JOrEN'AL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ AprU 4, 1872. 



tinoua fibrous nature, encloses thick bony kernels. — {L'lllus- 

 tration Horticole.) 



EOYAL HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 

 Apeil 3bd. 

 AxTnovGii tbis was supposed to be little more tban an ordi- 

 nary committee meeting, tbe subjects brougbt forward -were so 

 numerous and so good tbat it really was a sbow, and a sbow, 

 too, of no mean excellence. Tbe beautiful Orchids of Messrs. 

 Veitch, the Eoses fi-om tbe same firm, and the Roses fi-om Mr. 

 William Paul, were alone worth a journey to Kensington to see ; 

 there were, besides, a host of subjects in the misceUaueous class, 

 constituting an exhibition in themselves. 



The first class in the schedule was for Odontoglots. Here 

 Mr. Ward, gardener to F. G. Wilkins, Esq., Leyton, was first 

 with a very fine example of Odontoglossum Phalienopsis bearing 

 fourteen flowers, 0. Pescatorei, O. triumpbans, fine, O. Alex- 

 andi-fe, O. hystrix, and O. Hallii. Mr. Bull, of Chelsea, came 

 second with a very good collection, and Mr. J. Linden, of 

 Brussels, third. In his collection there was a remarkably fine 

 specimen of O. triumpbans, bearing a multitude of spikes ; 

 O. roseimi, conspicuous by its fine colour ; 0. odoratum, and 

 O. HaUii. 



Cyclamens were numerously shown, forming a brilliant bank 

 of blossom. Tbe best collection came from Mr. Goddard, gar- 

 dener to H. Little, Esq., Cambridge Villa, Twickenham, and 

 consisted of about a hundred pots, many of which were quite a 

 mass of bloom. The second jirize went to Mr. R. Clarke, market 

 gardener, Twickenham, who had also a good collection. Mr. 

 Goddard was hkewise first for twelve with large specimens ad- 

 mirably flowered and well diversified as regards colour-. Tbe 

 foliage, too, was very fine. Mr. Clarke came in second. Mr. 

 Goddard was again first for six with plants equally fine with 

 those exhibited in bis collection of twelve. Messrs. E. G. Hen- 

 derson sent a gi'oup not for competition. 



Of Cinerarias several good gi'oups of nine were exhibited. 

 The prizes went to Mr. Maroham, gardener to E. Gates, Esq., 

 Iver; Messrs. Dobson & Son, Isleworth; and Mr. James, gar- 

 dener to W. F. Watson, Esq., Isleworth. 



Of six Amai-ylUs the only gi-oup shown was from Mr. Baxter, 

 gardener to C. Kieser, Esq., Broxboru-ne, to whom a first prize 

 was awarded. Kieseri, lich blood red ; Victor, brighter in colour; 

 and Olga, light crimson banded and edged with white, were the 

 most showy. Mr. Baxter also sent a collection of seedlings, in 

 which we noticed William Paul, orange scarlet, and Crimson 

 King, dark red. Messrs. Veitch exhibited in the miscellaneous 

 class a gi'oup in which Hippeastrum pardinum was conspicuous 

 by its singularly and beautifully marked flowers. Scherzeri, 

 crimson scarlet banded with gi-eenish white, was also noticeable 

 as a fine broad-petaled variety. 



There were classes for six hardy Primroses in boxes, and for six 

 bulbous plants in flower, but here was no exhibition of either. 



Miscellaneous collections were not only numerous, but several 

 of the gi'oups were of high merit. Messrs. Veitch sent a splen- 

 did collection of pot Roses beautifully bloomed, also boxes of 

 cut blooms. Facing these was another fine group of the same 

 flower from Mr. W. Paul, of Waltham Cross, in which were his 

 new Hybrid Perpetual Princess Beatrice with large and beautiful 

 blooms, and a fine plant of Marechal Niel trained round sticks, 

 fonning a cylindrical trellis, and covered with flowers and buds. 

