JULY. 197 



glass frame about one foot high on the side, with arrangements for 

 giving air and cuttiwg the grass. By this process Asparagus is obtained 

 of excellent quality and with httle trouble. Glass frames have this 

 advantage over wooden ones : they admit light, and the grass has in 

 consequence the green colour and flavour of out-door produce. The 

 beds are forced each alternate year, and have been now worked for 20 

 years, and appear as strong and as good as four year old beds. Mr. 

 Sandars informed us he allowed the dung to remain between the beds 

 the year they rested, which materially helped the beds, and he did not 

 find cutting the roots away where the trenches were cleared out for 

 forcing at all injure the plants, as the fact of their lasting so long 

 sufficiently demonstrates. 



We have overrun our space, and some other notes we made must 

 stand over, and we cannot conclude without thanking Mr. Sanders for 

 his kindness in imparting to us the many interesting points in his 

 practice. 



ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY, REGENT'S PARK. 

 May 28. — This, the first exhibition of this Society this season, was in 

 every respect first-rate. Generally, however, the plants were the same 

 as those exhibited at the Crystal Palace on the 24th, and which were 

 fully described by us in our last number. No prizes were offered for 

 fruit on this occasion, and as a matter of course none was shown. 

 The number of new plants was also very limited. Azaleas, pot Roses, 

 Orchids, and Pelargoniums were fresh and most gorgeous. Mr. Beck 

 changed places with Mr. Foster on this occcasion with Pelargoniums, 

 I\Ir. Foster being first at the Crystal Palace, but second only here. 

 The prizes generally were taken by the same exhibitors as at the 

 Palace. Florists' flowers in a cut state were far from being plentiful ; 

 there was, however, a fine collection of Tulips, 72 blooms, embracing 

 many of the leading kinds. Pansies were not good ; the only collection 

 well coloured was from Mr. James, of Isleworth. Seedling Pelargoniums 

 consisted of Viola (Hoyle), Matilda (Hoyle), Rose Raglart (Hoyle), 

 Conspicuum (Turner), Mr. Hoyle (Turner), Carminatum (fancy), 

 Emperor (ditto), Helen Faucit (ditto). The few new plants shown 

 were contributed by Messrs. Veitch, Messrs. Henderson, and Mr. 

 Linden. Mr. Barnes, of Bicton, sent cones and catkins of Araucaria 

 imbricata. The afternoon, unfortunately, was wet, preventing many 

 from enjoying one of the best, if not the best exhibition of the season. 



June 18. — This, the second show, was very successful, both as 

 regards the collections of plants and company. The day was very fine. 

 On this occasion there was the additional attraction of fruit, and the 

 wonderful exhibition of American plants alluded to elsewhere. There 

 were not so many large specimens of stove and greenhouse plants 

 perhaps as we have formerly seen, but what were shown were generally 

 well flowered and fresh. Pot Roses were not so good as they were last 

 month, and the out-door Roses, being late, this beautiful class of flowers 

 was by no means strongly represented. 



Large collections of stove and greenhouse plants came from Mr. May, 



