JULY. 205 



BRISTOL, CLIFTON, AND WEST OF ENGLAND 

 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



This society gave their first floral fete, June 2, in the grounds of the 

 society, Clifton. There was a very large display of horticultural 

 productions staged. The collections of stove and greenhouse plants 

 contained many superb specimens, as did the fine foliaged plants 

 contributed by Mr. Bassett, the Messrs. Maule & Sons, &c. The 

 Orchids shown by this latter firm were beautifully grown and bloomed. 

 Azaleas, Pelargoniums, and Fuchsias, were in great profusion, and 

 generally very creditable to the growers. The show of fruit, though 

 not large, contained some things very superior, and we noticed a very 

 interesting collection of cut flowers, from British plants growing in the 

 neighbourhood, containing many rare species. Local societies would do 

 well to encourage these exhibitions, as they promote a taste for botany 

 (and gardening generally), and induce young people to turn collectors. 

 The committee of this society are most anxious to do all in their power 

 to promote and extend the usefulness of their society by liberality, and 

 we can only hope that their efforts to promote the good of horticulture 

 will be responded to. 



ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY, REGENT'S PARK. 



June 15. — This was an excellent show, and was very well attended. 

 Stove and Greenhouse plants were in great perfection, and so were 

 Cape Heaths and Pelargoniums. The only weak points were Roses in 

 pots and Azaleas, the season for both of which was evidently over. There 

 were, however, some charming boxfuls of cut Roses. The fruit show 

 was an improvement on that held last week at the Crystal Palace. 



Stove and Greenhouse plants were contributed by the usual exhibitors ; 

 but this time considerably the finest large collection was produced by 

 Mr. May,, gardener to J. Spode, Esq., of Hawkesyard, near Rugely. 

 These, although they had travelled nearly 150 miles, were in excellent 

 condition. Among them were admirable samples of Dracophyllum 

 gracile loaded with compact heads of small snow-white blossoms, which 

 are well suited for bouquets ; Allamandas, Dipladenia splendens beauti- 

 fully flowered, Ixora coccinea, Phamocoma proliferum unusually well 

 furnished with showy heads of very fine blossoms, Stephanotis flori- 

 bunda, and Pleroma elegans, the last one of the very handsomest of 

 Melastomads, its flowers being of the most beautiful Tynan purple, and 

 each of them larger than a five shilling piece. They are also more 

 persistent than those of most of the class to which they belong. Mr. 

 Dods, gardener to Sir J. Cathcart, Bart., and Mr. Whitbread, gardener 

 to H. Collyer, Esq., were placed equal in point of merit. In these 

 groups were fine specimens of the well-known Mahernia incisa, Alla- 

 mandas, Ixoras, including the fine example of the Willow-leaved kind, 

 to which attention was directed in our report of the Crystal Palace. 

 This may safely be asserted to be one of the best of the genus. Its 

 great heads of showy flowers of a brilliant orange colour stand well up 



