1877.] 



AND HOBTIGULTURIST. 



191 



of the features that will admit of permanent ex- 

 hibition have not been overlooked by the man- 

 agement, and any one interested in these depart- 

 ments will find a day spent in this wonderful 

 building very far from being lost. 



New York Horticultural Society. — Schedule 

 of Premiu ms for 1877. — Thi.s new society appears 

 to be in a flourishing condition. Mr. John Hen- 

 derson is President, and Mr.W. J. Davidson, box 

 191, Brooklyn, N. Y., Recording Secretary, from 

 whom the schedules can be obtained. The Fall 

 exhibition will be held on the 22d, 23d, and 24th 

 of September. From New York papers we learn 

 that there is a gratifying increase in the number 

 of amateur visitors to the meetings of the So- 

 ciety, which are regarded as in every way a 

 great success. 



Massachusetts Horticultural Society. — 

 Schedule of premiums for 1877. — Competition 

 open to all. $6,100 are offered for premiums. 

 Among the matters of general interest are the 

 following offers for essays : For the best Essay 

 upon the Culture and Varieties of Roses, $25; 

 Culture of Flowers and Foliage for Winter Dec- 

 oration and the Market, with a list of the most 

 desirable varieties, $2.5 ; Ripening and Market- 

 ing of Pears, $25 ; Garden Irrigation — its Advan- 

 tages and Limits, $25 ; Bottom Heat — its Bene- 

 fits and Methods, $25; Chickweed— its Effects 

 and how to Eradicate it, $25. 



The Essays to be directed to "Robert Manning, 

 Secretary of the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society, Horticultural Hall, Boston; for the 

 Committee on Publication and Discussion," so 

 as to be received by the first of November, in 

 sealed envelopes, unsigned, but accompanied by 

 the name of the writer in a separate sealed en- 

 velope. Notice will be given to successful com- 

 petitors of the time for reading their Essays. 

 All the Society 's prizes are open to general com- 

 petition. William C. Strong is the Chairman of 

 Com. on Publication and Discussion. 



Germantown (Pa.) Horticultural Society. — 

 In looking through the pretty little exhibition 

 during its April show, we noted a few items 

 which may interest the general reader. 



In the collection of Thomas Hendricks, gar- 

 dener to Mr. John Jay Smith, there was a speci- 

 men of the new Hydrangea, Thomas Hogg. It 

 is more distinct than one would suppose from 

 the description, for the flowers are not only larger 

 and of a pure white, but have an angular out- 



line which strikes the reader at once as novel. 

 Mr. Hendricks had also a stand of remarkably 

 fine Marshall Niel roses, the result of a graft on 

 the Banksian stock. We have before noted how 

 very well roses under glass culture do when grafted 

 on the Banksian, and was glad to be again re- 

 minded of it in this pleasant way. It is a pleas- 

 ure to see people trying to make handsome things 

 of old fashioned plants, as occurred to us as we 

 saw Mr. David Hunter's specimen of the cut- 

 leaved variety of the rose geranium. It was 

 about four feet over. It might have been im- 

 proved by a little guidance in growing it, but 

 still it was impressive from its size. Mr. H. had 

 also a plant of Abutilon vexillarium, grafted on 

 a straight stem about three feet high, which 

 mode of growth suits the drooping flowers very 

 well. He had also some well-grown pansies, the 

 flowers of which were two and a half inches 

 across. Mr. James Ritchie of Philadelphia, had 

 a remarkable collection of imported azaleas, re- 

 markable not only for the beauty of the flowers, 

 biit for the skill in training, as in form they were 

 all made to appear as bouquets, each of the ex- 

 act size of the other. As to varieties the Coun- 

 tess of Kerchove was particularly beautiful. It 

 was of a semi-double white with bright carmine 

 stripes. Alex. Newett, gardener to Mr. H. Pratt 

 McKean, always attracts close attention to his 

 plants from the orchids which he generally haa 

 in bloom. Here was a hanging basket with nu- 

 merous pendent clusters of- vErides odoratum ; 

 the deliciously scented but not showy Maxilla- 

 ria Deppei, and a few others. A very delicate 

 and beautiful palm in the same collection, is 

 Sabal tomentosa. It was as graceful as some 

 ferns. The old fishioned flowers were worthily 

 represented by Matthew McClearj', gardener to 

 Miss Dorsey who had a plant of Epiphyllum speci- 

 osum — an old cactus but seldom seen — with sev- 

 enty-eight blossoms on it! And by Mrs. Dunton 

 with her wall-flowers, which for richness of per- 

 fume by those who do not get intoxicated by full 

 draughts of sweet odors, is particularly welcome. 

 Mr. R. J. Siddall had a large quantity of the new 

 "calla"Richardia maculata. For flowers it is not of 

 course as desirable as the old Richardia ethio- 

 pica, but the spotted leaves are of such a healthy 

 appearance, that its position as a good window- 

 plant is near the top of the list. We mean that 

 it harmonizes well with works of art. Mr. E. 

 Lonsdale had a very fine plant of a Mule Pink. 

 These are hj^brids between the common "Carna- 

 tion " Pink and the Chinese Pink, and we are 



