Jane 30, 1870. ] 



JOURNAIi OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



Christian, from Mr. William Paul, the merits of which have been so 

 often noticed, and which fully maintained its high character. 



Fuchsias both in large and small pots were scarcely eqnal to what 

 we have seen in former years, and. on the whole presented rather a 

 dull appearance. The best came from Mr. Cannell, Mr. Weston, and 

 Mr. Janes. 



Of Palms, Mr. Williams and Mr. Fairbairn, gardener to the Dake 

 of Northumberland, Sion House, sent several very fine specimens, the 

 most notable being Pho-nix farinifera, Areca alba, Areca Baueri, 

 Phcenicophorium sechellarum, and Latania borbonica. Most of these 

 specimens were very large, and as regards cultivation most creditable 

 to the exhibitors. 



As regards dinner-table decorations, for which prizes were offered 

 by the President, the Duke of Buccleuch, little can be said ; they were 

 few in number, and presented little novelty. Mr. Sodertook the tirst 

 position with a very neatly arranged group, the standB of glass much 

 after March's pattern, the stems adorned with Japanese Honeysuckle, 

 and the usual accompaniment of Ferns, Roses, and some Grasses to 

 give lightness. Mr. Hawkins was second, and Messrs. Lucking third, 

 the last with an arrangement in which Lycopods were too freely 

 introduced. 



The prizes, likewise offered by the President, for the best groups of 

 three plants went to Mr. Bull, who had a very beautiful specimen of 

 Encephalartos villosns, Cuivuligo recurvata, Dracjsna ferrea variegata, 

 Hyophorbe Verschaffelti, Dracaena gracilis, and Daemonorops mela- 

 nochastes. Mr. Williams was second with Areca Yerschaffelti, Gre- 

 villea elegans, Dracnsna punctata, Sonchus pinnatus, Dracaena Guil- 

 foylei, and a Panax. 



Among miscellaneous groups one from Mr. Denning, gardener to 

 Lord Londesborough, Gnmaton Park, Tadcaster, contained fine ex- 

 ample of Stanhopea insignis ; Acineta Humboldtii with two spikes of 

 its large crimson spotted flowers, the powerful scent of which quite per- 

 fumed the air ; Acineta densa; the bright 3carlet Nassoniacinnabarina; 

 Oncidium Lanceanum, with a very fine spike of its richly-coloured 

 flowers ; Thunia Bensoniw, Der.drobium Bensoni, Broughtonia san- 

 guinea, Oncidium obryzatum, very fine; Dendrochilum filiforme, with 

 a large number of its elegant greenish yellow racemes, Miltonia 

 Regnelli, Dendrobiums, and Cattleyas. Messrs. Veitch sent also a fine 

 group, in which were tine specimens of Lielia purpurata, Barkeria 

 sp3ctabilis, Dendrobium McCarthise, D. formosum, Aerides atfine 

 roseum, Dendrobium thyrsiaorum, D. Bensoni, Dendrochilum fili- 

 forme, the fine hybrid scarlet Begonias Chelsoni and Sedeni, new 

 Crotons, the singular- looking Aralia Veitchii, Gloxinias, Dracjena 

 Guilfoylei, Lilium auratum, and Palms, the last forming an elegant 

 backing. Messrs. Rollissou, of Tooting, also contributed a group con- 

 taining several Orchids, Gloxinias, and Palms. Messrs. Bell & Thorpe, 

 Stratford -on -Avon, sent a miscellaneous group, in which were some 

 fine single Petunias, besides other rarer plants ; and Mr. Ware, of 

 Tottenham, contributed a charming collection of hardy plants in 

 flower, together with Polemoninm ciernleum variegatnm. a very effec- 

 tive creamy variegated plant, well suited for bedding. Mr. Jackman, 

 of Woking, Bent a number of seedling Clematises, several of which 

 were very pretty ; and Mr. Hooper, of Bath, Carnations, Picotees,and 

 Cloves, which, though they received no award, seemed very attractive 

 to the visitors. 



