PROCEEDINGS. XXVU 



Certificate of Merit : — 



To Messrs. Henderson, Pine Apple Place, for a beautiful 

 specimen of Dielytra spectabilis, whose flowers were, how- 

 ever, somewhat deficient in colour, owing to their having 

 been produced in too much heat. It was mentioned that a 

 good way of having this useful Fumewort in perfection in 

 early spring is to take plants from the open border, pot 

 them, and bring them on in a cold house or frame, from 

 which they can be transferred to the green-house, conser- 

 vatory, or other suitable place to expand their blossoms in. 

 After flowering they may be returned to the open border. 



To Mr. Franklin, Gardener to Mrs. Lawrence, F.H.S., for 

 an interesting specimen of the Long-tailed Lady's Slipper 

 (Cypripedium caudatum). 



To Mr. Tillery, Gardener to the Duke of Portland, at Wel- 

 beck, for ripe fruit of the Japan Medlar (Eriobotrya Ja- 

 ponica), which was accompanied by the following remarks: 

 " The fruit of this Medlar is much esteemed here, and 

 coming in, as it does, at a time when other dessert fruit is 

 scarce, makes it still more valuable. The tree from which 

 the sample sent was taken has produced three or four dishes 

 every week for the last six weeks, and there is still a con- 

 siderable quantity to gather. The tree fills one entire house, 

 which is devoted to its culture, and the following is the 

 mode I find to be the best for successfully fruiting it. Li 

 the summer months, after the young growths are made, all 

 the air that can possibly be given is supplied by taking oflT 

 some of the lights of the house. At the flowering time, 

 which is in September and October, the house is shut up, 

 and a stove temperature maintained all the winter afterwards. 

 The fruit begins to ripen by tlie beginning of February, on 

 the early flowering clusters, and a regular succession is kept 

 up for a long time. The flowers are deliciously sweet 

 scented, and, along Avith magnificent foliage, the plant is 

 well worthy of a place in any stove." 



III.— MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS OF EXHIBITION. 



Mr. Meredith sent from Cleifden a very fine plant of Bego- 

 nia manicata, and a large and beautiful bouquet, with a view to 

 illustrate a good mode of packing such things for travelling. 

 Two parallel lines of string, about an inch apart, were fastened 

 between the four opposite sides of a square wooden box so as to 

 intersect each other in the middle ; but at different levels. The 

 shank of the bouquet was then passed down where the lines inter- 



