December i, 187S. 1 



JOUENAIj of HORTICULTUfiB AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



439 



Flor.il CoiniiTTEE. — W. B. Kellook, Esq., in the chair. The 

 subjects for examinatioa on this occasion were few. A first- 

 class certificate was awarded to Messrs. Veitch for Retinospora 

 obtusa aurea gracilis, of a golden hue, like the variety from 

 which it has sprung, but with the ends of the shoots somewhat 

 pendulous. This was a very ornamental specimen. A similar 

 award was made to the same for Abies polita, also for Barkeria 

 elegans Lindleyana centerte, Ulac, with the base of the lip 

 cream-white. Messrs. Veitch had likewise a cultural certificate 

 for a fine specimen of Azara microphyll:i, with small very 

 shining leaves. Messrs. Veitch also showed a new hybrid, 

 which promises to be a great acquisition, raised by Mr. Bause, 

 and called Poinsettia Bausei. The pollen parent was Poiusettia 



Bulcherrima, the seed parent P. alba, and the result is a plant 

 kely to be of stronger constitution than the latter, and of 

 drooping very dwarf habit, while producing splendid rosy car- 

 mine bracts. On the plant shown these were not so brilliant 

 in colour, nor so large, as in the species pulcherrima, but there 

 is every probability that in both respiicts it will improve. A 

 cultural certificate was awarded to Mr. C. May, gardener to J. S. 

 Beckett, Esq., Muswell Hill, for a specimen of the nailk-white 

 Masdevallia tovarensis, with sixteen spikes and thirty-six flowers, 

 and a certificate of the first claes to Messrs. W. & A. Brown for 

 a fine variety of Primula sinensis fimbriata. Mr. Chambers, 

 Spring Grove, sent a pan of Lachenalia pendula, an old species. 

 Mr. Keen, gardener to J. G. Sheppard, Esq., Campsey Ash, 

 "Wickham Market, sent a basket of Clove Carnation Miss 

 JolifEe, which was certificated two years ago, to show how freely 

 it blooms in small GO-pots. Mr. E. Smith, nurseryman, Farn- 

 borough, sent, too late for the Committee, a singular example of 

 Scotch Fir, forming a dense brush-like plant 4 feet high. Some 

 Natal Begonias and Chinese Primulas from Chiswick Garden 

 were exhibited ; also some natural flowers and foliage electro- 

 typed with silver, and which appeared to have come from Ml. 

 J. C. Fox's department. 



Ths Davis Memorial Prizes are now offered for the Show to 

 Ije held on the 3rd of June, 1874 ; and this has been acceded to 

 by Mr. Baines, Mr. Kemp, and by Mr. Cutbush, of Barnet. The 

 reason for the change is that the first Show in May will be too 

 oarly, and the last being only an ordinary meeting of Com- 

 mittees, the advantage of having the plants exhibited on such 

 au occasion would be lost. 



HOW TO GROW EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS IN 



ENGLAND. 

 Mt attention has been drawn to au article of yours which 

 NJas copied into the Daibj News of November 8th, in reference 

 to the health-giving properties of the Eucalyptu.s globulus, 

 or Blue Gam tree. As I have successfully reared from seed 

 two dozen of these trees, and as they are now growing well 

 ont of doors, I thini some of your readers would like to know 

 how I succeeded. I obtained the seed five years ago from 

 South Australia, and forced it in a hothouse ; in one year it 

 was 1 feet high, and now, in its fifth year, it is growing rapidly 

 in a sheltered position in the park, having attained a height 

 of 30 feet. The first three years the tree must bo taken under 

 cover every winter, and the fourth and fifth years should bo 

 protected for several feet up with wisps of hay or straw. When 

 the trees are kept in-doors in winter, it should be in an orangery 

 or very high greenhouse, with plenty of light and little water. 

 I have sent specimens of my five-year-old Gum trees to Milton 

 Abbey, in Dorsetshire, and to Donhead Rectory, in Wilts, where 

 I beUeve they also flourish. — V. F. Beseti SxANroRD, Ptjt 

 House, TUbunj. — (Medical Tivies.) 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



2Ut November, 1873. 

 MEMOBAsnnsi from the Council upon a circular sent round by 

 Sir Daniei. Cooper, Bart., and others, to the Fellows of the 

 Koyal Horticultural Society. 



1. The circular in question states that " the present Council 

 was elected by a very small number of the Fellows." 



As a matter of fact, a larger number of Fellows took part in 

 the election of the present Council than have ever taken part in 

 any previous election. 



