SEPTEMBER. 279 



to remain until a second year, will flower finely. They generally 

 flower twice in the season. We have had as many as six spikes of 

 flowers from one pot, and as many as ten blooms open from one pot at a 

 time, presenting a magnificent sight. Some of our flower-stems have 

 been fully four feet high, and four inches in circumference. In one or 

 two cases, we have had four such stems from one bulb, with three 

 blooms on a stem. My largest bulb is 17 inches in circumference. 

 My largest plant is in a pot fifteen inches in diameter, and requires a 

 still larger shift. This season I have fertilised some of the finer 

 varieties, and have now a number of promising plants. 



W. Payne. 



BRITISH POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 July 21. — Mr. Hogg in the chair. The Secretary read a letter from 

 Mr. W. J. Ward, of Headington Hill, near Oxford, concerning the 

 identity of his Strawberry Omar Pacha with Rival Queen and Eliza. 

 He affirmed his variety to have been raised from seed at Prospect Hill, 

 in 1851, from Caroline Pine impregnated with British Queen; sown in 

 a pan as soon as ripe, and planted out the following spring ; that his 

 late employer, W. Stephens, Esq., and he watched them with great 

 interest, and selected Omar Pacha for its superior flavour : that he had 

 sufficient stock in 185-4 to gather from and exhibit, which he did at 

 Regent's Park, Chiswick, Ashford, and Bath, sending fruit also to those 

 whom he considered the best authorities of the day. He accompanied 

 this letter by a copy of the circular which contained their opinions, to 

 show that it was not sent out without a character. He further stated 

 that he does not know Myatt's Eliza, being quite sure that it was never 

 cultivated at Prospect Hill during the fourteen years he was there. 

 Also that he knows nothing of Rival Queen, and that Mr. Tiley bought 

 Omar Pacha of him. It was further reported by a member present that 

 Omar Pacha had been carefully compared with Eliza in a private 

 garden at Winchester, where it had been obtained directly from 

 Mr. Ward. Mr. Ward's letter was considered by the meeting sufficient 

 to clear him from any knowledge of the mistake. Mr. Spary, of 

 Brighton, sent a good and well-ripened bunch of Golden Hamburgh 

 Grape, the fourth he had cut from a graft inserted on the young wood 

 last year. 



Aug. 4. — Annual General Meeting. Mr. Hogg in the chair. The 

 accounts for the past year were laid before the meeting and unanimously 

 approved. They showed the receipts to have been 200/. Is. \\d., and 

 the expenditure 194/. 19s. 2d., which showed a balance to the credit of 

 the society of 5/. 2s. 9d. The secretary reported that, notwithstanding 

 the loss of four members by death and resignation during the past year, 

 the number now upon the list was 232, being 80 more than the cor- 

 rected number reported at the last annual meeting. With reference to 

 office-bearers, F. J. Graham, Esq., of Cranford, and H. Webb, Esq., of 

 Redstone Manor, Reigate, were elected new vice-presidents ; and the 

 following names were added to the Council, viz., E. W. Cox, A. Scrutton, 

 R. Frankum, R. Stains, and J. B. Haig, Esquires ; Messrs. J. Fraser, 



