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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



dations accordingly, including among them good drainage for 

 the plants, which appears hitherto to have been generally 

 neglected, but making no mention of ventilation. 



So predominant had Lindley's influence at that time become 

 in all matters pertaining to Orchids, whether as the chief botani- 

 cal authority on them, or from the position he held in the Society, 

 that the unhealthy regime of cultural treatment approved by 

 him became, as it were, the only orthodox one, and was generally 

 persisted in in all its essential points for upwards of thirty years 

 after the publication of the paper just now mentioned, so that 

 when thirteen years later Mr. Bateman formulated a course of 

 cultural treatment for tropical Orchids in the introduction to his 

 Orchidaccce of Mexico and Guatemala, it differed but little from 

 Dr. Lindley's recommendations, except the important direction 

 to give the plants a season of rest. It is, however, only just to 

 the memory of Dr. Lindley to add that, when later, as more 

 correct information came to hand respecting the habitats of 

 Orchids and their environment in situ, he was one of the first to 

 note the fact, and to give cultivators a friendly warning — thus, 

 in the Botanical Register for 1835, under tab. 1697 (Oncidium 

 ampliatum), we find the following remarks : " It is well known 

 that the most considerable part of the epiphytal Orchids is found 

 in the greatest vigour in damp, sultry woods in tropical countries, 

 and accordingly we endeavour, in our artificial cultivation, to 

 form an atmosphere for them as nearly as possible that which 

 they would naturally breathe in such stations. That this is 

 attended with very great success is obvious from the numerous 

 splendid specimens which are from time to time appearing in 

 various collections. But it is sufficiently evident that, although 

 this kind of treatment is admirably suited to a considerable 

 number, there are others that grow most unwillingly, or scarcely 

 survive, under such circumstances. If a great majority of 

 epiphytal Orchids swarm in damp tropical forests, there is a 

 considerable minority which live in an entirely different 

 climate." And during his long editorship of the Gardener's 

 Chronicle he constantly published such items of information 

 as came to hand that he believed would afford useful hints to 

 cultivators. 



But what were the splendid specimens he speaks of? 

 Chiefly Brazilian Maxillarias, West Indian Epidendra, Cataseta, 



