386 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[December, 



decorative purposes ; and it was this collection 

 ciiiefly, arranged on ascending steps, that gave the 

 chief attraction to the Hall. 



Of seedlings there were over seventy five varie- 

 ties, offered in competition, all possessing some 

 merits which will no doubt develop into something 

 better after cultivation. The committee thought 

 the new white seedling, "Edna Craig," anemone 

 centered, of extra merit for the purity of its color, 

 large size (five inches), fine substance of petal and 

 general good character. They awarded a silver 

 medal to Hallock, Son & Thorpe. 



"Yum Yum" the committee also approved as 

 being quite new and distinct in color and form, the 

 petals being tubular fully two thirds of its length, 

 expanding into an open flat surface of crimson, the 

 large yellow disk showing more prominently than 

 in any known variety. Bronze medal awarded to 

 Hallock, Son & Thorpe. 



A bronze medal was given to Richard Brett, of 

 Short Hills, N. J., for the seedling ''Bessie Pitcher," 

 a Chinese anemone of rose pink color, with pink 

 centre. 



Silver medal for a seedling called"Pink Beauty," 

 but which the committee recommended should be 

 called "Laurel Hill," to Julius Wolff. This is 

 a Japanese variety. Special mention was made 

 of a white seedling, "Avalanche." 



The smaller collections by growers, dealers and 

 amateurs were mostly arranged in tasteful clumps 

 with walks between on the floor of the grand hall; 

 but so great was the demand for space that the 

 different collections could not be kept well distinct, 

 and the public had no opportunity to judge of the 

 comparative excellencies of the separate collec- 

 tions, or in many cases to know whose collections 

 he was looking at. There was a beautiful speci- 

 men of Madame de Pallenville with 650 flowers, 

 the plant being only about 18 inches high from the 

 pot, but 4 feet across, the owner of which we could 

 not guess at. 



Another oversight is the lack of prominent labels. 

 All had small wooden tallies somewhere down in 

 among the vegetation, which few could reach or 

 read when found. Dreer, Coles and Warne had 

 cards attached to stakes near the eye hne, for 

 which visitors were thankful. The cut flower de- 

 partment was unique ; and many from other States 

 competed. Dreer and Coles must have had about 

 200 kinds each ; and though one might wonder 

 how it was possible there could be anything novel 

 after all these, the seedlings of Hallock & Thorpe 

 and Richard Brett showed numbers wholly new 

 and very beautiful. 



We are sorry our space commands us to stop ; 

 but we must add that no exhibition for many years 

 took the public by surprise as this did. Thousands 

 flocked to see it, and the influence on public taste 

 was very great. The public will see when there is 

 novelty to look at. 



The New York Chrysanthemum Show. — A cor- 

 respondent says ; " The exhibition was magnificent, 

 both in specimen plants, cut flowers, and designs 

 of Chrysanthemums. Autumn leaves and fern 

 fronds were used in making up, and there were 

 some elegant baskets, bouquets, etc. The loose 

 natural arrangement was very effective. There 

 were some flowers that measured nearly 8 inches 

 in diameter. There were some marvellously large 

 and perfect flowers of Comte de Germany and 

 Grandiflorum, among Hallock & Thorpe's collec- 

 tion. They showed some wonderfully improved 

 flowers in the Anemone class. A six feet standard 

 of Triomphe de la Rue de Chatelets was a grand 

 affair. There was nothing more distinct in the 

 yellows (Japanese) than Mrs. R. Brett, and hardly 

 anything better in the pink section than Bouquet 

 Fait ; and it is hard to find a better flower than M. 

 Moussillac in the high colored class. Fine speci- 

 men plants of the single Mrs. Gubbins attracted 

 much attention. Galathee, Jeanne d'Arc, M. 

 Moynet, Mrs. C. W. Wheeler, Hon. John Welsh, 

 etc., were among the specially attractive and dis- 

 tinct sorts." 



Horticultural Conve.ntions. — Botany and 

 horticulture have become so closely interwoven 

 that the two generally go together now in the old 

 world. The latest novelty in conventions is to 

 bring together those who are interested in any one 

 class of plants, both botanists and horticulturists, 

 and they exhaust the whole subject. Last year, in 

 London, they had an orchid convention, and the 

 advance made in orchid knowledge by the meet- 

 ing convention was remarkable. Next we are to 

 have a conference on Primula, or the primrose 

 family, at South Kensington, on the 23d of April. 

 The members will examine every plant or speci- 

 men that might be offered for exhibition. The 

 24th will be devoted to reading papers, and talks 

 about primroses. As under this term we have 

 Auriculas, Polyanthus, American Cowslips and 

 numberless other popular favorites, the interest in 

 the convention will no doubt be equal to that 

 taken in the orchid. 



The committee for the United States consists of 

 Prof. Asa Gray, of Harvard ; Prof. Lawson, of 

 Halifax, Nova Scotia ; Prof. Thurber, of New 

 York, and Prof. Meehan, of Philadelphia. 



