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GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. 

 The anniversary dinner of this excellent charity took place at the 

 London Tavern, on Wednesday, the 11th of June, and was well 

 attended; S.r Joseph Paxton, M.P., in the chair, supported by Sir 

 Charles Fox, Frank Crossley, Esq, M.P., J.J. Mechi, Esq., imd 

 several gentlemen, nurserymen, and many of the leading gardeners- 

 The interests of the institution were ably advocated by Sir Joseph 

 Paxton, and donations to the amount of 270/. were announced dur i g 

 the evening. A liberal supply of fruit was contributed by several 

 friends of the charity, and a bank of Geraniums and other plants behind 

 the chair added very much to the decorations of the room. These were 

 gratuitously contributed by Mr. Charles Turner, Messrs. Henderson 

 and Son, and other nurserymen. 



On the 9th mst. an election of two pensioners on the funds of the 

 charity will take place, and subscribers of one guinea per annum are 

 entitled to two votes. We cannot too earnestly recommend the institu- 

 tion to the notice of our readers, to many of whom the amount of the 

 subscription is but a trifle, whilst to the charity it is a gain. There 

 are .ixboen candidates at the next election, their ages ranging from 

 54 to 83 years of age, and the greater tiie funds at the disposal of the 

 committee the more they will be able to increase the number of pen- 

 sioners. 



THE AMERICAN EXHIBITION IN THE REGENT'S PARK. 

 On the occasion of the Royal Botanic Society's June show, these plants 

 were in perfection, and it is scarcely possible to see a grander disi.lay 

 of flowers at one time. The immense undulated banks of Rhododen- 

 drons were a complete mass of flower, and away in the distance could 

 be seen a magnificent tree— which seemed to look almost contemptu- 

 ously on its smaller companions — of Lady Eleanor Cathcart, towering 

 above the rest. There is this year an improvement in the arrange- 

 ment of the ground, and the plants are exclusively Rhododendrons. 

 We last year described many of the best varieties in the preceding 

 exhibition, and on the present occasion we particularly noticed — 

 Mr. Johr> Waterer, a very fine variety, deep scarlet with dark spots. This 



should be in every collection, as it is one of the finest, if not the finest 



of the scarlets, and is a free bloomer. 

 Mrs. John Waterer, pale rosy scarlet with spots, fine truss ; a fitting com- 

 panion for the other, and of a different shade of colour. 

 Lady Eleanor Cathcart, soft salmon blush, with very dark spots, very free 



bloomer. This is a beautiful variety, of great merit. 

 Brayanum, soft rosy scarlet, fine form and truss. This is an exceedmgly 



fine variety, worthy to be in every collection. 

 Concessum, delicate blush pink with warm pink margin, good form and 



truss. A very fine light variety, of great beauty, an<l a good bloomer. 

 Fleur de Marie, light rose with bright salmon rose margm, good form, but 



rather loose truss. A variety possessing beautiful colours and much 



to recommend it. 



NEW SERIES, VOL. VI., NO. LXVII, ^ 



