3G2 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



Bpace will not permit ine to go further into details. It lias 

 teen, and is argiied by some of my friends, that the system of 

 making a great number of genera tends to increase the ditllculty 

 to the amateur in learning, but to me it appeal's to offer facilities 

 rather than throw obstacles in the way — that is, if well defined 

 and permanent characters are taken, on which to establish a 

 genus, whilst those of a fugacious or changeable nature do with- 

 out doubt lead to uncertainty, and tend to depress the mmd of 

 the amateur. — Exteeto Crede. 



KOYAL HOBTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 

 May 1st. 



On this occasion the Show was held in a long tent on the 

 croquet ground near the Council-room, in which latter were 

 placed the Orchids, and, as the weather proved, no better jilace 

 could have been selected. In truth, the day was one of the 

 brightest and most exhiUrating ofMaydays we have ever known, 

 and the Ejchibition was worthy of the day. 



Eoses in pots were the leading feature of this Show, and trulj- 

 magnificent they were. The specimens were beautiful in gTowth 

 and foliage, and in gorgeous bloom. For nine, Mr. Turner, of 

 Slough, was first with superb specimens of Charles Law"son, 

 Victor Verdier, Vicomte Vigier, Celine Forestier, La France, 

 Camille Bernardin, and Marie Baumann, along with excellent 

 TDlants of Marec]ial Vaillant and Paul Verdier. Second came 

 Messrs. Paul & Son, of Cheshunt, with Charles Lawson, Anna 

 Alexieff, and Victor Verdier, large, so well grown, and so pro- 

 fusely covered with flowers, that we do not think they could be 

 sm-passed. Together with these w^ere fine examples of Elie 

 Morel, John Hopper, Horace Vernet, Dr. Andry, Madame Victor 

 Verdier, and CiiUue Forestier. 



Class 2 was for six Eoses in pots. The first prize was taken 

 by Messrs. Veitch, who had, among others, beautiful specimens 

 of Charles Lawson, Victor Verdier, and Princess Mary of Cam- 

 bridge. These, like all the other Eoses exhibited, were remark- 

 able for theu- freshness, so great an attraction in every flower, 

 and especially so in the Eose. A fourth j)rize was awarded to 

 Mr. Eowe, gardener to Mrs. Lewis, Eoehampton. 



Class 3 was for thi-ee Eoses ill pots. Here Mr. Elhs, gardener 

 to J. Galsworthy, Esq., Coombe Warren, Kingston, was first 

 with three exceedingly well-grown specimens. Mr. Baxter, 

 gardener to C. Kieser, Esq., Broxbourne, was a good second : 

 and Mr. James, gardener to W. F. "Watson, Esq., Isleworth, third. 



For cut blooms Messrs. Paul & Son were first with a box of 

 Gloire de Dijon, very fine, besides others of mixed varieties ; 

 Mr. Eowe, gardener to Mrs. Lewis, being second. 



Of Azaleas there was also a fine display, and mauy of them 

 were all that could be desired as regards grow'th and flowering. 

 Messrs. Lane, of Great Bcrkhampstead, were first with large 

 plants in excellrnt lil.inm ; Cri:-]iit!ovn rr.srn. jraQTiifirrnt, an! 



Vicomte de I'.ii >- •, ill-. 1, ,i,...- i,|.rM:;ll.. 1. Mi'. IIill, -mi-- 



dener to H. 'I'.i^S.i, l.-n, :■.'., 'nu l;,';i<l, I;,.-!,;'- rml, v.ms 



second with MIi:ill(r|. hint::, lull lir;;lUlfully Kl""«ll •Ui'l IliiXViTfil. 



Iveryana, Smithii, Eeine dts Blanches, and Criterion were very 

 fine, and the others good. Mr. Tui'ner, of Slough, was third 

 with half a dozen of his round-headed dwarf standards in gi-cnt 

 beauty. For threes, the first prize was willilnlil, 11:- ii-hhI 

 went to Mr. J. Herringtou, gardener to J. T'l !i r, I -[ , i m i i 

 Park; and equal third prizes were awardtil li- "^Ir. ' \\ 1 , 

 gardener to Sir- F. H. Goldsmid, Bart., Eegr Lit':: I'liiL; .;^ I .Mr. 

