364 



JOURNAL OF aORTIGOLTOBE AND GOTTAGK QARDENEB. 



[ May 17, 1877. 



sap in the Vines became exhausted before the means of supply- 

 ing necessary and supplementary food from the border were 

 afforded, hence a check was received, resnlting in shrivelled 

 bnnches and decayed shoots. The right practice to adopt in 

 Becnring fatare crops was sufficiently detailed last week by Mr. 

 Luckhurst, and we recommend a careful perusal of hia article 

 on pp. 345-6.— Eds.] 



KOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



May 15th. 



Considering that this was merely a fortnightly meeting arid 

 not a " show " as generally understood, the display provided in 

 the conservatory was a varied and attractive one. Only a small 

 quantity of fruit was exhibited, but several plants were brought 

 before the Floral Committee, and a few very good miBCellaneouB 

 collections were staged — namely. Orchids from Sir Trevor 

 Laurence, Bart. ; Roses in pots from Messrs. Veitch & Sons, 

 Chelsea; Azaleas from Mr. C. Turner, Slough; Clematises from 

 Mr. Noble, Bagshcit ; Orchids and Ferns from Mr. Wills; cut 

 Roses from Messrs. W. Paul & Son ; and a miscellaneous collec- 

 tion of greenhouse plants from Messrs. "W. Cutbush & Sons. 



Fruit Committee. — Henry Webb, Esq., in the chair. A very 

 good dish of Grosse Mignonne Peaches was sent by Mr. Samuel 

 Jenks, gardener to D.Larnach.Esq., Brambletye.East Griustead, 

 Sussex, tor which a cultural commendation was awarded. A 

 Green and Scarlet-flesh Melon were sent by Mr. H. W. Ward, 

 gardener to the Earl of Radnor, Longford Castle, Salisbury. 

 The Green-fleshed variety was not in condition, and the Scarlet- 

 fleshed form is of the Scarlet Gem type, but was not thought to 

 be an improvement on that sort. A white-spined Cucumber 

 was sent by Mr. Booth, gardener to J. Osmaston, Esq., Osmas- 

 ton Manor, Derby, but it was not thought to be equal to others 

 in its class. Letters of thanks were ordered to be sent to both 

 exhibitors. Mr. J. Douglas, gardener to F. Whitbourn, Esq., 

 Loxford Hall, Ilford, sent specimens of Tender and True Cucum- 

 ber to show that fruit with a small neck and fruit of an even 

 thickreis throughout were produced on the same branch. A 

 letter of thanks was voted. 



Floral Committee. — W. B. Kellock, Esq., in the chair. The 

 Orchids from Sir Trevor Laurence (grown by Mr. Spiers) com- 

 prised Oncidium crispum grandiflornm, with four expanded 

 flowers. These were more than 3 inches in diameter, and were 

 very striking. It resembles a tiue form of 0. c. Forbesii, and 

 was awarded a first-claps certificate. Odontoglossum citrosmum 

 roseum had three spikes and upwards of forty splendid rose- 

 tinted flowers ; O. Andersonianum had a grand spike of richly 

 spotted flowers ; O. triumpbans superbum was also in excellent 

 condition. Tbe distinct Oncidium metallicum was well repre- 

 sented. Cattleya Schilleriana, probably the finest plant ever 

 exhibited, had seven flowers; and Houlletia Lowii had two 

 wax-like sulphur-coloured flowers — carious, ai tractive, and 

 powerfully perfumed. To the last-named plant a botanical 

 certificate was awarded. 



Messrs. Veitch's Roses were in 8 and 9-inch pots. The plants 

 were splendidly grown and bloomed— were in fact perfect plants 

 for conservatory decoration. They were extremely dwarf, each 

 carrying from twelve to twenty blooms, and the foliage was as 

 good as the flowers. Amongst the Teas Perfection de Mont- 

 plaisir, rich yellow, was in beautiful condition ; Marie Guillot 

 was also good, and Alba rosea splendid. One of the blooms on 

 the plant we never saw equalled. Celine Forestier was in per- 

 fect condition. John Stuart Mill, Beauty of Waltham, Paul 

 Verdier, Pierre Ncitting, and Duke of Edinburgh were note- 

 worthy amongst the dark varieties ; and amongst the lights 

 Madame Lacharme had fine blooms but not pure. Capitaine 

 Christy was remarkably good, as were also Baronne de Roth- 

 schild and La France. A silver medal was awarded. 



Tho Azaleas exhibited by Jlr. Turner were mostly the same 

 effective medium-sized plants which were staged at the Crystal 

 Palace last Saturday, and which are noticed in our report 

 of the Show. One, however, not noticed there is Flambeau, 

 rich crimson scarlet, highly effective. A. sinensis, orange 

 yellow, very valuable for decorative purposes ; Jean Vervaene, 

 a fine continental variety, rosy salmon fringed with white, were 

 exhibited by Mr. Turner. The last-named variety has been pre- 

 viously certificated, and is w('rthy of the notice of cultivators. 

 A silver gilt medal was awarded for this collection. 



Amongst Mr. Noble's Clematises we noticed C. Torriana as 

 being distinct in colour, very pale lavender shot with rose. Of 

 the lilac-purple varieties Margaret Dunbar and The President 

 were very flue, and Xerxes was conspicuous from its rich colour 

 and miiroon band. 



Mr. Wills's group was small but attractive owing to the sim- 

 plicity of its arrangement. The groundwork was composed of 

 small plants of Adiantum cuueatum, amongst which were irre- 

 gularly disposed a few choice Odontoglossums. A bronze medal 

 was awarded. 



