124 
THE ORCHID WORLD. 
[March, 1913- 
The Cypripedium House of J. J. Holden, Esq., Southport, Lanes. 
THE photograph of our Cypripedium 
house was taken on January 2nd of 
this year, and, as you will see, it was 
one mass of bloom. The display commenced 
in November and lasted right through the 
winter months until the end of January. 
I predicted, some twenty-six years ago, that 
the Cypripedium would become one of the 
most popular winter-flowering Orchids we 
should possess. I was laughed at at the time, 
but my prediction has been verified. What a 
grand thing C. insigne Sanderae is ! We have 
a goodly number of them, and they have 
flowered wonderfully well. They have been 
the most attractive Cypripedium this season, 
the ladies being particularly fond of it. To 
see it to advantage, it requires interspersing 
with other varieties, and, to my mind, it is one 
of the finest Cypripediums ever sent out from 
St. Albans. 
I grow the plants in a compost of two parts 
loam and two parts best peat, with a little 
sphagnum moss and coarse silver sand. By 
subjecting them to cool treatment I get a 
sturdy growth with dark foliage, and flower 
stalks six to seven inches long. Thus, when 
fully developed, you obtain that beautiful 
transparent colour which makes them so much 
to be admired. 
Robert Johnson. 
Southport, Lanes 
Obituary. — We much regret to record the 
death of Mr. A. Ryall, a promising young 
collector, who died at the early age of twenty- 
seven whilst returning from a plant collecting 
expedition in Colombia, on behalf of Messrs. 
Mansell and Hatcher, Ltd. Mr. Ryall gained 
his early knowledge of Orchids at Messrs. 
Charlesworth and Co., subsequently working 
under Mr. Hunter in the Chillingham collec- 
tion. Some five years ago he was engaged 
by Messrs. Mansell and Hatcher, and after 
two years' work with this firm, during which 
time he acquired a good knowledge of the 
.Spanish language, he was sent out by them 
