THE FLORIST. 217 



our now not unknown friend Mitraria coccinea, which is said to be 

 hardy in Devonshire ; but we fear it will not prove so about London. 

 Its large tubular scarlet flowers are very handsome. Next in merit 

 is Abronia umbellata, a trailing plant, bearing globular tufts of lilac 

 blossoms. This may possibly prove a useful thing. A line of 

 groups of six stove and greenhouse plants brings us to the exhibi- 

 tion of Fuchsias, which were, to say the best of them, " sorry affairs." 

 But among them we saw, and with delight, a standard plant of F. 

 corymbiflora and its white -tubed variety grafted together ; and 

 although this plan of grafting two opposite colours on the same 

 stock may be denominated Cockney taste, yet it had a very 

 good effect. The light-coloured variety is very pretty and new. 

 We believe that it is only in the possession of Air. Salter of Ham- 

 mersmith, by whom it was shewn. Mr. Turner of Slough had a 

 large and promising dark variety of Fuchsia named FalstaiF, and a 

 pretty blush Verbena with a rosy centre. The opposite side of this 

 tent was filled with cut Roses, from Messrs. Lane, Paul, Francis, 

 Foster, Hermann, Parsons, Terry, Wood, Tivey, and Slowe ; and 

 these were backed up by specimen plants and the different kinds 

 of Achimenes, — and we had nearly forgotten to mention a large 

 purple Petunia from Mr. Conway. The Roses being abundant were 

 very interesting while fresh ; but they suffered much from heat as 

 the day advanced. Among them we did not remark any thing very 

 new or striking. 



At the end of the next tent we found the fruit, and this time 

 there was something to look at, for it was exhibited in quantity; 

 and among rarities, we noticed ripe pods of Vanilla, and very highly 

 perfumed ; also Nutmegs, Cloves, and Allspice, — all from the glass- 

 houses of the Dowager Duchess of Northumberland at Syon. Then, 

 passing by some stove and greenhouse plants, we come to the Or- 

 chids, which were again brought forward in all their freshness and 

 gaiety, and deserved and received as much admiration as ever. In 

 large groups, Mr. Rucker stood first, and Mr. Warner second. In 

 tens, Mr. Schroder gained the first prize, and Mr. Dobson the 

 second. In Mr. D.'s group we remarked the same Oncidium am- 

 pliatum majus that was exhibited so fine in May, still in good 

 bloom, though of course past its best, shewing what an invaluable 

 variety it is for the cultivator of limited means. Mr. Jack, gardener 

 to R. G. Loraine, Esq., had the best group of six ; Mr. Warner 

 shewed the rare and beautiful Cattleya bulbosa ; Messrs. Veitch the 

 handsome Cycnoches barbatum ; and a beautiful variety of Cypri- 

 pedium barbatum. A group of " odds and ends" past, we reach 

 Mr. Collyer's collection of thirty stove and greenhouse plants, which 

 were this time in beautiful condition, and nicely arranged both as 

 regards size and colour. This was a great improvement on his last 

 exhibition, and it was the opinion of many in the morning that he 

 would be first ; but the result proved in favour of Mrs. Lawrence, 

 whose collection occupied the opposite side of the tent. This con- 

 sisted of large, and certainly very fine plants ; and among them we 

 must not omit to mention the old-fashioned Cape Relhania squarrosa, 



VOL. II. no. xx. R 



