No more arrived
for many years. Mr. Sander once conceived a fine idea. He sent one of
his collectors to gather _Loelia a. alba_ at the season when it is in
bud, with an intention of startling the universe by displaying a mass of
them in full bloom; they were still more uncommon then than now, when a
dozen flowering plants is still a show of which kings may be proud. Mr.
Bartholomeus punctually fulfilled his instructions, collected some forty
plants with their spikes well developed; attached them to strips of wood
which he nailed across shallow boxes, and shipped them to San Francisco.
Thence they travelled by fast train to New York, and proceeded without a
moment's delay to Liverpool on board the _Umbria_; it was one of her
first trips. All went well. Confidently did Mr. Sander anticipate the
sensation when a score of those glorious plants were set out in full
bloom upon the tables. But on opening the boxes he found every spike
withered. The experiment is so tempting that it has been essayed once
more, with a like result. The buds of _Loelia anceps_ will not stand
sea air.
Catasetums do not rank as a genus among our beauties; in fact, saving
_C. pileatum_, commonly called _C. Bungerothi_, and _C. barbatum_, I
think of none, at this moment, which are worthy of attraction on that
ground. _C. fimbriatum_, indeed, would be lovely if it could be
persuaded to show itself.
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