148 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



promising to become rich in yellow roses. 

 Orchids and ferns were well shown, so were 

 fruits, pine-apples, and grapes especially. 

 The first prize was taken by Mr. Bailey, 

 Shardeloes, for a handsome Providence pine, 

 weighing ten pounds. Among new plants, 

 the lovely Clianthus Dampieri, from Messrs. 

 Veitch, Rhododendron Maddeni, from Messrs. 

 E. G. Henderson ; and Azalea invictissima, 

 from Mr Waterer, of Bagshot, were specially 

 interesting. The Clianthus we shall notice 

 next month, with the help of an engraving. 

 The grand out-door feature at the Regent's 

 Park, last month, was the show of rhodo- 

 drons, occupying an acre of ground, by Mr. 

 John Waterer. The selection of sorts was 

 equal to the manner in which the plants 

 had been bloomed and grown, and was such 

 a show as only a Bagshot grower could pro- 

 duce. Many of the specimens were of im- 

 mense size, and covered with bloom from 

 head to foot. 



The Chiswick Summer Show was the 

 fete of the season, and though the Royal Bo- 

 tanic and Crystal Palace have divided interests 

 with the ancient home of horticulture, and 

 the society itself has passed through a fiery 

 ordeal, the 9th and 10th of June will be 

 long and agreeably remembered by all who 

 enjoyed the luxurious turf and the pleni- 

 tude of green shade, the music of the pro- 

 menading band, or the right royal display 

 of the wealth of a thousand gardens, stoves, 

 and greenhouses. The proximity of the 

 river, which at Chiswick ceases to be foetid : 

 the communications with the grounds at 

 Chiswick House, which enabled visiters to 

 leave the show and enjoy the results of the 

 skill and taste of one of the most munifi- 

 cent patrons of horticulture ; and the rich 

 fullness of the gardens themselves, and the 

 practical illustrations of horticultural art 

 which abound in the orchard, kitchen gar- 

 den, and shrubberies, suffice to sustain the 

 genius of the spot, who, for handmaidens, 

 claims Flora, Pomona, and Ceres — a happy 

 and a beauteous trio. The gardens were 

 profusely decorated with ornamental works 

 in iron and stone, comprising jardinieres, 

 seats, arches, vases, fountains, &c. ; and the 

 show of implements included mowing ma- 

 chines, machines for irrigation, and minor 

 things in every variety, from Gidney's shil- 

 ing cucumber-slicer — to illustrate the use of 

 which cucumbers were plentifully supplied 

 and freely eaten — to huge peach-houses 

 and complete conservatories. Having made 

 special note of several of these things, we 

 shall from time to time illustrate and de- 

 scribe such as appear to us most likely to 

 be useful to our amateur readers, and this 

 month we give illustrations of a selected 

 few. 



On Tuesday, the day before the show, a 

 trial of mowing-machines took place. The 

 machines were 22-inch, worked b}' hand, 

 and the ground selected was parcelled out 

 by lot, Colonel Challoner and Mr. Edward 

 Easton, being the judges. The determina- 

 tion of comparative excellence was arranged 

 by giving points, sixty points being perfec- 

 tion. Perfection for work, construction, and 

 lightness of draught. Four machines were 

 submitted to trial, with the following re- 

 sults, which we quote in the original tabu- 

 lar form, as most convenient for reference, 

 merely premising that the time allowed for 

 the trial was (3 minutes 35 seconds: — 



Early on Wednesday morning, Her 

 Majesty and the Prince Consort took a pri- 

 vate view, which occasioned a night of hard 

 work to the employees to prepare for ; Her 

 Majesty (guess why ?), declining on this occa- 

 sion to associate with her loving subjects. 



The grand feature of the show, especially 

 to botanical eyes, was a conservatory — the 

 large one — half full of stove plants, con- 

 tributed by Messrs. Yeitch, but not for 

 competition. Here was Clianthus Dampieri 

 again, numerous orchids, including Cattleya 

 mossiaj in perfection, Dendrobium dmsiflo- 

 rum, several Vandas, the lovely Laelia pur- 

 purata, Aerides Lobbi and Maculosum, Sac- 

 calobium curviiidium, and a multidude of 

 Phalaenopsis, with their pretty white but- 

 terfly flowers. It was worth anything to 

 see the pitcher plants, so superbly grown, 

 and illustrating 'the vast resources in high- 

 class plant culture of the Messrs. Veitch. 

 There was a portion cut off the curious lat- 

 tice plant of Madagascar, the Ouvirandria 

 fenestralis, which is like a pattern in lace, 

 the leaves being wholly reticulated, and 

 with no parenchyma between the thread- 

 like ribs, which are arranged with almost 

 mathematical precision under the water in 

 which the plant flourishes. Some specimen 

 Dicksonias, the climbing Lygodiums, and 

 cither exotic ferns, many charming lycopods, 

 and a few conifers and palms added much 

 to the beauty of this fine collection. The 

 remainder of the conservatory was similarly 

 occupied with foliage-plants and ferns, and 



