THE FLOKAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 99 



visited the Floral Bazaar, which was held in the central transept, and the show 

 of flowers had a most charming effect. Strictly it was not a flower show, and 

 hence there were not many novelties, and but few specimen plants, but 

 the ordinary nursery stock of geraniums, roses, heaths, camellias, and 

 cytisuses, backed by a fine collection of camellias and rhododendrons, 

 supplied by the Company to complete the scene, compelled visitors to 

 congregate and admire. The best effect was produced by Messrs. F. T. and 

 A. Smith, of Dulwich, who had lots of geraniums arranged so as to produce a 

 sheet of dazzling crimson the whole length of their stand ; among them were 

 many Gauntlets, Crimson Kings, two of the best of the new forcing geraniums, 

 together with many of the new French spotted race, most beautifully grown, 

 and loaded with blooms on short joints. Mr. Ponsford, of Brixton, had some 

 beautifully grown specimens of Wellingtonea gigantea, and well forced roses ; 

 and Mr. Wood, of Norwood, a pretty collection of alpines ; and there was 

 another good collection of rock plants, from Mr. Atwood, amongst them the 

 lovely Hedera arborea var. Vesta. Mr. Woodroof, of Harrow, had a famous 

 lot of well forced furnishing plants ; among them a number of Miss Trotman 

 Verbena, Marshall Pelissier Geranium, a strong grower in the way of Com- 

 mander. Among the other contributors we noticed good stock from Mr. Ilally, 

 of Blackheath, Mr. Christinas, of Camberwell, and Messrs. Hay and Sangster, 

 of Newington Butts. Mr. Ffersdorff, of Kensal-green, had a unique collection 

 of succulents, many of them ridiculously curious as examples of the vagaries 

 of nature in the vegetable kingdom. The most important to botanical visitors, 

 was the collection of seedling azaleas, rhododendrons, palms, and Chinese 

 shrubs, exhibited by Mr. Standish, of Bagshot, the well-known grower of rare 

 hard-wooded plants; these were indeed superb and novel. The collection 

 included several of the new thuias, berberies, the noble Desfontania, and some 

 showy camellias, and American plants, and though least attractive to the many 

 of the whole Bazaar, did Mr. Standish credit. The pair of Chaimerops humilis, 

 shown by Mr. Standish, would have made splendid specimens for a conserva- 

 tory, and Skimmia japonica in fruit and flower, showed the high capabilities 

 of that noble shrub. 



The Edinburgh Exhibition of Hyacinths, which took place at the Music 

 Hall on the 23rd of March, was successful beyond precedent, and the Scotch 

 gardeners maintained their well-earned position as masters of this favourite 

 flower. There were more than five hundred hyacinths entered for competition, 

 and the first prize Avas borne off by Mr. H. T. H. Douglas, Eosebank, 

 Edinburgh ; the second prize being awarded to the first representative of the 

 hyacinth in the south, Mr. Cutbush, of Highgate. Mr. Douglas's plants were, 

 perhaps, the finest lot of hyacinths ever exhibited, and we may now safely say that 

 Britain can beat Holland, whence we had our first lessons in hyacinth grow- 

 ing, for several Dutch competitors entered the lists with the choicest of Holland- 

 grown specimens, but the honours were divided between England and Scotland. 

 Besides the hyacinths, there was a good show of rhododendrons, azaleas, Cape 

 heaths, and hardy border bulbs. The first prize for rhododendrons was given 

 to Mr. Methven, of Stan well Nursery, and the second prize to Messrs. Cunning- 

 ham aud Fraser, of Comley Bank, hut the judges were puzzled, and placed 

 Messrs. Cunningham second only on account of a slight error in the arrangement 

 of the plants as to proportions of colour. Messrs. Cunningham took the 

 first prize for the best twelve hardy bulbs in pots ; they consisted of narcissi, 

 bulbocodium, scilla, crocus, leucojium, and cyclamen, in varieties. 



The northern capital is to have a new association for the encouragement of 

 horticulture, intended to supplement the declining Caledonian Society. It is to 

 be called the Horticultural Society of Edinburgh, and is to have four classes 

 of subscribers annually — 21s., 10s. 6d., 7s. 6d., and 2s. 6d. ; the lowest rate 

 being intended to place the advantages of the society within reach of cottagers, 

 artizans, and garden assistants. The Earl of Eosslyn has accepted the office 

 of president, and Dr. G. Lawson, that of secretary. 