 Messrs. Veitch also exhibited a splendid gi-oup of Orchids, com- 

 prising Odontoglossum Alexandra with three very f^in pi!, is 

 of large beautifully colom-ed flowers; Foxbrush " < in 



eidium bifolium and leucochilum, both very fine ; i' ■ i m 



with Ulac and purple spotted lip; Cypripedium i ;ii:J, \,,!li 



two flowers having the " tails " 27 inches long; the uuw Odunlo- 

 glossum Andersonianum which received a first-class certificate 

 at the last meeting ; MasdevalUa Veitchii with four of its gorge- 

 ously-coloured purple and orange-shot flowers ; Odontoglossum 

 Reichenamii with a spike of which the flowering portion was 

 upwards of 20 inches in length ; Oncidium sarcodes also fine ; 

 and Phalienopsis gi-andiflora grown on blocks of wood fastened 

 to a kind of treUis formed of wooden bars placed parallel to each 

 other, and fastened together, but so as to leave intervals be- 

 tween them. Along with the Orchids were a magnificent pan 

 of Anthurium Scherzeiianum, the fine double Clematis John 

 Gould Veitch, a pan of the beautiful Uttle white Primrila nivalis, 

 and the white hybrid Rhododendron Sesterianum. Mr. J. 

 Linden, Brussels, sent a remarkable specimen Ada aurantiaca, 

 and a very fine specimen of O. triumpbans. 



Messrs. EoUisson, of Tooting, sent a gi-oup of Orchids and 

 other plants, including some good examples of Dendrobimn 

 nobDe, the orange-flowered D. fimbriatum oculatum with several 

 i-ich-coloured racemes, Vandas, and a basket of Primula nivalis. 

 From the same firm came also bush and standard Mignonette, 

 shown at the last meeting. Mr. Ward, gardener to F. G. Wilkins' 

 Esq., exhibited a fine specimen of Odontoglossum cristatrim! 

 From Mr. Charles Noble, Bagshot, came a large collection of 

 bis beautiful varieties of Clematis ; from Messrs. F. &A. Smith, 



Dulwich, a large gi'Oup of Cinerarias, among which were several 

 fine new varieties ; and from Mr. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries,. 

 Tottenham, a large and charming gi-oup of spring-flowering 

 plants, in which Iris chinensis was conspicuous by its beautifully 

 fringed pale bluish hlac and orange flowers. Along with these 

 was a large group of Mrs. Pettifer forcing Pink. Mr. Needle, 

 gardener to the Comte de Paris, York House, Twickenham, 

 again exhibited a charming collection of Opbi-ys and Orchis. 



Mr. Williams, of Hollowiiy, exhibited a veiy fine gi'oup, in 

 which were TiUandsia Lindeni -nith f om- flowers in great beauty,, 

 remarkably fine specimens of Phalienopsis Schilleriana and 

 TricbopiUa suavis, the briUiant LffiUa cinnabarina, Magnolia 

 Lenn(3, a pan of Primula nivalis, and other plants. From Mr. 

 Bull came a large collection of Palms, Dracjenas, a very fine 

 Platyceriiun grande, and various fine-foUaged plants, together 

 with Masdevallia ignea and other Orchids; and fi-om Mr. 

 WiUs, Sussex Place, Old Brompton, a numerous and tastefully 

 arranged gi-onp of plants, comprising Palms, Orchids, and a gi'cat 

 variety of stove and gi-eenhouse plants, among which was a fine 

 specimen of Rhododendron Countess of Haddington. Several 

 extra prizes, which will be found in the list of awards in another 

 column, were given for these subjects. 



Fruit Committee. — G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the ehaiiv 

 Mr. George CooUng, of Bath, sent head.s of Matchless Broccoli,, 

 large, close, and good. Messrs. Thomas Watts & Son, North- 

 ampton, also sent heads of Excelsior Broccoh, very similar t& 

 the Matchless of Mr. CooUng. Mr. Frederick Perkins, of Leam- 

 ington, sent heads of his Leamington Broccoli, which were large, 

 close, and well protected. Messrs.' Stuart & Mein, of Kelso, 

 sent specimens of tbe Improved Broad-leaved Dandelion, partly 

 blanched, and well-gi-own, producing a large quantity of excellent 

 salad. Mr. Francis Dancer, of Chis-n-ick, sent a plant of a finely 

 variegated ;sprouting Broccoli. Mr. C. Baldwin, gardener to B. 