 C. Baldwin, gardener to E. Drew, Esq., Streatham. The next 

 class was for the same number of plants shown by an exhibitor 

 who had never before taken the Society's prize for Azaleas. Mr. 

 Hill, gardener to H. Taylor, Esq., was first with excellent speci- 

 mens, from 3 to 3i feet high, of Eoi Leopold, Criterion, and a 

 white variety. Mr. James was second with very well-bloomed 

 plants, and Mr. J. Herrington third with tall pyramidal plants. 



Of Auriculas there was a fair show. Mr. Turner, of Slough, 

 was first fur tivelve, and Mr. James second. For six the Eev. 

 H. H. Dombraiu was first, aud Mr. James second. For Alpines 

 Mr. Turner was first, aud Mr. James second. 



Of herbaceous Calceolarias two exceUeut sets of six were sent 

 by Mr. James, and Messrs. Dobson, of Isleworth. These Cal- 

 ceolarias are now so generally raised from seed that it is useless 

 to particularise varieties ; suffice it, then, to state that both col 

 lections, besides being well gi-own and flowered, had been raised 

 fi'om good strains. 



Prizes wiic ofiVred for six exotir Oiiliiil,,. For these Mr. 

 Denuiup:, l-iuiIi ii<_r to Lord Londt':.l:"n-ii'jl;, CniiKliiu Park, 

 Tadca:,t.r, v.a;- iirst with a fine exami-l -i tli.- Ij, autiful Phalie- 

 nopsi.i Liiddemauniaua, with nine iluHtri; Uduutoglossum 

 luteo-pm-pureum, with two fine spikes ; Cypripedium Stonei ; 

 and excellent specimens of Odontoglossum na?vium, Aerides 

 Veitchii, and Cattleya Mossise. Mr. Bull, of Chelsea, who was 

 second, had a pot of Cypripedium Lowii with seventeen flowers, 

 and good specimens of Cypripedium barbatum, Odontoglossum 

 cordatum, &c. Mr. Wheeler, gardener to Su- P. H. Goldsmid, 

 Bart., w-as third. 



In the miscellaneous class Mr. Denning took a prize with a 

 collection, in which were Mesospinidium sanguineum, with 

 three fine racemes of deep rose-coloui"ed flowers ; the large- 

 flowered white and reddish-orange Dendrobium Jamesianuin ; 

 D. Heyneanura, fine ; Epidendrum Stamfordianum, &c. Messrs. 

 Veitch had the first prize in the same class for a charming group 

 of Eoses in pots, along with which were several Japanese 

 Maples. Of these, Acer polymorphum palmatifldum was con- 

 spicuous by its beautifully cut gi'een leaves, and omatum dis- 

 sectum by those of a coppery bronze colour. Mr. C. Noble, of 

 Sunningdale, Bagshot, had a second prize for a splendid collec- 

 tion of Clematis, consi)icuous in which were Lady Londes- 

 borough. Miss Bateman, and Albert Victor, and between the 

 baskets w-ere interspersed plants of the pretty deep rose Spii-iea 

 palmata. Mr. Bull had a third prize for a collection of Palms 

 and other fine-foUaged plants, Orchids, Primula japonica, and a 

 variety of other subjects. Mr. Baxter, gardener to C. Kieser, 

 Esq., sent a fine collection of Hippeastrums ; Mr. Turner, of 

 Show and Alpine Auriculas, Tricolor Pelargoniiuns, and Primula 

 japonica ; and Mr. Ware, Tottenham, a large and veiy beautiful 

 group of spring-flowering jJants, including baskets of those 

 very attractive Phloxes, verua and Nelsoni. Mr. Williams had 

 a noble group of Yuccas, Dasylirions, variegated New Zealand 

 Flax ; a tine specimen of the lovely Filmy Fern, Todea superba J 

 the new Haresfoot Fern, Davalha Tyermanii, and Ehododen- 

 di'on Auguste Van Geert, a fine vinous purplish rose. Messrs., 

 Standish it Co., Ascot, sent a remarkably fine specimen of Eu- 

 charis amazonica, seedling Clematises, a nice basket of Struthi- 

 opteris japonica, and an Abies from the Altai Mountains, Sibe- 

 ria, of very dwarf habit, Avith the leaves glaucous beneath, and 

 the young shoots brownish red for about thi-ee weeks when 

 pushing, a plant which promises to be useful in spring gardening. 



