232 THE GARDENER. [June 



poor one ; still the Hyacinths, Crocuses, and Tulips, both early and 

 late kinds, -were in most luxuriant growth both as regards foliage and 

 bloom. William Plester. 



Elseniiam Hall Gardens. 



HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 



The monthly record of shows commences with that held at South Kensington, 

 by the Royal Horticultural Society on the 20th of April. This one of the series 

 of small but interesting bi-monthly exhibitions had Azaleas and Rhododendrons 

 as the leading features. Generally the former were shown as nice, small, but 

 well-flowered pyramid bushes, generally characterised by that formal stiffness of 

 training so common with this class of plants. Mr Turner of Slough took the 

 Nurseryman's prize for six plants, with some standard Azaleas, trained in the 

 Belgian style, on stems about 2 feet in height. The varieties were Hei-cules, 

 Alba striata, Madame Jean Vervaene, Hovibronkii, Antoinette, and Marie Vervaene. 

 The best specimen Azalea — Sir Charles Napier — came from Mr Wilkie, Addison 

 Road, Kensington ; the next best was Flower of the Day, from Mr Turner. 

 Messrs Lane & Sons had the best collection of Rhododendrons in pots ; Messrs 

 Staudish & Co. came next with some seedlings. 



Mr Turner had, as might have been expected, the best twelve Auriculas ; they 

 comprised the following self-flowers, Master Hole, Bishop of Lichfield, Eliza, 

 Crown Prince, and Prince Alfred ; and of green, grey, and white edged flowers, 

 the following, Galatea, Earl of Shaftesbury, Exhibitor, Stapleford Hero, Buck- 

 stone, Admiral Napier, and Colonel Champneys. Mr James of Isleworth had 

 the best six in the amateurs' class, including Meteor Flag and Mrs Smith, self- 

 flowers ; and of the other divisions, Conqueror of Europe, Lovely Ann, Bright 

 Phoebus, and Ne plus ultra. Mr Turner's group of twelve Alpine Auriculas were 

 admired much more than what are termed the show flowers, and made a very 

 effective display. The advance made in the improvement in the Alpine Auricula 

 by Mr Turner and others, during the last few years, was manifested in this 

 fine group, all seedlings of Mr Turner's. Mr James of Isleworth had the first 

 prize for nine Pansies in pots, which were excellently grown and bloomed ; and 

 consisted of Novgorod, Rev. H. Dombrain, Sunset, and Queen of Eugland, self- 

 flowers ; J. B. Downie, Chancellor, and Dr Smith, yellow grounds ; and Isa Craig 

 and Princess Helena, white grounds. 



As is usually the case, the miscellaneous groups of plants made up by far the 

 largest portion of the exhibition. The collections of Orchids exhibited by Mr 

 Demning, gardener to Lord Londesborough, contained a noble specimen of the 

 purple variety of Cattleya Skinneri, with ten fine spikes of flowers ; Dendrobium 

 Jenkinsii, with pale buff flowers, edged with yellow ; and Odontoglossum hystrix, 

 very handsome — to each of which special certificates were awarded. In a group 

 from Messrs Veitch & Sons was a specimen of Oncidium sarcodes, with a spike 

 of flowers 6 feet in length— awarded a special certificate; Odontoglossum Phalsc- 

 nopsis, a fine specimen of Anthurium Scherzerianum, &c. Equally attractive 

 was a fine group of plants from Mr B. S. Williams, and similar groups came from 

 Messrs Rollisson & Sons, Tooting, and Mr J. W. Wimsett, King's Road, Chelsea, 

 inclusive of six large and well-bloomed plants of the new hybrid Ivy -leaved Pelar- 