2. The circular further states that the legality by which the 

 present Council was elected is disputed. The late Attorney- 

 General, Sir John Coleridge, and Mr. Lindley, Q.C., have given 

 an opinion that the present members of the Council were legally 

 and validly elected, as follows : — 



" We are of opinion that the new byo-lawa are valid ond Ic^al, and that the 

 new CHincil is dalj and properly appointed. The case reaLly turns on the 

 «aect of the lOib oUa ee of tbe Chuter, and we are of opiniou that the now 



bye-laws are consistent with, and not repuf^nant to, that clause; and the 

 opinion of the Solicitor-General, as set out in the case, appears to us to be the 

 same as our own on the question submitted to us. 



(Signed) John DoitE Coleridge. 



*' ith August, 1S73." ^ Nathl. Lindley. 



3. No Chancery suit is imminent or probable, so far as the 

 Council is aware. 



4. The Society has paid regularly all rent due to the Com- 

 missioners, and there are no arrears whatever due to them ; on 

 the contrary, the Commissioners owe the Society i;l043 for rent 

 overpaid by the Society in 1872. 



5. It is not correct to say that the Society has a liability of 

 many thousands which it cannot meet. It has met all its lia- 

 bilities of the present year, aud has discharged a large portion 

 of the heavy arrears left by previous Councils. 



G. The Society has regularly fulfilled all its obligations towards 

 the debenture-holders, according to the terms under which the 

 loan was contracted, which are printed on each bond; and it 

 would be illegal for the Council in any way to modify those terms. 

 7. Horticultural science, so far as this Society is coucerned, is 

 in as good a,positiou as it ever has been, and is daily improving. 

 By order of the Council, 



W. A. Lindsay, Secretary. 



[An impression generally prevails that because a few members 

 of the Horticultural Defence Committee, in their capacity as 

 Fellows, signed the memorial prepared by Sir Daniel Cooper 

 to the Royal Commissioners, that this was the act of the Defence 

 Committee. We have received the following, which will state 

 what the opiniou of the Defence Committee really is : — 



"The Horticultural Defence Committee, as a Committee, 

 ignore the circular issued on November 17th by Sir Daniel 

 Cooper and others ; but, approving of the sixth clause of the 

 memorial, they think it best before taking further action to 

 await the result of the meeting of Her Majesty's Commis- 

 sioners, which is to be held on the 5th inst." — Eds.] 



Should the reconstitution of the Society be carried out we 

 may expect to get back au important class of Fellows — those 

 who during a long course of years, owing to some actual or 

 beUeved cause of offence, or neglect, have left the Society. 

 When asking some of the most influential horticulturists to 

 join us in the appeal, " Not a Fellow," was the answer, aud 

 this from two of the body much looked up to and respected ; 

 and among our greatest exhibitors one of them gave the reason, 

 " We were badly treated and left the Society." I think with 

 a reconstituted Society we may count on old scores being con- 

 sidered as wiped off. The country has expressed its approval 

 of the guinea plan as thoroughly as and almost more promptly 

 than I expected. I asked permission for me to print the en- 

 closed thoroughly representative letter from Mr. Alderman 

 Buchan. Having beau Mayor of Southampton from 1871 till 

 1872, and having a very large collection of Orchids, his name 

 carries weight in his district. One of our most distinguished 

 horticulturists, Mr. EUacombe, of Bitton, has also spoken out 

 in one of your contemporaries. I have only to add that it is 

 to be hoped that all the country Fellows of the Society will 

 sign the paper which has been circulated, in order to gain tho 

 power of voting by proxy. — Geoege F. Wilson, Ileatherbank, 

 Weybridge Heath. 



The following is the letter referred to : — 



" 8, Cranbur;/ Flacc, Southampton. 



" I have read with much interest your letter in The Jouenal 

 OF Horticulture, which I have taken iu for some years ; and 

 as I agree with your facts, you may consider I will be a guinea 

 subscriber if it should bo so decided. Living as I do so distant 

 from London, it would be simply a waste of money to subscribe 

 (according to the present rule) five [four] guineas a-year, par- 

 ticularly as the advantages to be obtained are not commensurate. 

 I feel quite sure if a guinea subscription were adopted it would 

 greatly popularise the Society aud considerably enhance its 

 funds. As far as I am concerned I may not possibly attend one 

 show, but still I approve the principle ; aud being a great lover 

 of horticulture, particularly of Orchids, of which I have a large 

 number, I wish to do all I can to induce tho pubUc at large to 

 imbibe the same taste. 



" Excuse my addressing you, but as you have made yourself 

 public property by advocating so good an alteration to benefit 

 tho Horticultural Society, by the publication of your excellent 

 letter, I could not refrain from troubliug you. I am, &a. — 



H. J. BUCHAN." 



I HAVE read with much interest tho letters of Mr. G. F. 

 Wilson, published iu this Journal, referring to tho present 

 state aud position of the Royal Hortioaltoral Society, also the 



