174 THE FLORIST. 



of the most beautiful of our early hardy climbers. Now all these are 

 perfectly hardy, and will grow trained to a pole or to a wall, with 

 any aspect, even the cold north. The last named is by far the most 

 vigorous, and will make shoots from ten to fifteen feet in length in 

 one season. 



What a very beautiful tree is the double-blossomed Chinese 

 Crab (Pyrus spectabilis) ! My favourite tree is some sixty years old. 

 Nothing that I know of shews more forcibly the variableness of our 

 S])rings than this tree, as the following extract from my gardening 

 "log" will testify: — " 1834, March 14th, some flowers of Pyrus 

 spectabilis open ;" " 1837, May 14th, Pyrus spec, just coming into 

 bloom;" " 1840, April 28th, Pyrus spec, in bloom;" and now, this 

 present May 18th, it is just in full bloom ; its bright rosy buds and 

 pale pink expanded flowers are very beautiful : the tree deserves a 

 place in every garden. 



Sawhridyeworth. T. Rivers. 



ROYAL SOUTH-LOXDOX FLORICULTURAL SOCIETY 

 EXHIBITIOXS, May 22d and June 19th. 



Ox both these occasions many excellent specimens of good garden- 

 ing were produced in the shape of stove and greenhouse plants, as 

 well as in Cape Heaths ; and there were Pelargoniums by the usual 

 growers, which would have done credit to either Chiswick or " the 

 Park." Roses were present, beautiful and fragrant ; and we also 

 noticed some examples of good Calceolaria-growing ; but the yellow 

 ground-colour and the universal brown dot by far too much pre- 

 vailed : we want a few finely-formed blotched varieties interspersed 

 through our collections to give contrast, and thus render them more 

 striking. Orchids were not wanting, and they were by no means 

 allowed " to blush unseen," — the crowd that surrounded them during 

 the afternoon shewed the estimation in which they are held by the 

 public. 



The 22d of May was the Tulip- show, and this favourite Florist's 

 flower was produced in abundance ; but, as a whole, not perhaps in 

 the best of style, although many exquisite gems were observable ; 

 and we regret to say that some good collections were disqualified 

 through inattention to the rules. Among amateurs, the first prize 

 was awarded to Mr. Wallace of Petersham, for Dickson's Duke of 

 Devonshire, Rose Emily, Friend, Fabius, Bijou des Amateurs, 

 Croesus, Unknown Rose, Lord Hawksbury, Aglaia, David, Poly- 

 phemus, and Lavinia ; 2d, to Mr. Betteridge, for Fabius, Musidora, 

 Triomphe Royal, PlatofF, Lady Exeter, Sir Edward Codrington, 

 David, Madame Vestris, Ambassadeur, Catalani, Polyphemus, and 

 Reine de Sheba ; 3d, to Mr. Gurney of Bethnal Green, for Aglaia, 

 Pvoscius, PlatofF, Triomphe Royal, Carlo Dolce, Claudiana, Rubens, 

 Victory, General Bornoville, Sanzio, Minerva, and Gloria Mundi ; 

 4th, to Mr. Venables, for Roscius, Milton, Aglaia, Imperatrix Flo- 



