154 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



member of the trade in the improvement of the Cyclamen, exhibited 

 a grand group of medium-sized plants, which were so brilliant in 

 colour as to quite astonish those who had only been accustomed to 

 the common varieties in cultivation. To overpraLe Cyclamens for 

 winter decoration would be difficult, and those who are anxious to 

 obtain the greatest amount of pleasure possible from their cultiva- 

 tion, should first secure seed from a first-rate strain, and then save 

 seed from the very best flowers they have in their collection. Seed- 

 bearing is, however, very injurious to the health of the plants, and 

 not more than two pods of seed should be allowed to mature on each 

 plant, because if more than that number is allowed to remain, the 

 plants will in all probability break badly the following season, and 

 those that are the most heavily taxed will in all probability entirely 

 perish. 



The only exhibitor of Amaryllis was Mr. Baxter, gardener to 

 C. Keiser, Esq., Broxbourne, who is undoubtedly the most successful 

 grower of there gorgeous flowers we have, for he has taken all 

 the first prizes offered by the London Societies, both this season 

 and last, and with plants that have certainly not been surpassed. 

 It would serve no useful purpose to give the names of the varieties 

 staged by Mr. Baxter, because he has been most successful in raising 

 new varieties, and the collections staged consisted entirely of varieties 

 of his own raising, many of which have received first-class certificates. 

 As Mr. Baxter contributed a paper on the cultivation of these plants 

 in the Floral World for August, 1869, there is no reason why 

 all who read this, provided, of course, they have the convenience, 

 should not he as successful as himself in cultivating them. It is 

 very generally supposed that a very high temperature is essential to 

 a vigorous growth, but it will be recollected that in the paper 

 referred to it is distinctly stated that a temperature intermediate 

 between the greenhouse and stove is all that is required. 



Many other interesting things were shown, but, excepting the 

 fine collection of hardy herbaceous plants from Mr. AYare, of the 

 Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, and the collections of Pot Boses 

 from Mr. W. Paul, Waltham, and Messrs. Veitch and Son, Chelsea, 

 they were not of sufficient importance to merit attention here. It 

 is worthy of remark, however, that in the competition for the prizes 

 offered for Cucumbers, both first and second prizes for white-spined 

 varieties were awarded to Blue Gown, a fine variety sent out by Mr. 

 Turner, of Slough, which is unquestionably the finest cucumber of 

 its class for exhibition yet sent out. This cucumber averages an inch 

 and a-half in diameter and twenty-four inches long, is very smooth, 

 with scarcely any handle, and with proper care can be had as straight 

 as a gun-barrel. At the last meeting at Kensington Mr. Turner 

 exhibited a plant of Turner's Prolific Black Spine, growing in 

 a ten-inch pot, to show its productive qualities. The plant, although 

 only about thirty inches in height, had nine or ten fruit, averaging 

 twelve inches in length, and most of them were full grown. A 

 better proof of its productiveness could not possibly be had, and as 

 the fruit is of excellent flavour, it can be highly recommended for 

 ordinary consumption. Long cucumbers, excepting for exhibition, 



