XnE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 219 



as a whole, very poor, and there was no effect produced worth remerabenncr. Almost 

 simultaneously the Botanic Society of Manchesteii carried out an exhibition in 

 the gardens at Oid TralTurd on a gigantic scale, continuing open ten days. This 

 was the second best show of modern times — second, in fact, to the International 

 Horticultural Exhibition of lb66. Two great tents and the great glass-roofed 

 exhibition house were well filled with groups of plants and tlowers. Tlie display of 

 orchids was remarkable alike for tlie splendour of the specimens, and the great 

 value of a large proportion of the species and varieties brought forward. Mr. 

 Findlay, the curator at the Manchester Botanic Gardens, was tlie guiding spirit 'in 

 this great affair, and won golden opinions by his persevering energy aud kindly 

 disposition. Amongst minor gatherings we have attended, we must not forget the 

 great exhibition in St. John's College, Cambridge, on the 23rd of May, when Richard 

 Headley, Esq., brought forward the best tulip of the yeai*, a Byloemen named Sir 

 Alexander Cockburn. The first great exhibicion at the Ckystal Palace, May 25th, 

 was in every respect good, the bank of pelargoniums alone being woi th the gieat 

 attendance with which the show was honoured. We write these notes too early to 

 admit of any remark upon the Rose Show of June 29ch, but we trust that in spite 

 of a bad seasou, some good flowers will be brought forward. In a separate para- 

 graph we have collected a ^evf of tbe most important contributions to the exhibitions 

 of this Season, with the view of indicating the favourite vaiieties in the several 

 classes. We select only the best in every case, and our readers may he sure that 

 the varieties which take the highest positions at great exhibitions are as a rule the 

 best. We have also enumerated a few of the most meritorious of the noveities we 

 have seen this season. 



Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Institution. — The annual dinner took place 

 at the London Tavern on the 27th of June. The Right Honourable Sir Robert 

 Peel, M.P., presided. There was a large company and a liberal subscription. 



The Season. — Save and except tliat we have had a considerable auiount of sun- 

 light, the season hitherto has resembled very closely that of i860. The generally 

 low temperature has not only retarded vegetation, but in many instances the earliest 

 sown seeds have been completely destroyed, and those that have sui-vived are far in 

 arrear of the condition we expect at so advanced a period of the year. In the 

 latter part of the last month we saw several cultivators engaged in destroying their 

 potatoes, in order to plant winter greens, having given up all hopes of deriving any 

 advantage by allowing the potatoes to remain. On the other hand, there have been 

 heavy crops of grass and clover, and a good hay season, and cereals look well, 

 though much thinned by the winter. It bids fair also to be a good turnip year, and 

 though there are reports of the cattle plague, we may, upon the whole, consider 

 that we are more than ordinarily free from plague^ blight, and pestilence. There is 

 a dearth of fruit, and a dearth also of vermin. Good and evil may be very nearly 

 balanced in the present condition and prospect of the crops, yet we cannot say at 

 present that 1867 is likely to prove a good year, and we tear that, on the whole, it 

 will be a bad one. 



GATHERINGS FROM EXHIBITIONS. 



jITH a view to place before our readers the names of the best varieties in 

 various classes of exhibition subjects, as determined by the awards at 

 the principal exhibition.^ we have culled from our note-books the 

 following memoranda, which we are inclined to believe will be of more 

 value in tliis form than if presented in the usual form of reports. 

 Auriculas at the South Metropolitan Show. — First 8, Mr. J. Butcher : 

 areen Edge—TrmW^ General Neil I, TraiL's May Flower, Dickson's Duke of Cam- 

 bridge. Grey Edge— khhv^oxiWi Newton Hero, Lightbody's Robert Traill, Smith's 

 Britannia. »rAt7e iV^e — Wy Id's Bright Phojbus. 6>//— Martin's Mrs. Siurrock- 

 Second 8, Mr. Pink : Green JTrfye— Page's Champion, Olliver's Lovely Ann, 

 Cockup's Eclipse. Grey Edge — byku's Complete, Woterhouse's Conqueror of 

 Europe, Lightbody's Alma. iVhite Edge- Ga'uns Model. ^Se//"— Mai tin's Mrs. 

 Sturrock. First 6, Mr. J. Butcher : Green Edge -Fuge's Duchess of Oldenburgb, 

 Ashton's Prince of Wales. Grey iV^e— Headley's Stapleibrd Hero, Barlow's 