Frutt Committee.— G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. 

 Messrs. J. & C. Lee exhibited a Lettuce called Lee's Nonpareil Cos, 

 a large broad-leaved variety, the great recommendation of which was 

 said to be that it does not inn in a dry season, an opinion which the 

 Committee approved. Messrs. Jame3 Carter & Co., of Holborn. sent 

 dishes of Laxton's Quality and Laxton's (Quantity Peas, the former 

 raised by Mr. Laxton from Prolific and Little Gem, and the latter was 

 a selection from the former. Quality had been tried at Chiswick 

 along with Laxton's Supreme, and received the commendation of the 

 Committee. Quantity was commended at this meeting. Mr. H. 

 Clayton, Hackwood Gardens, Basingstoke, sent an excellent dish of 

 Laxton's Supreme Pea. Messrs. Minier, Nash, & Co., seedsmen, 

 Strand, sent a fine sample of New Early White Italian Tripoli Onion, 

 which received a special eeititbate. The same gentlemen exhibited 

 large specimens of this variety grown abroad. Mr. Gilbert, gardener 

 to the Marquis cf Exeter, Burghley, sent a collection of ten sorts of 

 vegetables, which received a special certificate. Mr. Trotman, Spring 

 Grove Nursery, Isleworth, sent seedling Strawberries, of which the 

 best was Royalty, a cross between Black Prince and British Queen. 

 The fruit is large, of bright red colour, ovate form, very solid 

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

 Mr. Tillery, gardener to the Duke of Portland, Welbeck, sent a dish 

 of Bigarreau Napoleon, a large and handsome Cherry, but they 

 were hardly ripe, and not quite sufficiently coloured. Mr. Elcome, 

 gardener to W. W. Wagstaff, Esq., Khug, near Corweu, sent a pot of 

 Sir Harry Strawberry, with a profusion of fruit. Mr. Gilbert, of 

 Burghley, sent fruit of Victory of Bath Melon, a very excellent variety, 

 which received a first-class certificate. Messrs. Bell & Thorpe, Strat- 

 ford-on-Avon, sent three varieties of Potatoes, called severally, Cedilla, 

 Beta, Clipper, and Ruby. The three former are white kidneys, and 

 the last a red round variety. The Committee commended Beta as a 

 good early Potato. 



Floral Committee. — Rev. Joshua Dix in the chair. The subjects 

 brought before the Committee on this occasion were not very nu- 



merous, but several were of great excellence. Most prominent, perhaps, 

 of all were the beautifully-grown Lobelias shown by Mr. Moon, gar- 

 dener to F. Stanton, Esq., Lewisham, some being trained as pyramids, 

 upwards of 2 feet high from the pot, and furnished with blossom 

 throughout; others equally well bloomed were grown in their natural 

 form, and among them Dazzle, dark bine with a white eye, was very 

 free-9owering, and of compact habit. Of the rest, Blue Bell, Blue 

 Boy, Viola, and Alice were pretty. A special certificate was given for 

 the excellent cultivation. 



Messrs. Veitch, of Chelsea, sent a number of plants, of which a 

 species of Dendrobium with greenish -yellow flowers, marked with lines 

 of purple dots, received a first-class certificate, and a similar award 

 was made for Barkeria spectabilis snperba, a very fine variety. Of 

 the other plants from the same firm, Begonia Chelsoni had a first- 

 class certificate, and there were several others, as Dractena Denni- 

 soniana, which will doubtless take a high position hereafter. 



Mr. Bull sent several plants, of which Erythrina Parcelii, from the 

 South Sea Islands, received a first-class certificate. TIub has yellow 

 median variegation, and in some of the leaves the principal nervures 

 are also similarly variegated. If constant in its variegation, it will bo 

 a very ornamental plant. 



Messrs. Rollisson sent Cliamsedorea graminifolia, a very graceful 

 Palm, which took a first-class certificate, a variegated form of Coffea 

 arabica, which was interesting. Gloxinias, and several other plants. 



