^he T^osslyn Collection^ 



Stamford Hill. N. 



IT has been jokingly said that to have a 

 large and important collection of Orchids 

 one must also own the Bank of Eng- 

 land. However, although only separated by 

 about four miles, 

 " Rosslyn," for 

 many years the 

 residence of H. 

 T . Pitt, Esq., 

 possesses a 

 collection of 

 Orchids as cele- 

 brated to 

 Orchidists as the 

 Bank is famous 

 to London. 



The associa- 

 tion of Mr. Pitt's 

 name with that 

 of Orchids will 

 b e perpetually 

 remembered, for, 

 although still an 

 ardent amateur 

 of this fascina- 

 ting pursuit, it 

 was during the 

 period when 

 blotched varie- 

 ties of Odonto- 

 glossum crispum 

 were rising in 

 popularity a n d 

 value that he was the centre figure of attrac- 

 tion. Not only were his plants continually 

 receiving the highest possible awards and 

 being illustrated in the leading horticultural 

 publications, but his very keen appreciation of, 

 and determined wish to possess, the very 



finest varieties gave such complete confidence 

 to others that for many years almost all 

 interest in Orchids was concentrated on the 

 rare varieties of Odontoglossum crispum. 



It is still fresh 

 in the memory 

 of many that the 

 record price, viz., 

 £1,^00 for O . 

 crispum F . K.. 

 Sander, was paid 

 by Mr. Pitt 1 n 

 1903. Soon 

 afterwards h e 

 refused £\oo for 



a single flower 



H. T. Pill, Esq. 



from this plant, 

 the evident wish 

 of the one who 

 made the offer 

 being the posses- 

 sion of the 

 pollen for 

 hybridising pur- 

 poses. 



If there is one 

 Orchid which 

 can be selected 

 for its world- 

 wide reputation 

 surely it must be 

 O d o ntoglossum 

 crispum Piti i 

 anum. Gold Medals and other awards have 

 unanimously been granted to it, and on 

 March 22nd, igo6, at a sale of duplicates from 

 this collection, the record price of 1,150 

 guineas was paid for a plant, consisting of 

 three bulbs, of this wonderful variety. It is 



