THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



169 



contributions were many magnificent 

 tree ferns, Alocasias, Caladiums, Yuc- 

 cas, etc. Especially noticeable were 

 the following: — Agave Schidigeri, 

 smothered with grey fibres ; a very 

 noble and curious species ; Beaucar- 

 nea glauca, a fine Yucca-like plant, 

 with narrow glaucous leaves, admir- 

 ably adapted for specimen culture ; 

 Yucca quadricolor, each leaf 

 marked with a broad central creamy- 

 yellow stripe. Messrs. A. Hender- 

 son and Co., of Edgeware-road, had a 

 fine collection, comprising Aralia Sie- 

 boldii variegata, one of the noblest of 

 variegated plants ; Mussamda fron- 

 dosa, with its pretty little yellow 

 flowers and snow-white bracts. 

 Messrs. Lee, who also contributed 

 largel}', had Cordyliue indivisa, Ana- 

 nassa sativa variegata, a superb speci- 

 men, richly coloured ; Iinatophyllum 

 cyrtanthiliora, with clusters of small 

 drooping orange-red flowers, not so 

 effective as miuiata. In a collection 

 from Mr. Wheeler, Roelia ciliata, a 

 Nemophila-like shrub with blue 

 flowers, made a pleasing change from 

 the usual routine ; and in this same 

 collection there was a plant of Erica 

 Parmentieriana rosea admirably done. 

 The amateur exhibitors in this class 

 won loud praises from all good judges 

 of skill in cultivation. Mr. Thomas 

 Baines, gardener to H. Micholl, Esq., 

 of Bowden, Cheshire, came up with a 

 set of ten, the grandeur of which 

 startled some of the London growers, 

 and won first prize with them most 

 deservedly. One of his best plants 

 was Croton variegata longifolia, a 

 sort of vegetable waterfall, the long' 

 whip-like leaves drooping all round 

 having a very distinct and striking 

 appearance. Cyathea medullaris, 

 fine ; Cordyline indivisa, Alocasia 

 metallica, the best in the show ; Cro- 

 ton variegata, superb ; Bhopala cor- 

 covadense, Yucca variegata, Gleiche- 

 nia speluncea, Bhopala imperialis. 

 Mr. Taylor, second ; and in his lot 

 Litttea j uncea, well done, the old leaves 

 as green as the new ones ; also a fine 

 Cycas revoluta. Mr. Donald, of Ley- 

 ton, third ; in his lot a splendid Dif- 

 fenbachia maculata, very clean, and 

 richly spotted ; Alocasia macrorhiza, 



good ; Caladium Wightii, etc. Mr. 

 Young sent the best six Caladiums in 

 the show ; they were Bellemeyii, Ar- 

 gvrea, Picturatum, Bicolor splendens, 

 Chantinii, Bubricaule ; they were 

 admirably placed, and deserved to 

 make an impression. 



Ferns. — Mr. Williams took first 

 prize in the nurserymen's class for 

 exotic ferns. They consisted of Po- 

 lystichum ordinatum, Platycerium 

 grande, Todea Africana, Cibotium 

 Schiedii and princeps, G-leichenia 

 semi-vestita, Cyathea Smithii and 

 grande, Gleichenia dichotoma, Acro- 

 phorus hispidus, Dicksonia antartica. 

 The best collection of hardy ferns 

 came from Mr. Williams, and it com- 

 prised numerous sports of well-known 

 British species. Lastrea f. m. cristata 

 made a superb appearance ; it is cer- 

 tainly one of the finest hardy, ferns we 

 have. Athyrium f. f. corymbiferum, 

 less tasselled than usual, but very 

 fresh ; Scolopendrium vulgare digita- 

 tum, subcornutum, cristatum, and 

 laceratum, all noble varieties, and 

 superbly grown; a fine Allosorus eris- 

 pus, and a few sportive Polystichums, 

 etc. 



Gloxinias were not plentiful, and 

 in but middling condition. The first 

 prize was well won by Mr. W. Young, 

 gardener to B. Barclay, Esq., with a 

 very fresh and well-grown collection. 

 The varieties were Princess Alice, 

 Garibaldi, Madame S. Brunelli, Mag- 

 net, Wilsoni, Ambulator (?), Blair 

 Athol, Wonderful, Duke of Welling- 

 ton, Mars cerulea. Mr. House, gar- 

 dener to J. Gay, Esq., Highgate, had 

 a set comprising a few very stale spe- 

 cimens, with others quite fresh and 

 good. The best were Boi Ferdinand, 

 Jtiobert Fortune, Liesmayer, Tarra- 

 gona, Charles Heckii, and a seedling 

 of the erect kind, rich purple shading 

 to white lip, the throat whitish, with 

 spots. 



Aeldmenes were more plentiful, 

 and were generally good. Mr. Young 

 had a very nice ten, comprising Lon- 

 giflora alba, Edmund Bossiere, Lon- 

 giflora major, a fine purple ; Chiritil, 

 not well out ; Dentonii, fine ; Sir 

 Treherne Thomas, fine ; Grandillora, 

 Carl Wolfurth, Cocciuea, and Am- 



