THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



103 



Esq., Isleworth, took first prize, and 

 Mr. R. Marcham, gardener to E. 

 Oates, Esq., Hanwell, second. Hya- 

 cinths and tulips were sent in vast 

 quantities by Messrs. Cutbusk and 

 W. Paul, but they showed evident 

 signs that the freshness of their 

 beauty was rapidly departing. Stove 

 and greenhouse plants were very 

 good, the most remarkable specimen 

 of all being a grand plant of Glei- 

 chenia speluncea, from Mr. Williams. 

 Mr. Turner sent six charming dwarf 

 bushy pelargoniums, richly bloomed ; 

 and, as a counter attraction to the 

 glaring masses of colour to be seen on 

 every side, were some fine pots of 

 lily of the valiey, quietly sparkling 

 in emerald green and snow white. 

 New plants were largely represented. 

 There were two new ericas, of fine 

 quality. Messrs. Low, of Clapton, 

 sent E. Halfordianum, with large 

 finger-like blossoms, arranged seven, 

 eight, or nine in each bunch, and all 

 forming radii of a nearly completed 

 circle, the colour of a light yellowish 

 red, the tube highly varnished. Mr. 

 Williams sent E. profusa, a species as 

 fine as the last, and not greatly differ- 

 ing in its characters ; the flowers are 

 large, but are not set in such wheel- 

 spoke regulai ity as E. Halfordianum ; 

 the colour is light coral-red, the lips 

 white. The variegated-leaved New 

 Zealand flax, from Mr. Williams, will 

 prove a grand plant for damp rockeries 

 and for the conservatory. The in- 

 teresting Streptocarpus Saundersi, 

 with a lovely bunch of Gloxinia-like 

 flowers, white, with bluish-grey eye, 

 springing out of a large flat leaf, 

 attracted much attention as a rarity 

 of great promise : it was from Messrs. 

 Low. 



The Azalea and Early Eose Show 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society on 

 April 30 was the most successful they 

 have had this season, as the day was 

 as fine as one of the most glorious in 

 the month of June, which made the 

 visitors flock in great numbers to see 

 the display, which was uniformly 

 good. The azaleas were magnificent 

 and made the principal feature of the 

 show, the exhibitors who gained the 

 prizes at the Regent's Park a fortnight 

 before being the most distinguished 



on this occasion also. The rosea 

 formed the next most imposing fear 

 ture, and were of such exquisite 

 quality that the display at the forth- 

 coming summer rose show can only 

 exceed this one in quantity, as it is 

 not possible to surpass the quality of 

 those shown on this occasion. Messrs. 

 Paul and Son and Mr. William Paul 

 took first prizes and extra prizes, Mr. 

 Turner a first and second prize, and 

 Mr. W. Paul a second. Cinerarias 

 were in perfection, the amateur col- 

 lections being the best. Pansies were 

 poorly represented — Messrs. Dobson, 

 of Isleworth, having the best collection. 

 Auriculas were not plentiful, but were 

 good, and were grown with as much 

 skill as was ever displayed in times 

 gone by. Mr. Turner had two very 

 beautiful collections, grown in re- 

 markable perfection. Among the 

 amateurs Mr. Potts, of Old Kent 

 Road, was first, and Mr. James second, 

 both lots admirably flowered, those of 

 Mr. Potts having a remarkable fresh- 

 ness and purity. The most remark- 

 able novelty came from Mr. Williams; 

 it was a plant of Xanthorrhoea Austra- 

 lis, the celebrated grass tree of Aus- 

 tralia. The growth of this remarkable 

 plant (which belongs to the natural 

 order Liliacese) combines the several 

 features of the tree ferns, the grasses, 

 and the rushes, and the result is a 

 sort of sublimation of Bonapartea 

 juncea. The swollen stem, consisting 

 of the aggregated bases of withered 

 leaves, is very rough and picturesque, 

 and from its summit springs a mass 

 of foliage of a most rush-like charac- 

 ter, but which falls over most grace- 

 fully, and gives the tree the character 

 of a vegetable fountain. Bhotan and 

 Sikkim species of rhododendrons 

 were brought forward by various 

 exhibitors in great perfection, and 

 formed a most interesting feature of 

 the show. 



The finest and most desirable spe- 

 cies and varieties of the various sub- 

 jects exhibited at the above show 

 were as follows : — Hyacinths and 

 tulips were of the same varieties as 

 those mentioned in our last month's 

 number. Camellias. — Chandleri, 

 Chandleri elegans, Duchess d'Orleans, 

 Imbricata rubra, Delicatissima, Picta 



