January 20, 1870 ] 



JODBNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



marbled leaves tinned with red. MeBsre. E. G. Henderson also con- 

 tributed a very extensive and interesting collection, containing many 

 beautiful and curious varieties. The first prize was awarded to Mr. 

 Turner, and the second to Mr. W. Paul. A third prize was given to 

 Messrs. E. G. Henderson. 



Prizes were also offered for the best and second best collections of 

 nine hardy Conifers. Messrs. Veitch, who were the only exhibitors, 

 had the first prize for the following— viz., Cryptomeria elegaus, very 

 handsome; Sciadopitys verticillata ; a fine specimen of Thujopsis 

 dolabrata ; Picea magnifies, with glaucous foliage, and branching 

 horizontally ; Picea bracteata ; Retinospora plumosa, filifera, and 

 obtusa nana nurea, the laet of dwarf compact growth, and having 

 beautiful golden variegation ; and Juniperus rigida. Messrs. Veitch 

 sent, in addition, Retinospora lycopodioides, very beautiful, resembling, 

 as its name implies, a Lycopod ; R. obtusa aurea, Thujopsis Stan- 

 dishii. Thuja Vervaeniana, cinnamon-coloured, and Abies polita. 



Of Orchids, Messrs. Veitch sent a magnificent collection, in which were 

 fine specimens of Cypripedium villosum, Phajus irroratus, Cattleyas, 

 Lycaste Skinneri, Ladia anceps with ten spikes, Saccolabium gigan- 

 teum, with two very fine racemes ; Angrsecnm sesquipedale, Barkeria 

 Skinneri, Odontoglossumscordatum,Warneri,pulehellum ; Cypripedium 

 pardinum, Ladia alba, &c. Mr. Denning, gardener to Lord Londes- 

 borough, Grimston Park, Tadcaster, also exhibited a magnificent col- 

 lection, most conspicuous in which was Ladia anceps Barkeri^with a 

 score of spikes of its richly-coloured flower, this noble specimen filling a 

 pan about 21 feet in diameter ; Calanthe vestita rubra, with a very fine 

 spike ; Odontoglossum cristatum, Oncidium lencochilum, Calanthe 

 vestita rosea, Calanthe Veitehii, with two fine spikes and a smaller one, 

 most beautiful in colour ; L;elia furfuracea, very splendid in colour ; 

 Odontoglossum Alexandra-, with a noble spike of large and beautifully- 

 marked flowers ; Lycaste Skinneri, very fine ; Oncidium leopardinuni, 

 rich brown with a yellow lip, very striking ; Cypripedium insigne, with 

 eight flowers, very fine and rich in colour ; Lnslia albida and L. autum- 

 nalis ; Saccolabiums ; Oncidium Kramerianum, with one flower, but 

 that 3.1 inches across, and extremely rich in colour. 



Mr." Williams, of Holloway, sent a large specimen of Anselha 

 africana with large and handsome spikes, Angrrecum eburneum virens, 

 also a fine specimen with five spikes, Odontoglossum luteum pur- 

 pureum, Angrascuru sesquipedale, Cypripedium biflorum, and Bolbo- 

 plyllum nilgherriense ; also cut flowers of fine varieties of Ladias, 

 Cattleyas, and Lycaste Skinneri. 



Mr. Burnett, gardener to W. Terry, Esq., Peterborough House, 

 Fulham, exhibited Angrsceum sesquipedale with very fine flowers, 

 white, and like waxwork. 



Mr. Parsons, Danesbury Park, sent a very fine specimen of Odonto- 

 glossum Rossii with six blossoms. From Mr. Wilson, gardener to W. 

 Marshall, Esq., Clay Hill, Enfield, came also a collection of beautiful 

 cat blooms of several varieties of Cattleyas. 



