260 THE FLORIST. 



MEYENIA ERECTA. 



The following is Messrs. Rollissons' account of this pretty plant, the 

 representation of which we gave last month : — 



We received our new plant, the Meyenia, from Sierra Leone in 

 1854 ; it was first discovered by Dr. Vogel, in the Niger expedition, 

 and has been described in the ' Niger Flora,' by Sir Wm. Hooker, and 

 upon our sending over to Kew last year a plant in flower, Sir William 

 wrote us word, that he was most happy to see we had succeeded in 

 procuring the most beautiful plant of the south-west coast of Africa. 



We find it most easy of culture, growing very freely in an inter- 

 mediate house or stove. It is of shrubby habit and admirably adapted 

 for purposes of exliibition. The blossoms are produced in the greatest 

 profusion from the axils of the leaves, and are shaped somewhat afler 

 the style of a large Achimenes flower, but with a tube considerably 

 larger (about two inches in length). The flowers are of a beautiful 

 bluish purple, much superior to Thunbergia chrysops, with a distinct 

 yellow eye or throat. 



William Rollisson & Sons. 



Tooting. 



BRADFORD FLORAL SOCIETY. 



Within a few years past Bradford has become a second Manchester in 



importance, and has given birth to an annual flower show, which, if 



carried on with vigorous and sound management, promises to become 



one of the best in the provinces. At their annual show on the 21st 



and 22nd of August, we noticed much that was deserving of praise, and 



found much in which there is room for considerable improvement. The 



cut flowers in general were very poor, although present in great 



abundance. The Dahlias were very inferior, especially in the single 



specimen classes, and a very large number was staged, not one in 



twenty of which was deserving of an award. In short, they seem to 



have been cut indiscriminately, without any reference whatever to 



quality, many of the flowers having no centres whatever. It may be 



urged that the season is late, and that Dahlia blooms were not in good 



condition in the north. It may be so, but the fault rests wholly with 



the growers, who do not take the necessary steps to insure good blooms 



earlier in the season. Hollyhocks were shown by several exhibitors, 



but in no instance were they even of average quality ; and of Picotees, 



Carnations, Pinks, and Pansies, the least said the better. Some of the 



Asters and Marigolds were very good, and a stand of twenty-four 



Dahlias, exhibited by Mr. Schoiield, of Leeds, and which obtained the 



first prize, stood out in striking contrast to the others ; and yet these 



flowers were by no means such as we like to see, as they were very 



large, but like the majority of northern grown flowers, in which size is 



preferred to quality. Such is the rule in the northern districts, and the 



farther north we go, and especially beyond the borders, we shall find 



