106 THE FLORIST, 



difficult to ^row) ; Retorta major, 4 feet; Tricolor, 3|- feet; Ampul- 

 lacea vittata, 3 feet; Shannonii, 3 feet; with equally well-grown 

 examjDles of Cavendishii, Ventricosa coccinea minor, depressa, ele- 

 gans, Massoni, infundibuliformis, gemmifera, &c. 



The stove is 45 feet long by 14 feet wide, with platform in front, 

 and tan-bed in the centre, in which were Allamandas and Ixoras 

 growing most luxuriantly. In this house Rhododendron javanicum, 

 figured in our last, some Orchids, and the beautiful AUamanda neri- 

 folia, were in flower ; the latter is a charming and first-rate thing. 



A range of glass, 18 feet by 14 feet, is divided into three, form- 

 ing two vineries and one peach-house ; these form hybernatories for 

 New Holland and other plants, among which we noticed Aphelexis 

 purpurea, 3^ feet through, Hoveas, Leschenaultias, &c. Hovea pun- 

 gens was in flower, and a charming plant it is ; not so deep and rich 

 in colour, perhaps, as Celsi, yet larger in the flower, and with longer 

 spikes of bloom. 



A pit 85 feet by 6 feet, with divisions, heated with tan and hot 

 water, is found to answer exceedingly well for various stove-plants, 

 particularly some of the Ixoras ; here Crocata, Silicifolia, Alba, and 

 Aurantica, were doing as well as plants could possibly do. 



In addition to the above there is a span-roofed pit 59 feet by 12 

 feet, half for pines and half for stove-plants : the noble Hoya impe- 

 rialis was in flower here. It bids fair to be better next May than it 

 was last ; it was much injured at the first Chiswick show last year 

 by the coldness of the wind. Dipladenias are grown here, and had 

 started and made considerable growth ; Mr. Cole has uniformly good 

 success with this beautiful stove- creeper. 



There are two other pits 45 feet by 16 feet, one of which is for 

 succession Pines, and a span-roofed pit 45 feet by 1 6 feet ; all of which 

 are furnished with well- grown plants of the choicest description. 



One of Spiller's boilers heats the stove and two pits (in all 1050 

 feet of pipe). 



We venture to predict that those who attend our floral exhibitions 

 of 1852 will not be disappointed with the plants from Dartford. But 

 the trouble and labour of growing and taking plants to the exhibition 

 of the dimensions we have been describing, is such as no one can 

 form any conception of who has had no experience in the matter, yet 

 it is accomplished here with no extravagant amount of labour. 



THE EXHIBITIONS OF 1852. 



As nothing but the " Great Exhibition" was heard of in 1851, horti- 

 cultural and floricultural shows were scarcely heeded ; yet, according 

 to the Times, nothing but a Chiswick or Regent's Park fete aflfected 

 the receipts at the Crystal Palace. Our next Number will contain 

 particulars of the first two great Exhibitions of the seasons. We 

 expect, as well as hope, to be enabled to report that great progress 

 has been made in horticultural skill. 



The present Number gives our readers some account of the first 



