THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 221 



HORTICULTUEAL NOTES. 



UNE has been characterized this year by the preva- 

 lence of cold easterly winds, and an almost total absence 

 of sun, and the fruit crops throughout the country 

 have suffered severely, and their appearance has under- 

 gone a wonderful change during the month. In many 

 parts of the country, especially in some districts in the neighbour- 

 hood of the metropolis, the currant-bushes and other fruit-trees have 

 almost been killed by the attacks of the aphis, and in some orchards 

 the apple-trees are well-nigh denuded of fruit, and the prospect at 

 present is anything but cheering. The heavy rains with which we 

 have been favoured during the month have in some cases assisted in 

 clearing currant-bushes of the aphis ; but the best remedy, because 

 the most simple and effectual, has been dusting the trees with new- 

 slaked lime when the foliage was moist with dew. Dusting the 

 trees with lime quite spoils the fruit ; but it is hardly necessary to 

 say that when the trees are so badly infested as they have been 

 in many parts of the country this year, a great risk exists of their 

 being killed outright, unless remedial measures are resorted to before 

 the insect pests have established themselves firmly. 



The temperature has also been extremely low, and the tender 

 bedding-plants, such as Alternantheras and Coleus, have hardly been 

 able to stand their ground, and the possibility of their making new 

 growth has been out of the question, and the summer will in all pro- 

 bability be far advanced before the flower garden— unless the 

 situation is exceptionally favourable — can present a very brilliant 

 appearance. 



The exhibitions of horticultural and floricultural produce have 

 been unusually numerous, both in the metropolis and the provinces, 

 but, excepting the exhibition held at Manchester, which was 

 attended by upwards of 50,000 visitors, and the exhibition held at 

 Nottingham, under the auspices of the Eoyal Horticultural Society, 

 none of them were above mediocrity. The most interesting features 

 of the metropolitan exhibitions have been the new plants and new 

 florists' flowers, and the most important of the latter were the new 

 large-flowering show pelargoniums exhibited by Mr. C. Turner, 

 Slough, on behalf of E. B. Foster, Esq., Clewer Manor, which will 

 probably be sent out next spring ; and Dr. Denny's new zonal 

 pelargoniums, now in course of distribution by Mr. W. Paul, Wal- 

 tham Cross. The latter are, in their respective colours, a wonderful 

 advance on all existing varieties, and will, when they become well 

 known, find their way into every collection of geraniums in the 

 country. To overpraise them is almost impossible, and those who 

 are interested in this useful class of plants, who did not see them 

 when exhibited during the season, will do well, if they have the 

 opportunity, to pay a visit to the Waltham Nurseries some time 

 during the summer. The following brief description will convey a 

 fair idea of the colour of the flowers, and also of the general cha- 

 racter of the plants ; and, to show that their merits are not over- 



