668 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 20th, 1885. 
THE 
Drrjntr (Srnfaers Cakttmr. 
Orchids at Regent’s Park.— It is some time 
since the Orchid bank in the -well-known exhibition 
tent in the Boyal Botanic Society’s Gardens was 
found unequal to containing all the Orchids sent in 
for competition, but such was the case on Wednes¬ 
day, when, both for numbers and quality, the display 
of these ever-attractive flowers was above the average. 
In the amateurs’ classes, Mr. James Douglas, gardener 
to F. Whitbourn, Esq., Great Gearies, Ilford, came 
out strong, showing the healthiest and best-grown lot 
of plants we have seen before from Great Gearies, and 
winning the first prizes for twelve specimens, and 
twelve small plants respectively. In the first group 
he had a superb example of Odontoglossum vexil- 
tumed the tables on their opponents with a very 
neat lot. Messrs. F. Sander & Co. were awarded a 
Bronze Medal for a small, but very choice collection 
of Odontoglots, mostly varieties of Alexandri®, three 
of which were also selected for the award of Botanical 
Certificates, viz., 0. Alexandria rosea punctata, a 
neat flower of a pleasing shade of rose, with deep 
crimson spots; 0. Alexandria? Johnsoni, an extra 
fine-shaped flower, heavily blotched with Chestnut- 
red ; and 0. Alexandriae Phalasnopsis, a very fine, 
smooth flower of a pale lilac colour, lighter in the 
centre, with a few small crimson spots. Besides the 
new hybrid Laelia Canhamii, which was certificated, 
Messrs. Veitch also received a similar award for 
Masdevallia Gairiana, a hybrid between M. Veitchii 
and M. Davisii; Cypripedium Sedeni candidulum, 
white, with a rosy lip ; Cypripedium macropterum, 
a hybrid between C. Lowii and C. superbiens, with 
a bronze-green lip and purple-brown sepals ; and 
Thunia Veitchii, a very interesting hybrid between 
The Orchids at Kew. —Having re-opened this 
discussion, at p. 636, to admit letters from Sir Charles 
Strickland and Mr. Bolfe, “ A. F.L.” claims, in fair¬ 
ness, the right of reply, and sends us the following 
note, which we insert in the hope that the subject 
may now be allowed to drop :—Mr. Bolfe having 
stated that he had nothing to do with the 
Orchids, I naturally said, “ Why then do you 
write about them?” This question required no 
answer. But you allow him to tell me tu quoque. 
Well, Mr. Editor, I profess to know what I write about. 
I wrote because I am very fond of Orchids. I grow 
them extensively, and know something about them. 
I was induced to go and see the Kew Orchids by 
puffing paragraphs in your contemporaries, and I was 
disappointed, to use a mild term. As a ratepayer. I 
believe I am entitled to pass an opinion on gardens 
maintained partly at my expense, and I did so with¬ 
out blaming anyone in particular. 
Now if Mr. Bolfe will refer to The Gardeners' 
NEW HYBEID COLUMBINES. 
larium, with a mass of flowers nearly 3 ft. over, the 
best-flowered plant that has perhaps been seen at any 
London show. Accompanying this were also well- 
flowered specimens of Oncidium macranthum, Laslia 
purpurata, Masdevallia Harryana, Odontoglossum 
Boezlii and Boezlii album, Ac. Mr. C. J. Salter, 
gardener to J. Southgate, Esq., was second with a 
nice mass of Epidendrum vitellinum majus, Cattleya 
Mossiaa Southgatei, a very richly-coloured variety ; 
Dendrobium suavissimum, Cymbidium Lowianum, 
Ac. Mr. Hill, gardener to H. Little, Esq., was third. 
In the small plant class, Mr. S. Cooke, gardener to 
De B. Crawshay, Esq., was second, and Mr. Salter 
third. In the nurserymen’s class, Mr. Cypher again 
secured first honours with a collection of large plants, 
including good masses of Dendrobium thyrsiflorum, 
D. Bensoni*, D. Parishii, Arc., and smaller pieces of 
Cattleya gigas Sanderiana, C. Mendelii, Ac. Mr. H. 
James, who came in second, had a large and well- 
flowered mass of Epidendrum vitellinum majus, and 
good examples of Cypripedium Stonei, Cattleya Mossia?, 
Ac. Messrs. J. Jackson A Son, Kingston, were third. 
With a dozen small plants, the last-named firm 
T. Marshallii and T. Bensonire, raised from seeds 
sown in April, 1881, and having white sepals and 
petals, and a mauve-coloured lip, flushed with lemon- 
yellow. Mr. B. S. Williams also exhibited what 
appeared to be clearly the same plant under the name 
of T. Wrigleyana, and which, we believe, was raised 
by Mr. Wrigley, of Bury, but whether from the same 
parents we were unable to ascertain. 
Cattleya Wagneriana, C. Reineckiana, and 
C. Reineckiana superbissima.—At the New 
Plant and Bulb Company’s sale at Stevens’s Booms, 
on Wednesday, of Orchids collected and brought home 
by Mr. Edward Wallace, a grand piece of C. Wagneri, 
with over one hundred bulbs and forty-two leaves, 
fell to the bid of a well-known amateur grower for 
80 guineas ; two smaller plants realizing 19 guineas 
and 12 guineas respectively. The same gentleman 
also gave, at the same time, 76 guineas for a splendid 
piece, with thirty-two bulbs and fourteen leaves, of C. 
Beineckiana superbissima. This was the only plant 
offered of this rare subject. Of the typical species, 
a plant with eleven bulbs realized 15? guineas. 
Chronicle of May 16th, he will see (p. 641) that at the 
Orchid Conference the President of the Boyal Horti¬ 
cultural Society stated, ” Deferring to Kew, I think it 
is much to be regretted that, mainly owing to the 
excessive economy with which money is given to 
these valuable institutions, there is no sufficiently 
representative collection of Orchids there at present.” 
It is in substance what I said on April 19th, when 
the disappointment I felt drew forth the exclamation 
“ Oh, rubbish !” As a simple ratepayer I am more at 
liberty to pass a free and easy opinion than the dis¬ 
tinguished baronet who holds an exalted position in 
the horticultural world.— A. F. L. 
Dendrobium Phalaenopsis.—We are delighted 
to be able to figure one of the most beautiful of 
Dendrobes, belonging to the bigibbum section, and 
which we consider to be one of the best introductions 
of late years. It is a very rare plant, of vliich we 
have only seen two examples in blossom, one of 
which is the original of our present illustration, the 
drawing for which was taken from a specimen in the 
fine collection of W. Lee, Esq., Downside, Leather- 
