316 THE FLOKAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



same place produced a great impression on the public mind, both in fiivour of horti- 

 cultural pursuits, and of sympatliy with this society, which devotes the profits of 

 its exhibitions to the benevolent fund recently instituted in behalf of aged and 

 afflicted gardeners. 



At the meeting held on the 10th, the president, Wm. Marshall, Esq., in the 

 chair, there was a particularly interesting exhibition of plants and flowers. The 

 president called attention to a beaiitilul novelty, La^lia elegaus v. Marshallii. The 

 sepals are ecjuidistaut, and narrower than the petals, and all alike coloured a rich 

 rosy-purple. The lip is boldly produced, the colour deep velvety purple, white at 

 the base. Mr. Howard, gardener to J. Brand, Esq., Balham, brought a splendid 

 specimen of Saccolabium Blumei in a basket; it had two finely developed spikes, 

 quite two feet in length, and was in every respect a proof of skilful cultivation. 

 Mr. Laing, of Str«atham, brought a plant of Miltouia spectabilis smothered with 

 flowers, which were remarkably well coloured. Mr. Cannell, of Woolwich, exhi- 

 bited three new and fine Petunias. Marquis de St. Innocent is a fine double purple of 

 great substance and delicious perfume. Madame H. Aubenne is double, of great 

 size, and very distinct in make and character, the colours white and crimson. La 

 Coquette is single, white with rosy bars, the colour forming a star on a white 

 ground. Mr. Cannell also presented Tropreolum compactum Scarlet Gem, on v/hich 

 Messrs. Ilibberd and Kirtland reported, having seen it growing before it left the 

 raiser's hands, that it was of compact, neat, dwarf habit, forming a low bush, and 

 produced in great abundance scarlet flowers of the finest quality. A first-class 

 certificate was awarded it. Mr. Baker brought Apios tuberosa, a pretty sweet- 

 scented papilionaceous plant, the flowers of which are dull purple, and produced ia 

 compact thyrses. Mr. Wilson, gardener to W. Marshall, Esq., sent a prettily varie- 

 gated plant of common celery ; this is of no value, though interesting as a curiosity. 

 Mr. Hibberd submitted a seedling plant of Adiantum Farleyense, which was stated 

 to be a fair sample of a large batch of seedlings. The fronds were about six inches 

 long, and had the character of a rich form of A. capillus veneris, the peculiar cha- 

 racters of Farleyense making their first appearance in the more mature fronds, 

 which were already seeding. From the same, examples of a batch of Tuberoses just 

 then coming into bloom, and which were brought before the meeting to exemplify 

 the simple manner in which this beautiful plant might be grown. Mr. Hibberd 

 stated that he had departed from the ordinary routine of potting and placing on 

 bottom-heat in January, because that resulted in the production of flowers in June, 

 when they were much less needed than from the present time to Christmas, which 

 ■would be the range of the flowering season of the plants treated as these were. 

 The bulbs were potted in the early part of April, and were kept almost dry till the 

 middle of May, when there were indications at the crowns of the bulbs that growth 

 had commenced. They were then supplied with water occasionallj', but were still 

 kept almost dry, and were put near the glass. By the middle of June they were 

 growing freely, and were allowed plenty of water, and had thrown up fine spikes, 

 the forwardest of which were then just showing the white of their yet unexpanded 

 flowers. 



Crvstal Palace Autumn Show, Sept. 16. — This was a very entertaining and 

 effective exhibition, occupying the greater part of both ends of tlie nave— that is to 

 say, right and left of the Handel orchestra. As the filling of one end of the nave 

 makes a good display — as, for example, on tbe occasion of the Eose Show — the 

 extent of the present exhibition is some criterion of its merit. As for the flowers 

 generally, they were good, German asters were excellent, though the French kinds 

 Were scarcely up to the mark. Dahlias, asters, and roses occupied the whole 

 length of the cool end of the nave. End fruits and miscellanies the tropical end. 

 Between the two was a fine display of gladioli. The fruit show was not up to the 

 mark ; but there were some noble subjects, as, for example, a set of pot vines from 

 Messrs. Lane and Son, done in their very best style ; some splendid bunches of 

 grapes from vai'ious exhibitors ; a collection of twenty varieties of nuts from Mr. 

 Webb, of Calcot, Beading, and a line of melons extending the whole length of the 

 table, some forty or fifty of them. Mr. Keynes took the lead in the class for forty- 

 eight show dahlias with a very fine lot of fiowers, well-grown and cleverly displayed. 

 The dark green of Mr. Keynes' stands tends in a very material degree to bring out 

 the beauty of his flowers. Mr. Walker, of Thane, was second ; Mr. Kimberley, 

 of Coventry, third. In the class for twenty-four, Mr. Keynes was again first ; Mr. 



