DOMESTIC NOTICES, 



49 



or Plate of the value o^ fifty dollars, SLnd of such 

 form and design as he may elect. 



" Jos. Breck, Ch'n." 

 Description of the Seedlings. 

 "No. 1. Camellia japonica, var. Wilderi. 

 "Leaves one and a half inch broad, and three long-, 

 oval, acuminate, slightly dentated, a very dark 

 green, with prominent midrib; petioles short; a 

 shrub of free, upright, but rather slender growth; 

 buds quite round, with pale-green scales; tlower 

 medium size, three and a half to four inches in 

 diameter. Colour delicate clear rose; petals?;) to 

 80 in number, imbricatetl, of the most jterfect rose- 

 leaf shape, and arranged with most exquisite regu- 

 larity, from the circumference to the centre; co- 

 rolla very round, persistent, free in its inflorescence, 

 every flower expanding perfectly, retaining its 

 beauty for a long time. 



" The superiority of this variety, when compared 

 ■with those established favorites, the Old Double 

 White, Lady Hume, Imbricata, and others, is its 

 beautiful round petal, with scarcely a serrature or 

 indentation on the edge. 



" Raised from the seed of the single red Camellia, 

 fertilized by Camellia japonica, var. punctata; the 

 mother plant and all the stock, with the exception 

 of a single graft, having been destroyed by fire, in 

 the year 1841. 



"No. 2. Camellia japonica, var. Mrs. Abby Wil- 

 der. 



" The name was given by the committee, in honor 

 of the lady of the President. This variety is a 

 very beautiful one — a vigorous shrub of upright 

 growth and strong branches; foliage large and 

 handsome ; leaves four inches long, by two and a 

 half broad, roundish oval, a little reflexed, coarsely 

 dentated, acuminate, with pale prominent midrib 

 and nerves; yellowish green, resembling in color 

 those of Camellia japonica Lady Hume; bud round 

 with pale green scales; flower large, four inches 

 or more in diameter, thick, full, and perfect; petals 

 of beautiful form, very numerous, DU to 100 in num- 

 ber; the exterior rows broad, circular, gradually 

 diminishing in size to the centre, and arranged 

 with great regularity; color white, with an occa- 

 sional stripe of light rose, after the manner of Ca- 

 mellia japonica Duchcsse d'Orleans; corolla very 

 round and of great ile])th. 



"Produced from seeil of Camellia japonica var. 

 Middlemist. 



"The other varieties were not so remarkable as 

 those described, but still worthy of notice, and 

 equal in beauty to many varieties highly esteemed. 

 As they have now bloomed for the lirst time, their 

 character cannot be justly determined. 



"No. 3 is a flowerabovc medium size; color pur- 

 plish crimson ; fine shape, large petals, rose-leaved, 

 jierfectly arranged, compact with a full centre. 



" No. 4. A beautiful flower, of medium size; color 

 of the outer petals carmine, fading out to the cen- 

 tre to a fine deep rose color; petals spirally ar- 

 ranged. 



" No. o. Color bright rose, blotched with white; 

 similar to Camellia japonica imbricata, but the 

 color not (juite so brilliant, and about the same 

 size 



" Having seen only the flowers of the three last 

 varieties without the foliage, we are not able to 

 give a full description; but it is not these varieties 

 that the committee would point out to the Society 

 as worthy the gratuity, but those lirst described 

 Camellia japonica Wilderi and Rlrs. Abby Wilder. 



" All of which is respectfully submitted. 



"Jos. Breck, 

 " Chairman of the Floiver Com. 



"It was voted that the foregoing reports be 

 entered upon the records, artd i>ublished in the 

 transactions of the Society." 



The Massachusetts Horticultural Society have al- 

 so voted a piece of plate of the value of fifty dol- 

 lars, to Messrs. Hovey, of Boston, as a special pre- 

 mium for the Strawberry raised by them — Hovey's 

 Seedling, a sort, which, after twelve years' expe- 

 rience, has proved one of the best. 



And to Samuel Feast, Esq. of Baltimore, they 

 have given the Society's Large Gold Medal, as 

 a special premium for that beautiful seedling Rose, 

 originated by him, the Queen of the Prairies, 

 which they consider "the type of a new class of 

 Roses, and without a rival in this climate for pillars, 

 arbors, &c." 



This liberal spirit, which dictates the encourage- 

 ment of zealous and enthusiastic horticulturists, and 

 singling out newly originated varieties of plants 

 and fruits of high value, makes them the objects of 

 the Society's .approbation, and thereby giving them 

 a more extended passport to public favor, we can- 

 not too highly admire. 



The finest Cherries. — While we write these 

 notices the cherry season is at its height, and we 

 have been pleasantly engaged, for the last two 

 hours, in examining and tasting many varieties. 

 Among all the light-coloured cherries, we find 

 none to surpass, on the wliole, for flavour, texture 

 of the flesh and beauty of appearance, the Down- 

 ton. It is superior to jK/ioft in this climate. The 

 Flesh-coloured Bigarreau, (Bigarreau coulcvr de 

 chair), is a very beautiful fruit, more tender- 

 fleshed than most of its class, and really one of the 

 best. It is fully equal in this climate to the Bio-ar- 

 reau (or Yellow Spanish) in flavour — and is perhaps 

 rather sweeter. Black Eagle stands unrivalled for 

 high flavour among black cherries, as Black Tar- 

 tarian docs for size and productiveness. For trans- 

 parency and delicacy of flavour, the Belle de Choisy 

 bears off the palm. Manning's Early White, Bow- 

 yer's Early Heart, and Rivers' Early Amber, are 

 evidently all sub-varieties of the old Early White 

 Heart, and not very distinct from it. Holland 

 Bigarreau is one of the largest and most beautiful 

 of all the firm-fleshed sorts — and no collection is 

 complete without Downie'sLate, to succeed all the 

 foregoing varieties. 



New Tree P^onias.— One of the hardiest and 

 most magnificent of shrubs in this climate is the 

 Chinese Tree Pieon}\ 



We are therefore highly gratified to learn that 

 Professor Jackso.v of Schenectady (whose unique 

 garden near Union College is the cynosure of all 

 eyes turned thithcrwanl) has succeeded in raising 



