janu.irv, 191 3.] 
by the use of finer parents, and albino forms 
readily introduce themselves for this purpose. 
It is worthy of note that Mr. James H. Hill, 
Haywards Heath, has recently flowered C. 
Ballantiniana alba, a distinct variety raised 
from C. Trianas alba and C. Warscewiczii 
" Frau Melanie Beyrodt." The flowers some- 
what resemble C. Maggie Raphael alba 
(Triana; albens x aurea), but differ from this 
in having" snow-white sepals and petals and 
a light purple hp, clearly showing on the side 
lobes the two yellow disc-^ characteristic of 
C. Warscewiczii. 
^ m 
Russian Orchid SofiETV. — A Society 
of Orchid Amateurs has been officially 
inaugurated in Moscow. This, the first 
society of its kind in Russia, already consists 
of twenty members, all real amateurs. The 
meetings will take place monthly, the pro- 
gramme being extensive and similar to that 
of other Orchid Societies. Dr. Jean Tro) a- 
nowsky has been elected President, and it is 
largely due to his enterprise that such a 
successful commencement has been made. 
The members of the Committee are : A. 
Warjenevsky, A. Karzmkin, A. Langovoy, 
and S. Woronm. We heartily wish our 
Russian friends continued prosperity. 
U 14 
Frank Ashton Relief Fund. — A small 
committee of Orchidists has been formed to 
assist Mr. Frank Ashton, who has, unfor- 
tunately, fallen into indigent circumstances, 
and who is no longer able to follow his 
employment as a traveller in Orchids. Fie 
has been struggling" against fate for the past 
two or three years, but has at last been 
compelled to give up owing to continued ill- 
health. His resources are practically at an 
end. An appeal is therefore made to all those 
who have been associated with Mr. Ashton 
in the Orchid business to show their practical 
sympathy with him in his great affliction by 
contributing towards a Fund which will be 
utilised to establish him in some small 
home business. Donations may be sent to 
the Secretary of the Kew Guild (Mr. Herbert 
\\a)RIJ). 75 
Cowley, South .Side, Kew Cireen), or to me, 
and will be gratefully acknowledged f)n Mr. 
Ashton's behalf. — /c/m W eathers, y, I'nlhnl 
Road, Islezuorih, Middlesex (Secrclnr)' ). 
AN ORCHID. 
I AM awed b)' a presence ! The very 
atmosphere .^eems to wait upon this 
Orchid. Can a creature hold at once 
such passion and such purity! It is genius, 
humanly and divinely comprehensive, and 
springs fresh from the heart of Life. 
I bend my head to listen. What is it 
saying? From what celestial zone does it 
come ? From the borderland where bodies 
achieve soul-being refined to the point of such 
attainment, the beauty and mystery that are 
flesh becoming infused with the mystery and 
beauty that are soul. 
If soul should take form and become 
visible to us would the form be like this, I 
wonder? The form is varied as the impulses 
of power yet perfect in balance ; rich for 
receiving and giving and fulfilling. A keen 
sword is here with which to cut a way through 
darkness, and above, though the root is in 
earth, are wings. The clear light falling 
upon this form casts there no other shadow 
than the sibylline shadow of its own wings, 
and at the top of its utmost reach, above all 
suggestion of earthy hold or colour, aspires 
this spotless white which glistens in the light 
as silver and gold. 
Inez Dickinson Cutter. 
CONFERENCE REMARKS. 
HE roots of epiphytic Orchids should 
not be covered up m the same wa)' 
as those of terrestrial kinds. 
Epiphytic Orchids usually grow near the 
tops of trees, and thus get more sunshine 
than the terrestrial forms. 
Thomas Lobb, an early collector of Vanda 
coerulea, always discovered the finest plants 
growing on trees which were solitary and 
surrounded with plenty of fresh air. 
Vanda coerulea is often started into growth 
THK ORCHlI) 
