232 THE GARDENER. [May 



rose flower, but has a tendency to show the centre in old flowers. Mr Needle, 

 gardener to the Comte de Paris, York House, Twickenham, sent thirty pots 

 of Orchids and Ophrys, natives of Spain, Italy, and Sicily, The plants were in 

 luxuriant health, and flowering profusely ; certainly a nacre interesting and at- 

 tractive little group of plants has never before been exhibited : and the Lindley 

 Medal could not be more worthily bestowed than on the cultivator of these little 

 gems. The Floral Committee recommended to the Council that it be awarded to 

 them. 



The collections of plants were too numerous to be indicated separately. In the 

 collection of Messrs Veitch was a plant of Anthurium Scherzerianum from Costa 

 Rica, with the largest and most brilliant-coloured flower-spathes yet seen. Mr 

 W. Bull had a fine Palm for dinner-table decoration, named Diemonorops cinna- 

 monica, and "Welfia regia, an equally desirable variety for general decoration. Mr 

 ^Yilliams of Holloway exhibited Chamiedorea Ernesti-Augusti in flower; the 

 inflorescence resembles the catkins on the "Willow. Mr Noble of Bagshot sent a 

 collection of new Clematises ; nearly all of them possess vigour of growth, and the 

 flowers are of good form and substance, possessing at the same time many distinct 

 shades of colour; the best are — Miss Bateman, creamy white; Albert Victor, 

 bluish lilac ; Princess Mary has a distinct rosy-pink shade. Lord and Lady Lon- 

 desborough are also fine ; they must certainly be well adapted for greenhouse and 

 conservatory decoration. Thus early in the season, Mr C. Turner of Slough had 

 collections of alpine and show Auriculas ; they will doubtless be shown better at 

 the next meeting. The plants on this occasion were not so good as they are gene- 

 rally shown. I hear the Auricula is not doing very well "down south" this 

 season. 



Fruit Committee. — Messrs Carter & Co. of High Holborn sent a seedling Cu- 

 cumber named Marquis of Lome, evidently presuming that size was the 

 main point of merit : it measured 28| inches long by 8 inches in girth. As exhi- 

 bited, it can hardly be said to be an acquisition. The same firm sent examples of 

 Sandringham Celery, much the same as Turner's Incomparable White. Mr Cadger, 

 The Gardens, Luton Hoo, also sent a brace of seedling Cucumbers, but they were 

 too old to judge of their merits. So-called seedling Cucumbers are shown in 

 abundance, difi"ering little from existing varieties. As a smooth Cucumber, both 

 for winter and summer use, there is none better than Telegraph. For exhibition 

 purposes, as a white Spine take Pearson's Long Gun, and Turner's Blue Gown as 

 a black Spine variety ; but it is not easy to get a true stock. Mr Lockie, who is 

 the raiser of Blue Gown and the best grower in these parts, keeps his stock true 

 from cuttings. 



Floral Committee. — Some very interesting subjects were sent to this 

 meeting. Messrs Veitch were specially awarded for Darlingtonia californica, 

 the North American Pitcher-plant in flower, the first time it has bloomed in 

 Europe; the whole plant is of the most curious construction; the flowers droop, 

 and are of a greenish-yellow colour streaked with dull red : it is, I believe, quite 

 hardy in England. A special certificate was also voted to Messrs BeU & Thrope, 

 Stratford-on-Avon, for a remarkably fine plant of Ehododendron Jenkinsii ; it 

 seems to be related to R. Dalhousiae ; it was bearing numerous trusses of fine flow- 

 ers. Messrs Rollisson & Son received a first-class certificate for Torenia auric- 

 ulaefolia, a charming little plant, with ovate leaves forming a tuft, from the centre 

 of which its small flowers are thrown up; they are of a pleasing light-blue streaked 

 with white. The same award was given to Mr J. Atkins of Painswick for a 

 perfectly hardy succulent plant named Cotyledon spinosa, a very neat compact 

 thing, with prettily -rounded spines ; also for Saxifraga valdensia^ a very pretty 



