374 THE GARDENER. [Aug. 



cumstances, are compelled to take little more than labourers' wages. This is the 

 fruit of allowing every ignorant boy who can get work in a garden to call himself 

 at the end of three or four years a gardener. 



"We have been led into these remarks by an extensive acquaintance with the 

 evils we have referred to. Ed] 



• — *>-s^^e«-<,^fs — 



HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 



Royal Horticultural Society's Great Summer Show, South Kensington, 

 June 2d and 3d. — This was a grand exhibition. Competent judges were agreed 

 that it brought together the finest list of plants seen for a long time. But how 

 can magnificent plants be seen to advantage in these horrible arcades ? 



Stove and Greenhouse, Flowering and Fine-foliaged Plants formed one of the 

 main features of the exhibition, and were well represented in the various classes. 

 Mr B. Peed, gardener to Mrs Treadwell, Lower Norwood, S., was first for twelve, 

 with good specimens of Franciscea calycina and confertiflora, Pimelea Hendersoni, a 

 good Erica Cavendishiana, a beautifully grown and flowered Allamanda grandiflora, 

 and Ixora coccinea, and Eriostemon buxifolius, in fine condition. jVIr Wilkie, the 

 Gardens, Oak Lodge, Kensington, was second with Dracophyllum gracile, nicely 

 flowered, Pimelea mirabilis, a good specimen of Erica depressa, Francisca conferti- 

 flora, &c. ; and Mr J. Wheeler came third with well-bloomed specimens of Erica Cav- 

 endishiana, Epacris miniata splendens, Aphelexis rosea, and Darwinia (Genetyllis) 

 tulipifera, &g. In the nurseryman's class for six, Mr B. S. Williams came first 

 with a fine Azalea Brilliant, a well-grown well-flowered Boronia pinnata, Pimelea 

 mirabilis, and a good specimen of Phasnocomo prolifera, &c. ; and Messrs Glen- 

 dinning & Sons second with Polygala oppositifolia, Eriostemon buxifolius, Aphel- 

 exis macrantha purpurea, and Stephanotis floribunda, in good condition. The first 

 for six was taken by Mr J. Ward, with good specimens of Bougainvillea glabra, 

 Clerodendron Balfourianum, Stephanotis floribunda, Aphelexis macrantha pur- 

 purea, &c., all grand and well-furnished specimens. Mr Carr, gardener to P. 1j. 

 Hinds, Esq., was second with fine young vigorous specimens, among themi an ad- 

 mirable bush of Phoenocoma ; and Mr A. Wright, who had fine specimens of 

 Pimelea mirabilis, Ixora coccinea, and Dipladenia amabilis, &c., was third. Mr 

 W. Kemp was placed first for six in 12-inch pots, with tolerable examples of 

 Leschen aultia formosa, Aphelexis humilis rosea, Erica ventricosa coccinea minor. 

 Azalea rosea superba, &c. Mr Wilkie came second, and Mr G. Wheeler third, with 

 plants of a very inferior character. The best specimen stove or greenhouse plant 

 was an admirably -grown freely-flowered Medinilla magnifica, exhibited by Mr 

 Wilkie. Messrs J. & C. Lee took the second prize with a monster specimen of 

 Erica Cavendishiana, and an extra prize was awarded to Messrs Glend inning & 

 Sons, who had a large and finely-flowered Pimelea spectabilis. 



The best nine fine-foliaged plants came from Mr Fairbairn, Syon House Gar- 

 dens, who had a good specimen of Alocasia metallica, Ficus Porteana, a well- 

 grown plant; and a similarly healthy - looking Theophrasta imperialis, Cocos 

 nucifera, very large ; Phoenix farinifera, and a grand Thamnopteris Nidus, &c. 

 Mr W. Taylor, gardener to J. Yates, Esq., Highgate, was second. In his collec- 

 tion were well-grown specimens of Rhopala corcovadesis, Curculigo recurvata, 

 Encephalartos Caffra, Dracaena lineata, and Dion edule ; and Mr Burley, Albert 

 Nursery, Bayswater, third with a well-grown Aralia Sieboldii variegata, Cham- 



