286 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



Macaulay, and pronounced tl>e best they had met with in all their experience. It 

 consisted only of white and pink geraniums, with a few bits of blue lobelia, with a 

 margin of maidenhair fern, the outline being slightly convex. Mrs. Macaulay was 

 awarded for this a five guinea cup. Mrs. Porter took the most honourable place in 

 the competition for the best dinner-table decoration, with a plateau richly dressed 

 with fruit, above which rose a silver nautilus shell filled with flowers. Messrs. F. 

 and A. Smith, of Dulwich, exhibited their magnificent collection of tricolor-leaved 

 pelargoniums. At Taunton, the exhibition proved to be the best of any that have 

 taken place in the West of England ; no less than five great tents being fully occu- 

 pied. Mr. J. B. Saunders, a spirited amateur of the district, carried off a host of 

 prizes with his superb examples of fine-fuliaged plants, ferns, and flowering plants. 

 There was a great competition by eminent trade growers, and the b 'st productions 

 of Messrs. B. and S. Williams, Lucombe, Pince and Co , R. Yeitch, Nelson, Drura- 

 mond, and Keynes, were liberally brought forward. Dahlias, pelargoniums, holly- 

 hocks, and verbenas were shown in splendid condition and variety. The judges, 

 Messrs. Turner, Keynes, and S. Hibberd, awarded certificates to several meritorious 

 novelties, not the least important amongst them being the new grape, Mrs. Pince s 

 Muscat, a black grape, with true Muscat flavour, which possesses remarkable 

 keeping properties, and may be allowed to hang on the vines till April or even 

 May. The vine is remarkably fruitful, and as the fruit can be perfectly ripened in a 

 cool house, and left on the vine -till wanted, this variety will, in many instances, 

 render early forcing unnecessary. 



A Testimonial to Mr. Robert Thompson, who, for forty years past, has super- 

 intended the Horticultural Society's Garden at Chiswick, has been proposed by the 

 Council, who, we understand, intend to supplement it with a retiring pension, Mr. 

 Thompson having resolved to rest from his labours. It is to be hoped that the 

 patrons and promoters of horticulture will support this movement generously, both 

 in recognition of Mr. Thompson's eminent services to horticulture and meteorology, 

 and to "gladden and solace," by a substantial money gift, "the remaining years 

 of his life." Those of our readers who wish to contribute are desired to forward their 

 subscriptions to Thomas Moore, Esq., Botanic Garden, Chelsea. 



International Exhibitions of horticultural productions appear to be still in 

 high favour. There is to be a grand exhibition of the kind at Ghent m the spring 

 of 1868, and another at St. Petersburg in May, 1869. It is anticipated that the 

 Americans will make an attempt at a great gathering in 1870, but the enormous 

 distance will of necessity limit the number and variety of contributions from the 

 Old World. 



A Testimonial to Mr. Bruce Findlat, the able curator of the Manchester 

 Botanic Gardens, is in course of promotion by the Council, in recognition of Mr. 

 Findlay's services in the improvement of the garden, and especially of his labours 

 in connection with the recent great exhibition at Manchester. 



Classification of Zonal antj Variegated Pelaugoniums. — The repeated 

 discussions and the occasional unpleasant and injurious disputes as to the proper 

 classification of the plants commonly known as " geraniums," render it highly 

 desirable that cultivators should agree to a system and avoid all hair-splitting in 

 the interpretation of schedules. To make an end of all the difiiculties that beset 

 the subject, Mr. Hibberd has proposed in the " Gardener's Magazine" (July 27, 1867) 

 a scheme for their arrangement in nine classes. In this classification the term 

 " variegated" is limited to the white and creamy-edged varieties, which are destitute 

 of coloured zones, such as Alma, Mrs. Lennox, Flower of the Day, etc. The terms 

 " bicolor" and " tricolor," are abolished, because many bicolors are so weak in 

 their zone colours that the question will always arise, and in respect of the tricolors, 

 they all exhibit more than three colours, so that in truth the term has never been 

 appropriate. The following are the classes proposed in the paper refeired to : — 

 1, Green-leaved, example Tom Thumb. 2, Zonal-leaved, example Hibberd's T'et. 

 3, I^osegays, example Stella. 4, Variegated-leaved, example Flower of the Day. 

 5, Golden-leaved, example Golden Chain. 6, Bronze- zonals, example Luna. 

 7, Gold-zonals, example Mrs. Pollock. 8, Silver-zonals, example United Italy. 

 9, Double-flowered, example Gloire de Nancy. We might reduce these to seven 

 classes by restricting the classification to the leaves alone ; the nosegays and double 

 flowering kinds would then take their places in the green and zonal classes, and we 

 should not regret if green and zonal were compounded in one class, which would reduc« 



