THE ORCHID WORLD. 
" West Point" Whalley Range, M anchester. 
The West Point Collection of Orchids. 
IN giving a short account of this wonderful 
collection of Orchids which without 
doubt includes the grandest assortment 
of Cypripediums, one is somewhat at a loss 
how to intelligibly describe so many plants. 
Mr. Samuel Gratrix, who for nearl)- 40 years 
has resided at West Point, has always taken 
a very keen interest in horticulture, and at one 
time peaches and nectarines were largely 
grown in his garden, but being within three 
miles of the centre of Manchester, the impure 
atmosphere will not allow of much success 
being attained in this particular branch of 
horticulture. The unabated enthusiasm for 
choice and rare plants which Mr. Gratrix 
23ossesses is therefore now more centralised 
on the Orchid houses, and it is very grati- 
fying to see the result of the additional 
interest taken in the collection by Mrs. Gratrix. 
The present time, as all Orchidists will 
admit, is not the best season to obtain much 
of a floral display from Cypripediums ; one 
is, therefore, more attracted by the healthy 
and very vigorous condition of the plants. 
In a spacious lean-to house, entirely filled with 
choice specimens of these valuable plants, 
may be seen an ingenious device for main- 
taining a copious supply of atmospheric 
moisture. The staging is composed of a 
shallow lead-lined trough filled with coke, and 
containing a plentiful supply of water, which, 
by means of a plug, can be easily drawn off 
when showing signs of stagnation. A few 
inches above this is a close lattice wood 
staging, painted with a preservative material, 
which creates a level surface on which to stand 
the pots. Shading on this and all the other 
houses IS produced by lath roller blinds, a 
