6 
THE ORCHID WORLD. 
[October, 191 2. 
L.-elio-Cattleya Fred. Gott. — The 
result of crossing C. bicolor with L.-C. Mar- 
tinettii. The large flower has bronze coloured 
sepals and petals with a slight lose flushing ; 
an elongated bright purple lip with a yellow 
spot exactly under the stigma of the white 
column. Raised by Messrs. Sander and Sons. 
This hybrid is a near relation, both in name 
and parentage, to L.-C. Walter Gott (C. 
bicolor X L.-C. bletchleyensis). 
L.?:lio-Cattleya Mrs. Donald Mac- 
Master. — In this attractive hybrid between C. 
aurea and L.-C. luminosa the large proportion 
on the former parent is visible in the golden- 
yellow sepals and petals which are slightly 
suffused with reddish-rose. The broad, open 
labellum is purple colour with fine gold lines 
at the base. Exhibited by Mr. Francis Wel- 
lesley at the Royal Horticultural Society, 
September loth, igi2. 
L.^:lio-Cattleya Memoria H. A. Tracy. 
— This hybrid was mentioned in the Orchid 
World, Vol. I., p. 226, as a plant in the " Fair- 
lawn " collection, where it flowered, but 
without being exhibited. The parentage is 
L.-C. Canhamiana x C. Hardyana, and the 
resulting hybrid carried a very large flower of 
fine substance. Sepals and petals rosy-lilac ; 
the labellum exceedingly well developed, 
crimped at the edge, of intense purple-crim- 
son, with yellow disc and veining at the base. 
Exhibited by Mr. H. S Goodson at the 
Royal Horticultural Society, September loth, 
igi2. 
THE ORCHID CONFERENCE OF 1885. 
THE last Orchid Conference, organised 
by the Royal Horticultural Society, 
was held at South Kensington, May 
13th, 1885. At that time it was considered 
one of the greatest successes ever known in 
Floral Exhibitions, and one, moreover, with a 
special object in view, every point of which 
was brought to the desired conclusion. 
Besides an extensive and splendid show, last- 
ing two days, there was a conference attended 
by a numerous and influential body of Orchid 
growers, and which tended to advance the 
objects of the Society, viz., to exhibit a repre- 
sentative collection of Orchids m flower, 
together with any other objects desirable for 
their culture, and to spread a knowledge of 
their habits and requirements. 
At the conclusion of the Conference Mr. 
Holbrook Gaskell, a leading Orchid amateur 
of Liverpool, whose name is to this day 
commemorated in Cattleya Gaskelliana, 
remarked : " I strongly hope that the Council 
of the Royal Horticultural Society will see 
their way clear to make this an annual con- 
ference. I am quite sure that the oftener it is 
held the more largely it will be attended." 
Yet notwithstanding the success of the enter- 
prise the Fellows of the Society have waited 
more than 27 years for what might and should 
have been an annual event. 
However, much as an annual conference 
would have, undoubtedly, stimulated Orchid 
growing and assisted amateurs in obtaining a 
better knowledge of the various requirements 
of the different genera, the fact remains that 
Orchid growers have largely increased in 
number, not only in this country but in every 
civilised part of the universe. 
To what then may such a great advance in 
this pleasurable pursuit be attributed ? First 
and foremost to the beauteous coloration of 
the fantastical flowers which Orchids possess ; 
and, secondly, to the possession of a rare, and 
oftentimes unique object of great value that is 
highly prized and admired by brother horti- 
culturists. There is a pleasure in admiration. 
The frequent discovery of a new species, or 
even albino forms, for many years created an 
entrancing interest, but the supply of these, 
the designing of which had occupied probably 
thousands of years, would not hold out for 
ever, the limit had been almost reached, and 
Orchidists were looking for pastures new 
upon which to turn their attention. 
With the year 1885 amateurs commenced to 
appreciate the work of the hybridists who had 
recently devoted their attention to the Orchid 
family. And this none too soon, for although 
about 60 genera and some 350 species 
and varieties were represented at the last 
