusive use were sold in 

 the shops of London ; their blossoms were 

 imitated by the most fashionable manufac- 

 turers of artificial flowers ; and the most 

 munificent prizes were offered by horticultural 

 societies for the finest specimens." 



Probably no one contributed more to bring 

 about this great change in the aspect of 

 Orchid culture than Ure Skinner, pre- 

 eminently one of the Orchid worthies of 

 England, by whose untiring energy and 



