1879.] CALEDONIAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 3S3 



dense as to exclude light, and a constantly close humid atmosphere were con- 

 ditions easily obtainable, and in point of fact were the great secret of success. 

 For few or none of the known species was artificial heat at all necessary ; on 

 the contrary, they succeeded best when kept cool in winter, and even 

 when subjected to two or three degrees of frost. At the same time, it 

 was desirable to avoid extremes. Soil was of comparatively little import- 

 ance, so long as it was of a light porous character, and the pots well 

 drained. Interesting discussions followed the reading of the several papers, 

 and the usual votes of thanks were accorded to the writers. 



Among the plants and flowers on the table for exhibition were a collection of 

 Fancy Pansies, from Messrs Downie & Laird, including two new varieties called 

 Miss Talbot and Estella, which the Floral Committee recommended to be shown 

 again. Messrs William Gordon & Sons had a crimson Petunia, of a remarkably 

 dwarf compact habit of growth. Messrs Thomas Methven & Sons exhibited a 

 fine collection of Regal and Forcing Pelargoniums, the most striking of which 

 were Triomphe de St Maude, Digby Grand, Beauty of Oxton, Fire King, Dr 

 Masters, Annie, and their fine new w T hite variety Countess of Rosebery. 

 Messrs Dickson & Co. sent a large number of interesting things, including 

 branches of the new golden-leaved Laburnum ; Paul's double Crimson Thorn, 

 Alnus imperialis ; Purple-leaved Peach ; New Silver variegated Ash, Rosa 

 rugosa; trusses of greenhouse and hardy Rhododendrons, alpine plants, and 

 Viola blooms. Mr John Dick, Avenel House, showed a fine specimen of the 

 beautiful Primula capitata; and Mr A. Nisbet, Gibraltar Villa, a new blue 

 Lobelia named Jeannie Deans. It was intimated that at next meeting papers 

 would be read by Mr A. Kerr, on " Forcing Dutch roots ; " by Mr John Cowe, 

 on "The Hyacinth;" and by Mr George M'Kinlay, on the "Cultivation of 

 the Pear." 



— ^^>E^e<s-*^ — 



ROYAL CALEDONIAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The summer exhibition of the above Society was held in the Waverley 

 Market on 9th July, and seldom, indeed, has any of the shows of the Society 

 been held under more unfavourable circumstances as regards weather. The 

 very unpropitious climate which had prevailed for such a long time seemtd 

 to reach the culminating point, as it was almost a continuous downpour 

 of rain the whole day. Notwithstanding so many drawbacks, the show- 

 was a very successful one — in some respects, even better than any similar 

 show of the Society. This was largely due to the grand turn - out of 

 nurserymen and florists, for whose exhibits eight additional 20-feet tables 

 had to be provided. A magnificent assortment of plants, consisting of the 

 finer varieties of Rhododendrons, Standard Sweet-bays, and the fine kinds of 

 Thujas, Retinosporas, &c. &c, numbering many hundreds of plants, all in pots 

 and tubs, were ranged along the circular space in front of the aquarium. 

 These were furnished by the Lawson Company, and were awarded a special 

 prize of £10. Besides this, the same firm furnished one of the large tables 

 with Roses in pots, Rhododendrons, Pelargoniums, Heaths, Tree-Ferns, and 

 foliage plants. On this table we noticed some nice pans of the hardy Orchid, 

 Orchis fuliosa. 



The nexfc long table was furnished by Ireland & Thomson with beautiful 

 Crotons, Dracaenas, Caladium3, tuberous Begonias, Spirjeas, Petunias, and a 