 Drew, Esq., sent three brace of veiy fine specimens of Telegraph 

 Cucumber, which received a cultural commendation. Dr. 

 Moore, of Glasneven, sent fi-uit and fohage of Theobroma Cacao ;. 

 the fruit was quite ripe, and a cultui-al commendation was 

 awarded to the exhibitor. Mr. Woodham, gardener to H. D. 

 Pochin, Esq., Barnes, sent a fine dish of Keens' Seedling Straw- 

 berries, which received a cultural commendation. Mr. C. Clarke, 

 Colwick, Stafford, sent a seedUng Apple of small size, round 

 shape, and russetty skin, with streaks of red ; the stalk short, 

 eye small, flesh tender, richly flavoured, and with a fine bouquet. 

 M. A. de Biseau, d' HautevUle, Biuche, Belgium, sent fi-uit of 

 two seedlingJPears : — No. 1, a large oblong fniit with along stout 

 stalk, united to the fruit by a prominent fleshy lij). The skin 

 is entirely covered with cinnamon-coloured russet, the flesh 

 yellowish, very juicy, buttery, and melting, and with a rich 

 flavour. It was awarded a first-class certificate, and was 

 named Beurrc de Biseau. No. 2 was of a roundish Bergamot 

 shape, of medium size, and of a lemon colom', with very Uttle 

 russet on the skin, but the specimens were too far gone, and 

 a proper judgment coidd not be formed of the quaUty. Mr. 

 Richard Westcott sent two bunches of Lady Downe's Grape, cut 

 from the Vine on 30th of March, hut the Committee did not 

 consider the flavour remarkable. 



Prizes were offered for Cucumbers Black-spined, V?hite-Bpined, , 

 and Smooth. Of tbe first-named the best came from Mr. 

 Douglas, gardener to F. Whitbourn, Esq., Loxford Hall, Hford, 

 who bad a fine brace of Blue Gown, at least 22 inches in length. 

 The second prize went to Mr. Parsons, gardener to R. Atten- 

 borough, Esq., Fairla-mi, Acton Green, for Gates' Black-spined. 

 In White-spiued, Mr. Pizzey, gardener to Sir E. Perry, Fulmer,. 

 Slough, was first -nnth Pizzey's Favourite, said to be a very 

 prolific variety ; and Mr. Record, gardener to the Marquis of 

 Salisbury, Hatfield, second with Winter Supply. In the Smooth 

 class Mr. Douglas was first with a variety of his own raising 

 which recently obtained a certificate, and which was named 

 " Tender and True "—the Douglas motto. The brace were very 

 equal in size, fuUy 30 inches in length, and to all outward ap- 

 pearance just what prize Cucumbers ought to be. Mr. D. S., 

 GUlett, gardener to F. W. Berger, Esq., CoiU't Gardens, Great 

 Marlow, was second with Telegraph, which Mr. Record and. 

 others also sent very good. Mr. Cadger, Luton Hoo Park, sent- 

 Luton Hoo, not for competition, a stout-built, and, we are in- 

 formed, also very good variety. 



Of salading, for which prizes were Ukewise offered, there were 

 two collections, one from Mr. Record, the other from Mr. 

 Hepper, gardener, The Elms, Acton, both very excellent, and 

 each received a weU-merited first prize. They consisted of 

 Celei-y, Corn Salad, Chervil, Cucumbers, Green Culled andBata- 

 vian Endive, Lettuce, Chicory, Radishes (Long and Turnip), 

 Water Cress, Mustard, American and Golden Cress, Sorrel, Tar- 

 ragon, and TripoU Onions. Mr. Record's coUection was arranged 

 on the leaves of Passiflora princeps, that of Mr. Hepper on those 

 of Coleuaes and tricolor Pelargoniums. Both collections con- 

 tained Beet, which, though very desirable in a salad, we never 

 yet saw forced. 



Flobai, Committee. — W. Marshall, Esq., in the chair. The 

 subjects submitted to the Committee were few, but the defici- 



