312 TriE FLORIST. 



On entering the banqueting room was a grand display of stove 

 and greenhouse plants on raised platforms. Those shown by Mr. J. 

 Miles, gardener to C. S. Hannington, Esq., took the first prize. 

 Amongst them were Allamanda Schottii, with its large yellow blossoms, 

 Rondeletia speciosa major, with beautiful corymbs of* scarlet flowers, 

 Meyenia erecta, with dark green foliage, deep blue purple blossoms 

 with yellow throat, and Clerodendron fallax. 



The variegated-leaved plants, a most attractive feature in this room, 

 were placed on platforms at each end. To convey a proper idea of the 

 lovely foliage of these favourites would be difficult. Each collection 

 had excellent specimens, and all were greatly and deservedly admired. 

 At the window was a magnificent specimen of Begonia fuchsioides. 

 It was quite six feet high, and one mass of bloom. Mr. C. Green, 

 gardener to Wra. Borrer, Esq., Henfield, had an exceedingly beautiful 

 specimen of Selaginella Martensii. This beautiful moss-like plant was 

 much admired, not only for its lovely green, imbricated, leafy branching 

 stems, but also for its immense size, for it must have been nearly eight 

 feet in circumference. Mr. McKenzie, Bristol Nurseries, presented a 

 beautiful specimen of Phoenocoma proliferum, and Mr. Hudson exhibited 

 a fine plant of Solanum atropurpureum. Turning from these to the 

 centre platform, the display was most exquisite, for there were lovely 

 Achimenes, Gloxinias, cut flowers, Verbenas, and Asters. All the 

 Asters were good, and more beautiful varieties or finer specimens could 

 scarcely be exhibited. We cannot leave this platform without giving 

 a passing notice to the exquisite collection of stove and greenhouse cut 

 flowers, exhibited by Mr. Cameron, Goodwood, and Mr. Hudson, 

 Horsted. Passing from the banqueting room into the yellow drawing 

 room, the visitor was struck by the exhibition of Dahlias, arranged 

 on a double tier of platforms throughout the whole length of the room. 

 Those shown by Mr. Turner, Slough, were exceedingly large, and in 

 the greatest perfection ; so were those by Mr. J. Keynes, Salisbury ; 

 very beautiful also were the fancy varieties, particularly those shown 

 by Mr. J. Keynes, and Mr. C. J. Perry, Birmingham. Mr. Kimberley, 

 Stoke Nursery, near Coventry, and Mr. Legge, of Edmonton, had also 

 splendid collections ; indeed, so beautiful was the exhibition of Dahlias, 

 that the room was crowded with admirers throughout both days. The 

 centre of attraction, however, was the railway cup. This cup is given 

 for the best 24 dissimilar Dahlia blooms, and was obtained by Mr. 

 Dodds, gardener to Colonel Baker, Salisbury. The following seedlings 

 were shown in good condition, viz., Conqueror, Flower of the Day, 

 Pluto, Queen Mab, Sir George Douglass, Dr. Boshel, Delicata, Earl of 

 Shaftesbury, Mrs. W. Piggott, J. Edwards, Neville Keynes, Win. 

 Dodds, Mrs. P. Bailhache, Lady Douglass Pennant, Salamander, 

 Leopard, and the Rev. J. Dix. Of most of these descriptions have already 

 appeared, and we were glad to see the good character formerly given 

 them fully maintained on the present occasion. In the drawing room 

 was a beautiful plant of Cyanophyllum magnificum, whose foliage is 

 most lovely ; it was admired by all. This beautiful gem was shown 

 by Mr. J. Miles, gardener to C. S. Hannington, Esq. 



On entering this room, the rich fragrance of the Roses first directed 