Mr. Needle, gardener to the Comte de Paris, Twickenham^ 

 again exhibited a charming httle group of terrestrial Orchids- 

 Mr. WiUiam Paul sent three boxes of cut blooms of Marechal 

 Niel Eose, which for size and richness of colour combined may 

 have been equalled, but certainly h.ave never been sm-passed. 

 From the same exhibitor came also several white-variegated 

 white-flowered Pelargoniums, of which Waltham Bride has been 

 frequently noticed. The others were Avalanche, Snow-wreath,, 

 and Virgin Queen, all with white flowers in good trusses, and 

 the leaf-variegation puii*e W'hite. 



Mr. Hooper, Widcombe HiU, Bath, sent a stand of Turban 

 Eanimculuses, also bedding aud fancy Pausies ; Mr. James a 

 collection in pots, likewise cut blooms ; aud Mr. Bragg, of Slough,, 

 thirty-six fancies. A number of extra prizes were awarded. 



Feuit Cojimittee. — G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. 

 Messrs. Wright, The Nursery, Lee, Kent, sent three bunches of 

 new Black Hamburgh Grapes of great merit, to which a cultural 

 commendation was awarded. Mr. Tegg, gardener to J. Walter, 

 Esq., Bearwood, sent three bimches of Black Hambm'gh, and 

 three of Buckland Sweetwater, to which a cultural commenda- 

 tion was awarded. Mr. M. Davis, gardener to P. Galloway, Esq., 

 Eoehampton Park, sent a dish of early Peaches. Mr. Tegg, the 

 Gardens, Bearwood, sent a basket of very fine Figs — Brown 

 Turkey and Violette de Bordeaux, both admirably grown, and 

 which received a cultural commendation. Mr. H. Hopper,, 

 gardener to E. D. Lee, Esq., Hartwell House, Aylesbiu-y, sent a 

 dish of Dr. Hogg Strawberry, which elicited the admiration of 

 the Committee fortbeir great size andbrilliautcolom-. A cultural 

 commendation was aw.irded. Mr. D. Mackellar, gardener to C. 

 Magniac, Esq., Colworth, sent a dish of Marguerite Stl-awberry 

 equally fine of their kind, aud received a crdtural commenda- 

 tion. Mr. Stevens gardener to his Grace the Duke of Suther- 

 land, Trentham, sent two dishes of Black Tartarian and one of 

 Bigarreau Napoleon, both large, handsome, and well-flavoured. 

 They received a cultural commendation. Eobert Hudson, Esq., 

 Clapham Common, sent a brace of Cucumbers which the Com- 

 mittee considered rather coarse. Mr. Dancer, of Little Sutton, 

 sent a bundle of Conover's Colossal Asparagus, a fine, large,. 

 American variety, which received a first-class certificate. 



The subjects exhibited at this meeting were generally of a 

 very high order, as is evidenced by the unusual number of cul- 

 tural certificates that were awarded. 



Floe.u. Committee. — E. Eosher, Esq., in the chair. Messrs- 

 Veitch sent a gi'oup of Orchids, among which were fine speci- 

 mens of Oncidium hastatum and Odoutoglossum Alexandras ; 

 and for it a cultural commendation was given. A Pent- 

 stemon (?) from the Eocky Mountains with purphsh rose flowers 

 received a first-class certificate ; and there was also a graceful 

 Leptopteris, though whether from its natural character, or not 

 being covered with a bell-glass, it did not exhibit the beautiful 

 filmy appearance. of L. superba. Mr. WiUiams, HoUoway, had 

 a first-class certificate for Encephalartos cycadifolia, a very 

 handsome species ; he also sent Paudanus aurea with pale yellow 

 leaves, and a very compact plant of Agave filifera. Mr. Linden, 

 of Brussels, had a first-class certificate for Odoutoglossum brevi- 

 folium with large yellowish brown flowers vrith a yellow lip. 

 Mr. Linden also exhibited O. nevadense with dark petals aud 



