May, 1 91 4.] 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



175 



the wholesale collection of Orchids is 

 concerned. 



Many of the younger plants collected 

 indiscriminately would no doubt perish before 

 arriving at their destination, while had they 

 been left alone to grow undisturbed in their 

 natural habitat they would have made good 

 plants. Perhaps there is no better instance 

 of the result of this vandalism than our own 

 iainous hunting ground of Vanda coerulea, 

 vi/., the Khasia and Garrow Hills, which have 

 been practically denuded of this beautiful 

 species, so much so that I believe the local 

 government have restricted its collection in 

 this district by imposing a fine of one rupee 

 per plant collected. This precaution on the 

 part of the local government is not sufficiently 

 drastic, for with the scarcity of this species a 

 corresponding higher price will be asked by 

 dealers, with the result that collectors will 

 have no objection to paying the impost. This 

 applies equally as much to some of the rarer 

 species, which if not protected will soon 

 become extinct. Under the present method 

 of collectors employing natives to gather 

 intliscriminatively it is advisable to keep one's 

 discovery from the general public. 



The Vanda crerulea of the district in 

 question I found to be plentiful enough, and, 

 moreover, the plants are undoubtedly more 

 robust in ever)- wa)- and stronger in growth 

 when compared with those I have met in 

 India (Khasia and Garrow Hills). The few 

 specimens that I brought away with inc have 

 since attracted the attention and admiration 

 of the local cultivators here. I have, at the 

 same time, sent a few plants home to a friend 

 of mine with whom this species thrives 

 exceedingly well. I can only reiterate my 

 above remarks, adding that the average 

 plants I came across have as many as 8-12 

 pairs of leaves, and specimens anything from 

 16-20 pairs of leaves, whilst the flftwer spikes 

 arc ever so much larger and deeper in colour, 

 which in many instances ranges from deep 

 lavender to sky-blur, than the Indian species. 



Thousands of younger plants growing 

 profusely on all the trees, at a fairly good 

 height, with little or no shade, will make 

 excellent specimens in a few years, provided 



they escape the visits of the indiscriminative 

 collector already referred to. 



I have hopes of shortly making smother 

 visit to this locality as I have many enquiries 

 from local cultivators who have seen the 

 plants brought away on my former visit. I 

 am open to oblige readers of the Orchid 

 World at the same time, provided their 

 offers are inducive enough to collect good 

 specimens in quantity, but not sufficient to 

 meet dealers' requirements, as I have no 

 desire to encumber myself with transport 

 during my travels over such a difficult country. 



As regards adventures I may add that, 

 apart from the usual discomforts of the 

 average collector, I have had little or none. 

 Certainly, the difficulties encountered in 

 getting to the place in question were greater 

 than I have hitherto experienced, but as to 

 risk of any sort from the natives themselves 

 there was none. 



The chief difficulty was their language, 

 which, needless to say, I did not understand. 

 On the other hand, they were willing to give 

 every assistance, and considered themselves 

 amply repaid if I undertook to visit their 

 evening entertainments, which usually 

 consisted of music, singing, dancing, and 

 eating during the intervals. 



In conclusion, I may add that I came across 

 .some very fine specimens of Renanthera 

 Imschootiana on my return, and of which I 

 brought back several. — Chas. Pozvcr, Orchid 

 Villa, Barrack fore, Bav^^al. 



("HONDRORHYNriiA ChESTERTONI. 

 — Although this is not an easy species to 

 cultivate, it is worthy of note that Messrs. A. J. 

 Keeling and Sons have exhibited it in good 

 form. Originally described by Reichenbach 

 in iiS/Q, its flowers have ever since attracted 

 attention by reason of their singularity. The 

 comparatively large labellum is extensively 

 developed, the border being finely fringed, 

 while the colour is yellow with a few dark 

 brown blotches. The curious construction of 

 the flower will well repay any difficulty 

 experienced in its cultivation. 



