THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 75 



gauge, and with the self-registering thermometers and cheap barometers 

 of Negretti, Cassella, or Cox, even the cottage home might be furnished 

 with a set of meteorological instruments, and the simple use of decimals 

 would render the task of making periodical averages as recreative as 

 it is simple. A gardener unskilled in meteorology, has learnt but half 

 his business. 



So many miscellaneous matters call for notice this month, that we must touch 

 on each but briefly. As the season advances, the activity of the Horticultural 

 interest manifests itself in exhibitions and other transactions in which the world 

 is advertised of feats accomplished, in progress, or in contemplation. The 

 Crystal Palace is very gay, and has long been so with camellias, hyacinths, 

 primulas, tulips, divlytras, narcissi, cinerarias, genistas, and variegated plants, 

 all of which are admirably forced, and the successions liberally kept up. On 

 the 1-lth, loth, and 16th of the present month, a Floral Bazaar will be held in 

 the Palace, for the exhibition and sale of flowers. Messrs. Cutbush, of High- 

 gate, have again cut a brave figure in hyacinths, and their show-houses have 

 been the resort of flower-loving people, not only from the metropolis, but from 

 distant parts of the country, for many weeks' past, and as the show is not yet 

 over, there is time for those who have not seen it, to make acquaintance with 

 the best collection of the best grown plants anywhere to be seen in the south of 

 Englar.il. Messrs. Chandler, of Wandsworth, are exhibiting their splendid col- 

 lection of camellias, now in their full glory of crimson and snow white, many 

 of the specimens being of immense size. At Exeter, Messrs. Lucombe and 

 Prince invite the lovers of spring flowers to their large camellia house, which is 

 now filled with magnificent specimens of the most noted varieties, loaded with 

 thousands of blooms, and tastefully arranged with bulbous flowers, variegated 

 plants, and azaleas, so as to produce a charming scene. We passed through the 

 nursery of the Messrs. Sutton, during a driving snow, on the morning of the 

 3rd of March, and a rapid glance at the houses sufficed to convince us that the 

 good people of Reading need not go far any time this month, to see camellias 

 and azaleas in perfection. Next season the glory of the camellia shows will be 

 enhanced by the addition of the new variety, reticulata ft. pi., of which Mr. 

 Standish, of Bagshot, is preparing a large stock to meet the great demand for 

 it, but none will go out till next autumn. It was figured last year in the 

 ''Botanical Magazine," and in Van Houttes "Flore des Serres," but though its 

 high character was unmistakeably indicated in each of those works, the flower 

 from which the first sketch was made was past its prime, so that it may fairly be 

 expected to surpass either of those representations. We have seen another unpub- 

 lished drawing, which we believe is in progress of engraving, and as therein re- 

 presented, the flower measures six inches across, the form such as to satisfy the 

 nicest connoisseur of properties, and the petals, of a bright, rosy carmine, are of 

 great substance. It will be one of the finest of conservatory plants, and a 

 feature at exhibitions for many years to come. 



Lovers of the chrysanthemum will be pleased to hear that the Horticultural 

 Society purpose combining with their next autumn fruit show, an exhibition of 

 this truly metropolitan flower. Stoke Newington need be in no alarm ; its old 

 society, the first of the kind established, has parted at the root into two divisions, 

 and each division will have its own exhibition, and still leave room for a dozen 

 others in London, all in the same week, if need be. Indeed, the Newington exhi- 

 bitions are fixed for the 9th and 10th of November*, respectively, and the gather- 

 ing at St. James's Hall will take place on the 17th and 18th. Chrysanthemum 

 growers should one and all procure the March number of "The Florist," in 

 which Mr. Salter's two new beauties, Aimee Feriere, and Progne, are beauti- 

 fully figured by Mr. Andrews. Aimee Feriere belongs to the same class as 

 Hermine ; the silvery white petals are tipped with delicate rose pink, and 

 the symmetry of the flower and regular incurving of the petals, give it the 