The collection of Messrs. Cutbush was composed of Palms, 



Dracfenas, Rhododendrons, Conrea cardinalis, several Ericas 

 (E. mirabilis being especially attractive), Boronias, Gena- 

 tyllis. Lilies, and a pretty old greenhouse plant, Hypocalymna 

 robusta — a very good group, for which a silver medal was 

 awarded. 



Messrs. Paul & Sons' cut Roses comprised sixty varieties. 

 Amongst the Teas Souvenir d'un Ami, Marie Van Houtte, Ni- 

 phetos. President, Climbing Devoniensis, and especially Rubens, 

 were in charming condition. Cheshunt Hybrid was also su- 

 perbly shown. Beauty of Waltham, Princess Beatrice, Madame 

 Nachury, and Duchess of Edinburgh were also admirably repre- 

 sented. A bronze medal was awarded for the collection. Messrs. 

 J. Mayo & Son, Cornmarket Street, Oxford, exhibited upwards 

 of sixty blooms of Marechal Niel Roses in excellent condition, 

 and were awarded a bronze medal. 



Messrs. Veitch exhibited four varieties of Azalea mollis — 

 Flambeau and aurantiaca, orange; Comte de Gomer, delicate 

 pink; and CouIeurdePaille, soft buff colour, very pure and fine — 

 for which a first-class certificate was awarded. A similar award 

 was made to the same firm for a new Dracfena from the South 

 Sea Islands. This, which is named Robinsoniaua, is highly 

 distinct and very promising. The plant is of stately growth, the 

 leaves being olive green striped with creamy white and rose. 

 The new unfolding leaves are especially attractive. Messrs. 

 Veitch also exhibited Dracaena speciosa, Crinum Mackoyanum, 

 and Adiantum semulum, an elegant Fern, intermediate in 

 appearance between A. formosnm and A. cuneatum. Messrs. 

 Veitch also exhibited the new American Hydrangea Thomas 

 Hogg ; but it is not yet pure white, although the green tinge in 

 the petals appears to be disappearing. The Committee desired 

 to see it again. 



H. J. Elwes, Esq., Preston, Cirencester, sent flowers of EU- 

 easna longipetala, a carious and pretty Pancratium-like flower; 

 Calceolaria crenatiflora, pure yellow ; Tulipa undulatifolia, to 

 which a vote of thanks was awarded ; and Cypripedium candi- 

 dum, a hardy species, extremely attractive. The slipper of the 

 flower is a pure ivory white, the staminode orange with brown 

 spots, and the sepals brown. It is a charming species, and was 

 introduced from North America in 1826. 



Mr. Cannell exhibited his new striped Geranium New Life, 

 scarlet with flakes of white and rose — withal a good-formed 

 flower. A vote of thanks was awarded. 



Mr. Ollerhead, gardener to Sir H. W. Peek, Bart, Wimbledon 

 House, exhibited a spray of Aristolochia ornithocephala with 

 four remarkable flowers. The correct name of this, however, 

 was stated to be A. braziliensis. A vote of thanks was awarded 

 to the exhibitor. Mr. Bell, The Nursery, Lakenham, Norwich, 

 exhibited Adiantum Capillus-Veneris var. corymbiferum, the 

 fronds being crested like those of A. Liiddemanniannm. Mr. 

 Dean exhibited Mimuluses, Polyanthuses, cut blooms of Pansies, 

 and a few Alpine plants ; and J. D. Llewelyn, Esq., sent an un- 

 named crimson Azalea. 



ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY'S SUMMER SHOW. 



Mat 16th. 



At few places are better plants exhibited than at the first 

 Summer Show at Regent's Park, and few places are better cal- 

 culated to show them to advantage than the large marquee with 

 its hollow central ground aud bold turf-covered elevations, 

 rising tier above tier, yet suificiently isolated to permit all the 

 collections being conveniently inspected. The four half-circular 

 groups in the centre of the marquee were contributed as follows : 

 — A grand display of Rhododendrons and Japanese Maples from 

 Messrs. Veitch ; also a flue group of Roses fringed with cut- 

 leaved Maples; an attractive collection of decorative plants 

 from Messrs. John Laing A- Co., Forest Hill; and a very large 

 and excellent group of Tree Ferns, Orchids, and flne-foliaged 

 plants from Mr. B. S. Williams. For these groups extra prizes 

 were awarded. The collections in competition were arranged 

 on the grass terraces surrounding the marquee, the flowering 

 plants on the projecting mounds, the Ferns and fine-foliaged 

 plants in the recesses. The general appearance of the Show 

 was very rich, and it must be pronounced as one of the best 

 exhibitions of recent years. 



In nuiserymen's principal class for twelve stove and green- 

 house plants in flower first honours were secured by Messrs. 

 Jackson & Son, Kingston, who had evidently reserved them- 

 selves for the event, for the specimens were vastly superior to 

 those which they staged at the Crystal Palace. The collection 

 comprised two Azaleas, three Heaths, two Aphelexes, a Statioe, 

 Imantophyllum, Hedaroma, and Rhodcdendron. Mr. B. S. 

 Williams had the second place with a splendid group. It con- 

 tained a remarkable specimen of Clerodendron Balfourii, an 

 immense EricaCavendisbiana, aCueexampleof Ixora Williamsii, 

 Azaleas, Heaths, Aphelexis, Azalea Criterion, and Anthurium 

 Scherzerianum. Mr. Peed, Roupell Park Nurseries, Norwood 

 Park, had the third prize for smaller yet creditable specimens. 



In the corresponding class for amateurs (ten plants), Mr. 

 Chapman, gardeuerto J. Spode, Esq., Hawkesyard Park, Rugeley, 



