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THE JUNE EXHIBITIONS. 



June, with all the "glories we are wont to 

 associate with it, has been tenfold more 

 glorious than usual this summer, for those 

 whose interests are associated with the cul- 

 ture and exhibition of flowers. In London, 

 we have had a series of grand exhibitions, 

 equal in their splendour and success to the 

 greatest triumphs of old times at Chiswick, 

 and, in some respects, surpassing all former 

 exhibitions on record or in memory. The 

 results of the past summer have been this 

 season specially exemplified in the gjofuse 

 blooming of camellias, azaleas, rhododen- 

 drons, and kalmias, which, having ripened 

 their wood to perfection last year, have this 

 season shown how essential to future effect 

 is a thorough maturation of the growth of 

 the year. At the Royal Botanic, at Cre- 

 morne Gardens, at Bagshot, and wherever 

 the so-called " American Plants " have been 

 on view, the public eye has been satiated 

 with colour; and, in private collections, 

 everywhere, the free blooming by such 

 plants has been a subject of daily exulta- 

 tion as long as they lasted. That class is 

 now pretty well over, but private purchasers 

 have had every possible opportunity of 

 making selections, as to colour and habit, to 

 improve their plantations and conservatories; 

 and the perfection to which the growers of 

 these plants have brought them, and the 

 numerous improvements that have resulted 

 from hybridization, render American plants, 

 more than ever this season, objects of 

 peculiar interest. In our visits to the 

 several exhibitions, we have noted down 

 many items for the consideration of our 

 readers, which we shall submit from time 

 to time, as opportunities present them- 

 selves. First, among the events of the 

 month, was the second exhibition of the 



Royal Botanic, Regent's, Park, which 

 was largely made up of plants shown at the 

 Crystal Palace, on the 22nd of May. Stove 

 and greenhouse plants were numerous, and 

 produced a splendid effect. The first prizes 

 for them were awarded to Mr. Whitbread, 

 gardener to H. Collyer, Esq., and to Mr. 

 Dods, gardener to Sir J. Cathcart, Bart. 

 Azaleas were pretty well gone, but Chelsonii, 

 sent by Messrs. Lane, presented a dazzling 

 sheet of orange, and may be set down as 

 one of the most effective when grown to 

 specimen size. The pelargoniums were the 

 principal attraction, and, as usual, Mr. Tur- 

 ner carried all before him. His collection 

 of twelve consisted of the following : — 

 Admirable, Marvellous, Standard, Sym- 

 metry, Wonderful, Lucy, Una, Sanspariel, 

 Carlos, Governor-General, Viola, and Rose 

 Celestial. Messrs. Dobson had Arab, Gem 



of the West, Carlos, Arethusa, Admirable, 

 Sanspariel, Governor- General, Eclipse, Lucy, 

 Euphemia, Rosa, and Eveline Among pri- 

 vate growers, Mr. Foster and Mr. Beck, 

 gentlemen of about equal eminence as 

 raisers, were close competitors. Mr. Nye, 

 gardener to Mr. Foster, was first with Agues, 

 Meteora, Fair Ellen, Lucy, Wonderful, Viola, 

 Saracen, Sanspariel, Prince of Wales, and 

 Carlos. Mr. Wiggins, gardener to Mr. Beck, 

 came second with Governor-General, Carlos, 

 Fanny, Emperor, Sanspariel, Sunset, Won- 

 derful, Gem of the West, Euphemia, and 

 Hesperus. In fancy pelargoniums, Mr. Tur- 

 ner took the lead with six plants of extra- 

 ordinary beauty ; they were Celestial, Cas- 

 sandra, Cloth of Silver, Evening Star, 

 Bridesmaid, and Madame Sontag ; and who- 

 ever would make a bold step forward in this 

 class must add all the six to their collection, 

 if not possessed of them already. Messrs. 

 Frazer had Jenny Lind, Conspicuum, Ma- 

 dame Sontag, Delicatum, Evening Star, and 

 Celestial. In this class, the winning private 

 growers were Mr. Bousie, gardener to the 

 Hon. H. Labouchere, M.P., and Mr. James, 

 gardener to Mr. Watson, of Isleworth. 

 There was a fine bank of seedling pelar- 

 goniums, some of which w r e noted as likely 

 to make a sensation hereafter, namely, 

 Ariel, a finely-formed light flower, appa- 

 rently of first-rate habit ; Lightning, a rich 

 crimson, with top petals nearly black, fine, 

 but not strikingly differing from varieties 

 we have already ; Leviathan, purple and 

 large, and well suited for specimen culture, 

 to relieve white kinds by contrast; and 

 Countess of Shaftesbury, light and cheerful, 

 and of a class it is quite desirable to multi- 

 ply. A fine dark fancy, called Negro, re- 

 ceived a certificate ; it is a rich flower, dark 

 maroon, with white centre and edges most 

 regularly marked and effective. Larkfield 

 Rival, though not successful, will become a 

 popular variety, and may prove useful for 

 bedding. It is like Virginium, but with 

 shorter footstalks, and, as a free bloomer, 

 will probably prove a good market flower. 

 At the Chiswick show the same plant 

 arrested our attention, and we noted it as 

 " useful." 



Roses were barely up to the mark ; the 

 sun had been too fierce for them, and the 

 freshness of the first blooms was over. 

 Messrs. Lane were the winners of first 

 prizes in this class, but .Mr. Paul trod 

 close on the heels of his Berkampstead 

 rival. The pretty new yellow rose, Madame 

 William, was in beautiful condition, and 

 may be safely classed as a desirable novelty, 

 which should be added to collections, now 



