THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



243 



plentiful enough, and in fact the fern 

 was several times frozen, and yet 

 survived. It has few equals even 

 among ferns, its beauty is unique, the 

 delicate pale green hue and the ex- 

 quisitely hne divisions of the fronds, 

 make a lady's plant of it ; but gentle- 

 men may grow it if they please. In 

 a case it prospers and spreads so fast 

 that one year's growing of it is as 



much as most people will care about. 

 Then, however, it will be of a fair 

 size to transfer to a basket a foot 

 wide for suspending in the conserva- 

 tory or elsewhere, in fact anywhere 

 if under glass and shady. It requires 

 abundance of water token growing, or 

 it acquires a rusty appearance. Rusti- 

 ness will always be a proof it has had 

 bad treatment. S. H. 



OMNIUM GATHERUM. 



United Horticultural Society. 

 — The committee of this Society 

 steadily pursue the path originally 

 marked out, and are now preparing 

 for another grand exhibition in the 

 very heart of the City of London. 

 By the generous consent of the Cor- 

 poration, the use of the Guildhall has 

 been obtained for an exhibition to be 

 held on the 14th and 15th of this 

 month. The exhibition will comprise 

 chrysanthemums, fine foliage plants, 

 fruits, roots, fern cases, horticultural 

 implements, and ornamental pottery. 

 This is likely to prove one of the most 

 attractive November shows ever held 

 in the metropolis. The principal cul- 

 tivators of chrysanthemums have 

 signified their readiness to exhibit, 

 and to put forth their whole strength ; 

 many eminent fruit-growers have 

 done the same. Some fine collections 

 of miscellaneous plants are promised, 

 and as respects the goodwill and 

 hearty co-operation of cultivators of 

 all classes, there need not be enter- 

 tained a single doubt. Then the hall 

 itself will be an attraction, for the al- 

 terations and improvements under- 

 taken by the Corporation will be all 

 completed, including the magnificent 

 open timber roof, the principal mo- 

 numents lowered and cleaned, a con- 

 siderable addition to the number of 

 windows, affording abundance of day- 

 light, and the whole of the decora- 

 tions used on the occasion of the 

 mayoralty festival of the 9th of No- 

 vember will be allowed to remain. 

 Chrysanthemum shows are extremely 

 beautifid when seen by gaslight. The 

 chrysanthemum indeed is almost the 

 only flower which can be exhibited to 

 advantage at night — a fortunate cir- 



cumstance with a subject blooming in 

 the dark and fo?sry season of Novem- 

 ber — and the Guildhall is now pro- 

 vided with a series of chandeliers 

 capable of a most brilliant, we might 

 even say gorgeous, illumination. If 

 this combination of favourable cir- 

 cumstances does not secure for the 

 exhibition a greater amount of public 

 patronage than has been ever before 

 accorded to any similar undertaking, 

 we may safely conclude that a chry- 

 santhemum show is a mockery, a de- 

 lusion, and a snare. 



New Verbenas. — Crimson King, 

 raised by Mr. David Thomson, of 

 Archerfield, has especial claims on the 

 attention of those who still use this 

 valuable, though of late depreciated, 

 bedding plant. Verbenas have of late 

 lost caste, hot and dry seasons have 

 been unfavourable to a continuous 

 bloom, red spider has made large 

 blanks in the masses, and geraniums, 

 which endure heat with patience, and 

 flower the finer for it, have in great 

 measure taken their place. Crimson 

 ELing has fine bold trusses, the colour 

 is rich crimson, heavy rains and long 

 droughts scarcely affect it when it has 

 fairly got hold of the ground, and it 

 blooms as freely and in much the 

 same style as Purple King, the merits 

 of which are so widely known and 

 appreciated. This verbena will be 

 sent out in May next by Mr. Meth- 

 veu, Leith Walk, Edinburgh. Fire 

 Brigade is the name of an excellent 

 bedding verbena, which produces 

 rather small trusses and small flowers 

 of a vivid scarlet crimson colour. It 

 blooms so profusely and continuously 

 as to be always covered with flowers, 

 and the growth is neat and close, re- 



