1870.] NOTES OF THE MONTH. 3 



In regard to its home work, there will be considerable modifications 

 of the operations of the Society. All great shows, as such, are partially, 

 if not wholly, abolished — there will no longer be exhibitions in the 

 form in which they have hitherto been held ; but while the same amount 

 of prize-money will still be given, it will be in the form of prizes spread 

 over all the ordinary meetings of the Society on the occasion of the 

 assembling of the Floral and Fruit Committees ; so that each of these 

 meetings, which are always of an extremely interesting character, and 

 have proved most successful, will now be doubly interesting, and it is 

 hoped, successful even in a larger degree. It is these meetings that so 

 much tend to reconcile to the Society — to some extent at least — that 

 large and influential body of practical horticulturists who in times past 

 had looked with much mistrust on some of the actions of the council, 

 and not unfrequently given expression to this mistrust. The special 

 exhibitions of Hyacinths and Roses will still be held, but superadded 

 to one of the ordinary meetings of the Society. Naturally enough, 

 exhibitors and others are anxiously looking for the issue of the 

 Society's programme of arrangements and schedule of prizes for 1870, 

 which has only come to hand at the last moment. The delay is at 

 least unaccountable, perhaps unavoidable. 



The exhibition season may be fairly said to open in March next, 

 when the Hyacinth shows will be held. That of the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society will take place on March 16, and the Dutch growers 

 will again offer some of the special prizes they so liberally gave 

 last year. Considering how close was the competition between 

 Messrs Cutbush & Paul in March last, when the former won the 

 two principal special prizes, their meeting in 1870 will be regarded 

 with redoubled interest. The spring show of the Horticultural Society 

 of Liverpool, which yearly brings together a magnificent display of 

 Hyacinths from the local growers, takes place on the same date as that 

 of the South Kensington Exhibition, and the Royal Horticultural 

 Society of Ireland announces a similar show on March 24th. In ad- 

 dition to the prizes given by the Irish Society, there are three silver 

 cups of the value of five guineas : one of these is for the gardener who 

 takes the greatest number of prizes, and is subscribed for by the gar- 

 deners themselves. The Hyacinth, therefore, will be well looked after; 

 and certainly no show can be prettier and more attractive than one of 

 Hyacinths and other spring flowers. 



From the 'Athenaeum' we derive the following curious passage 

 relative to the change of colour in leaves. It is stated that " experi- 

 ment has confirmed the conclusion that leaves turn red at the end of 

 the season through the action of an acid, since one of the elements 

 producing the green colour must be a vegetable blue. Autumnal 