Mr. Ward, gardener to W. B. Kellock, Esq., had special certificates 

 for excellent specimens of Agave bystrix and A. ensiformis, and a 

 first-class certificate for A. cucullata. 



Mr. Turner, Slough, sent a number of new Show Pelargoniums, of 

 which Pollie received a first-class certificate ; the flower with a dark 

 top, edged with purplish crimson, white throat shaded with magenta, 

 and the lower petals crimson, darkly veined. 



Mr. Green, gardener to W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., Hillfield, 

 Reigate, exhibited a number of interesting cut Orchids, for which a 

 special certificate was given, and Hyacinthus candicans, a gigantic 

 white-flowered Hyacinth, which had a first-class certificate. Lady 

 Hill had a special certificate for Woodsia alpina, and Mr. T. Malyon, 

 Lewisham Road, a first-class certificate for Scolopendrium multifidum 

 Malyoni, a most elegant multifid variety. 



From E. J. Lowe, Esq., Highfield House, Nottingham, came a very 

 numerous collection of seedling Ferns raised from various parents. 

 First-class certificates were awarded to the following — viz., Scolopen- 

 drium Axion, assemblatum, Euplices, Flora, innsitatum, kompsotes, 

 migeratum, pictorium, prodonton, transformatum ; Lastrea dilatata 

 spectabilis ; Asplenium marinum admirabile ; Athyrium Filix-fcemhaa 

 kallisphanion, and A. F-f. kephalobares. 



General Meeting. — W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., F.R.S., in the 

 chair. Thirteen new Fellows having been elected, and the Committee 

 awards announced, the Rev. M. J. Berkeley offered some remarks on 

 the principal subjects exhibited. The Luffa fruit exhibited at the 

 last meeting, he said, though perhaps not positively poisonous in the 

 young state, was excessively acrid. He then drew attention to the 

 hybrid Ferns from E. J. Lowe, Esq., which were extremely interesting ; 

 persons who wished to raise abnormal forms should, as demonstrated 

 by this collection, take spores from abnormal fronds. The hybrid 

 Begonias from Messrs. Veitch were then particularly noticed, and the 

 Acarus producing pustules on the leaves of the Pear next occupied 

 attention, and it was stated to be an insect closely allied to the Acarus 

 of the Currant-bud, and four-footed. 



Major R. Trevor Clarke made some remarks on the Dioscorea, 

 exhibited at a former meeting, observing that public taste appeared to 

 have undergone a change, and that much more attention was now 

 bestowed on artistic elegance than formerly. He had given the plant 

 referred to to Messrs. Veitch, to see what it would be under high cul- 

 tivation, and it now appeared as a fine scroll plant. Such plants he 

 considered were most desirable during the terrible colour-worship we 

 had been absorbed in for the last few years. 



Mr. Wilson Saunders said in reference to the specimen of Hya- 

 cinthus candicans exhibited from his own garden, that he had had it 

 in cultivation for forty-five years, and that he believed it to belong to 

 the genus Hyacinthus, and although it was a South African plant it 

 was almost hardy, thriving under the protection of a wall. In con- 

 clusion, he called attention to the great Show at Oxford to be held 

 from the 19th to the 22nd of July, and mentioned that the President's 

 annual soiree would be held on the 30th of the same month. 



Richardia ^ethiopica..— Even when not in bloom the pleasing 

 foliage has a happy effect, mixed with other plants ; also it is 

 of easy growth. It can be grown in a 12-inch pot, placing three 

 or four plants in a pot, or, individually, in smaller ones. The 

 greatest care required during its growing season is to have it 

 plentifully supplied with moisture ; and as it is a gross feeder, 

 it should occasionally have some liquid manure. As soon as 

 the pots get filled with roots they should be set in saucers of 

 water, with a little manure in them as well, and be kept in 

 them while flowering, so that the spadix and foliage may attain 

 a full and fine development. By the commencement of summer 

 the flowering season should have ended. Then the plants 



