4 THE GARDENER. [Jan. 



leaves placed under a receiver, with the vapour of ammonia, in nearly 

 every instance lost the red colour and renewed their green. In some, 

 such as the Blackberry and Maple, the change was rapid, and could 

 be watched by the eye ; while others, particularly certain oaks, turned 

 gradually brown, without showing any appearance of green. " 



An announcement has recently been made that Colonel Scott, the 

 Secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society, had offered a prize of 

 five guineas for the best essay on the Principles of Floral Criticism, 

 to be awarded on the occasion of the lirst meeting of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society on Wednesday, January 19, next. We now learn 

 that the prize will not be awarded till Wednesday, May 4 ; and the 

 1 Gardeners' Chronicle,' referring to the many complaints of the vague- 

 ness of the proposal made by correspondents, states that they are 

 asked " whether an essay on the ' correct standard ' for florists' flowers 

 be intended, or one on the proper method of judging plants in general 

 at exhibitions. Perhaps," adds the ' Chronicle,' " some light might 

 be thrown on the matter if the names of the judges were announced. 

 The subject is one of so much importance, that we trust fuller informa- 

 tion may be forthcoming, and for our own parts we should like to see 

 the matter treated in a broad and catholic spirit." And we say, Ditto, 

 and cannot help expressing our conviction that very much will 

 depend upon who are to be the judges of the essays. An essay of this 

 character should be so conceived and constructed as that it should 

 become an authority, and a work of reference to some extent, though 

 the limits of an essay will probably help to mar its usefulness in this 

 direction. 



A " seed case," in the form of an appeal from the decision of a lower 

 court, came before one of the Irish courts of law at Dublin a few 

 weeks ago, presenting some features well worthy of a passing notice. 

 The appeal was from a decision of the Recorder of the city of Dublin, 

 who dismissed the claim of a small market -gardener, living in the 

 neighbourhood of Donny brook, for the sum of <£13, being the amount 

 of eighty-seven flaskets of Cauliflowers, which he alleged were not 

 marketable, and that were a portion of the crop, consisting of an 

 English acre, produced from 8 oz. of seed, which cost him 12s. The 

 seed grew well, and the plants produced w T ere enough to plant out an 

 English acre. The evidence of the plaintiff and his witnesses w r ent to 

 show that the crop was deficient to the extent of the sum named, inas- 

 much as a portion of the crop was not marketable Cauliflowers, by 

 reason of the discoloration of the flowers, and their starting to seed, 

 thereby reducing the value of the crop. The defendant — Mr James W. 

 Mackey, an alderman of the city of Dublin — attested that he had 

 distributed 28 lb. of this seed between two and three hundred people, 



