190 THE FLORIST. 



It was afterwards applied to a white variety, with the addition of 

 the word 'alba,' to distinguish it from the red one ; and Messrs. Low 

 having again designated their recent variety Alba imbricata has oc- 

 casioned a perplexity, which, however, will no doubt be cleared up 

 by adding their name, as Mr. E. G. Henderson has done; and I 

 have no doubt will send your correspondent the true variety raised 

 at Clapton. Mediterraneus. 



REGENT'S PARK AND CHISWICK EXHIBITIONS. 



JOTTINGS BY A GARDENER. 



Those persons who have been in the habit of visiting the great metro- 

 politan flower-shows for the last few years, cannot but be struck by 

 the general sameness in appearance of the collections of stove and 

 greenhouse plants. Some of the individual plants are immediately 

 recognised as " old stagers;" and what alterations there are, are more 

 frequently effected by changing one species of a genus for another, 

 rather than for a genus quite new, as a show-plant. Some alteration 

 is certainly necessary, or the shows will lose much of their interest. 

 Orchids maintain their popularity by their variety and constant 

 change in appearance, as well as by the extreme beauty and gro- 

 tesque character of their flowers. Individual plants are not so imme- 

 diately recognised by those who constantly visit the exhibitions, con- 

 sequently they command much greater attention than the collections 

 of stove and greenhouse plants. 



The exhibitions of Heaths have of late lost much of their interest, 

 which is no doubt to be ascribed to their formal and lumpy appear- 

 ance, and which is exceedingly distasteful to many persons. A 

 greater freedom of growth, so as to destroy the stiff and ungraceful 

 character they are made to assume by constant stopping, would add 

 much to their beauty. At present, they only vary in size or quantity 

 of flower. 



Much might be done to relieve the present monotonous appear- 

 ance of the Heath tent, by introducing plants having pendulous 

 foliage. Even a few of our native Ferns in pots placed amongst the 

 Heaths would help to set them off to more advantage. 



The collections of stove and greenhouse plants must be improved 

 in general appearance by the introduction of a fresh class of plants, 

 as far as it is possible to do so; and it cannot be doubted that the 

 plant-catalogues offer the means of doing this. 



There are many very beautiful plants that have not yet, I believe, 

 been exhibited at the metropolitan shows ; one that I am quite sure 

 would be viewed with admiration is the Crinum amabile. This is 

 a truly magnificent stove-plant; its flowers are beautiful and de- 

 lightfully fragrant. It is of easy culture, and flowers very freely 

 about July ; so that it would come in at a season when there is a 

 paucity of flowering plants. It requires a rich loamy soil ; and during 

 the time it is flowering must be liberally supplied with water. I 