Messrs. Veitch exhibited along with their Orchid collection a fine 

 plant of Lapageria alba. Mr. Williams, of Holloway, had a collection 

 of his very ornamental hybrid Solanums loaded with fruit, but this, 

 not being as yet sufficiently coloured, the plants were not so effective as 

 they will be hereafter, showy as some of them were. Mr. Green, gar- 

 dener to W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., Reigate, contributed a small collec- 

 tion of interesting plants, among which were Cissus porphyrophylluB, 

 Dieffenbachia Wallisii, an Anthurium with deeply-lobed leaves, and 

 another of similar character, but with very narrow lobes ; Maranta 

 setosa, with very handsome foliage shining like silk, dark green ; 

 Anemone capensis, with Parsley-like foliage, and long-stalked pale 

 lilac flowers ; Philodendron crinipes, remarkable for the moss-like 

 covering of the leafstalks ; and a fine variety of Odontoglossum Cer- 

 vantesii. Mr. Turner sent baskets of Mrs. Headley, Golden Tricolor 

 Pelargonium, most beautifully coloured. 



From Mr. Wiggins, gardener to W. Beck, Esq., Isleworth, came an 

 extensive and fine collection of Cyclamens ; likewise one of Chinese 

 Primulas, with large and finely-coloured flowers, both of the ordinary 

 and Fern-leaved kinds. Mr. Edmonds, Hayes Nursery, also sent a 

 nice collection. Mr. Welch, Parkfield House, Hillingdon, sent a 

 most beautifully coloured Cyclamen, named Kermesinum. 



Messrs. Francis, of Hertford, exhibited photographs and a portion 

 of the branches of a seedling Picea ; and Mr. Aldred, Kilburn, Beed- 

 ling Variegated Pelargoniums and a seedling Primula. 



From Mr. W. Paul came a small collection of Laurels, among 

 which were Cerasus LaurocerasuB rotundifolia, with roundish obovate 

 leaves ; C. colchica, which has been frequently noticed in these pages 

 as a very desirable kind ; C. Laurocerasus parvifolia, with very small 

 and narrow lanceolate leaves, and a seedling variety just the opposite, 

 having remarkably large leaves. Messrs. E. G. Henderson sent, in 

 addition, a small collection of Camellias with variegated leaves. 



First-class certificates were awarded for the following : — To Mr. 

 Welch, Hillingdon, for Cyclamen persicum kermesinum ; Mr. Wilson, 

 gardener to W. Marshall, Esq., for Cattleya Triamei Atalanta, Cattleya 

 Trianon Venus, C. Triansei Io, and C. Penelope ; and to Mr. Donning, 

 gardener to Lord Londesborongh.for Oncidium leopardinum. Second- 

 class certificates were awarded to Mr. W. Paul, for Cerasus Lauro- 

 eerasua rotundifolia. Special certificates were awarded to Mr. Wigging, 

 gardener to W. Beck, Esq., for a collection of Cyclamens, and for a 

 collection of Primulas ; Messrs. Veitch, collection of Orchids ; Mr. 

 Denning, gardener to Lord Londesborough, for Ladia anceps, Ladia 

 furfuracea, and a collection of Orchids ; to Messrs. E. G. Henderson, 



for a collection of Ivies ; to Mr. Terry, gardener to W. Burnett, Esq., 

 Fulham, for a specimen plant of Angrrecum sesquipedale ; to Mr. 

 Williams, Holloway, for a collection of Orchids ; to Mr. Edmonds, for 

 a collection of Primulas ; and to Mr. Parsons, Danesbury Park, for 

 Odontoglossum Rossii. 



General Meeting. — J. Bateman, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. After 

 the election of twenty-one new Fellows, and the announcement of the 

 Committee awards, the Rev. M.J. Berkeley, in addressing the meeting, 

 directed attention in the first place to Anemone capensis, from Mr. 

 Wilson Saunders's gardener, which, he said, had a curious suffrnti- 

 cose habit ; and he took the opportunity to intuition what he supposed 

 to be a mere variety of Anemone apennina called A. blanda now in 

 flower at Chiswick. Philodendron crinipes, from the same gentleman, 

 was the next subject of remark, and it was stated that the curious 

 covering of the leafstalks, which might be supposed to be of the nature 

 of adventitious roots if examined attentively, partook more of that of 

 leaves. Cissus porphyrophyllns was the next plant which came under 

 notice, but though generally believed to bo a Cissus, it was extremely 

 like a Piper. It hail never yet, so far as he was aware, been known to 

 flower in this country. Messrs. Francis & Co. had sent part of a 

 branch of the usual form of Picea lasiocarpa, and of a seedling from 

 it like P. nobilis, but in the absence of cones it was almost impossible 

 to distinguish Conifers with certainty, though one of the committee- 

 men stated he was able to do so with considerable certainty by scent. 

