262 
THE ORCF^ID WORLD. 
[Auf^'ust, 1 91 3. 
MESSRS. JAMES VEITCH & SONS: 
THEIR ORCHID COLLECTORS. 
WITH the forthcoming retirement of 
Sir Harry Veitch, the present is an 
opportune occasion to briefly revie'vv 
the leading" points in the history of the firm 
of Messrs. James Veitch and Sons, Chelsea, 
more especially regarding their connection 
with Orchids. For more than a century- 
Messrs. Veitch have been interested very 
jirominently in horticulture, and few 
Orchidists of the present day know to what 
extent they are indebted to them for their 
laborious work in past years. 
It is hardly necessary to point out how 
comparatively few were the known species 
when Messrs. Veitch decided to despatch 
travellers for the purpose of collecting plants 
in distant lands. William Lobb, being a 
proficient botanist, was selected to go on a 
mission to various parts of South America, 
and he sailed from Plymouth in l(S40 for 
Rio Janeiro. On his arrival in Brazil he 
first proceeded to the Orgaos Mountains, 
where he met with several beautiful and 
notable Orchids which at that time were 
extremely rare in English gardens. He 
continued travelling until 1857, making during 
this time several visits to England, but died 
at San Francisco, in the autumn of 1863. 
Thomas Lobb, brother of the above, left 
England in 1843 for Java and the adjacent 
islands. Upon his return home he decided 
to visit Calcutta, leaving England on 
December 25th, 1848. During the twenty 
years or upwards he travelled for the 
Veitchian firm, he visited the Khasia Hills, 
Assam, and other parts of North-east India, 
and subsequently Moulmein and parts of 
Lower Burmah, sending home from these 
districts most of the finest Orchids found 
there, many previously known to science, but 
introduced by him to cultivation for the first 
time. Worthy of mention are Vanda 
coerulea, Coelogyne lagenaria, C. maculata, 
Aerides Fieldingi, A. multiflorum Lobbii, 
A. m. Veitchii, Dendrobium infundibulum, 
Calanthe rosea, and C'ypri]:)edium villosum 
From the southern parts of the Mala)- 
peninsula he sent home Vanda tricolor, 
V. sua vis, Cnelogyne speciosa, Calanthe 
vestita, Cypripedium barbatum, and others. 
Lobb subsequently went to the Philippine 
Islands, and collected Phalaenopsis intermedia, 
the first natural hybrid to be proved by 
artificial means. He also collected many 
herbarium specimens, a list of which is given 
by Planchon in Hooker's London ] onrnal of 
Botany, 1847. Thomas Lobb died on April 
30th, i8q4, at Devoran, in Cornw-all, at a 
very advanced age. 
Richard Pearce was sent to Chili, Peru and 
Bolivia during the years i85g-i8G(5, but 
although regarded as one of the best of 
botanical collectors, he does not appear to 
have been very successful with Orchids. He 
died at Panama, July 17th, 1867. 
John Gould Veitch was a collector in 
Japan, South Sea Islands, and Australia, from 
1 860- 1 870. Flis chief collections comprised 
many choice coniferous trees. His death 
took place in August, 1870, at the early age 
of 31. 
Bowman left England early m 1866 for 
Brazil. His journeys, however, were short, 
for he died on June 25th, 1868, and was 
buried in the British Cemetery at Bogota. 
Henry Hutton went to Java and the Malay 
Archipelago. He commenced his w^ork in 
1866, but the climate proved too much for his 
delicate health, and he died in 1868. His 
name is associated with Cymbidium Huttoni, 
which he introduced from Java, together witli 
Saccolabium Huttoni, from the same country, 
and Dendrobium Huttoni from the island of 
Timor in the Malay Archipelago. He was 
also successful in re-discovering and sending 
home Vanda insignis. 
Carl Kramer was despatched to Japan in 
1867, and afterwards to Costa Rica. He 
proved quite unsuitable for the work he had 
undertaken. His name is associated witli 