 It was, however, certain that, as stated on a previous occasion, the 

 leaves of young plants differ from those of plants which are mature, 

 and the probability was that the difference observable in the seedling 

 was due merely to its being a young state of Picea lasiocarpa. The 

 colour of the Conifers exhibited by Messrs. Veitch then claimed atten- 

 tion, and it was remarked that tho browuness they exhibited was not 

 uncommon at this season, and though nothing certain was known as to 

 the cause, he believed the change in colour to be owing to an altera- 

 tion in the chlorophyl. 



Mr. Berkeley next drew attention to a Parsnip brought by Mr. 

 Earley, which, in consequence of the manure having been mixed with 

 the soil near the surface, instead of being worked down into it, had 

 turned aside laterally when it came to the manure ; audDr. Voelcker, 

 in connection with this subject, stated at the Scientific Committee 

 that where liquid manure had been applied he knew an instance of 

 Beetroot curling up to the surface instead of descending. 



With regard to the fruit shown, his impression of Solanuin betaceum, 

 or Guisados, was that it was beautiful and quite as good as a Brinjal, 

 although one of the Committee had compared it to putrid oysters. 

 There was also a kind of Pine Apple from abroad, which to his raid 

 was incomparable as regards flavour. In conclusion, Mr. Berkeley 

 referred to Mr. W. Paul's Laurel which received a certificate, as likely 

 to be extremely useful and a great improvement on the common 

 Laurel, the fault of which is that it is so apt to become straggling, 

 whilst the new one appears to be more compact. 



Mr. Bateman regretted that the dingy afternoon did not permit of 

 the full beauty of the Orchids being appreciated, but they were exhi- 

 bited in far greater beauty, and, indeed, in far greater number than at 

 any previous meeting so early in the season. Five-sixths of them 

 belonged to the cool-house section— that is, those from Mexico and 

 Peru, although there were some notable exceptions. Mr. Bateman 

 then reviewed the most remarkable of those exhibited, especially notic- 

 ing the cut blooms of Cattleyas which came from Mr. Marshall's gar- 

 dens ; but these, beautifnl and distinct as they were, only formed a 

 small portion of the varieties known, and which had become so nume- 

 rous that he (Mr. Batemanl considered they ought to have some 

 special encouragement, and he had therefore determined to oner a 

 prize of £5 for the beat collection of cut Cattleyas shown at the 

 first January meeting next year, on the condition that the blooms 

 should become the property of the Society for distribution among the 



After noticing Ada aurantiaca and one or two more Orchids, Mr. 

 Bateman said he had himself had experience of Conifers becoming 

 brown in winter, and cautioned gardeners against being too hasty in 

 cutting down or taking up plants exhibiting such symptoms. After 

 expressing his satisfaction that the change of the day of meeting, from 

 Tuesday to Wednesday, had been attended with no diminution in the 

 number of plants exhibited, nor in the attendance at the meeting, the 

 Chairman closed tho proceedings by announcing that the next ordinary 

 eeting would take place on February 16th. 

 ay be useful here to add, as the Society's schedule is not as yet 

 generally in the hands of the gardening public, that at the February 

 meeting prizes are offered, in addition to certificates for New Plants, 

 Flowers, Fruits, and Vegetables, for the following subjects— TO, m 

 Class 1, for six Chinese Primulas, distinct ; in Class 2, for three Drely- 

 tras, in bloom ; in Class 3, for six Lycastes, in bloom ; in Class 4, for 

 winter dessert of Apples and Pears, three dishes of each (prizes 

 offered by the Rev. G. Kemp) ; in Class 5, for dessert Apples, three 

 dishes ; and in Class 6, for dessert Pears, three dishes 

 classes are open both to nurserymen and amateurs. 



The above 



Are Sparrows Destructive to Garden Crops ?— " Nature " 

 reports the results oi some inteiestiug experiments made by 



