Jane 7, 1877. 1 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



421 



for Rosea than the Shire Hall at Hereford, bat there are no 

 galleries. 



The date fixed tor the " National " will be an excellent one, 

 and prove the wisdom of Mr. Hole in recommending the first 

 week in Jaly. 



What Roaes do the Royal Botanic Society hope to have on 

 the 13th of this month ■.' Will the Crystal Palace change their 

 day ? These are two qaestioas which I should much UUe to 

 see answered.— Jons B. II. Camm. 



[We regret that other correspondents are obliged to suppress 

 their names to prevent letters being addressed to them. Ten 

 letters arrived at this office in one week addressed to " A 

 Pakson's Gardener." How many more would he have been 

 troubled with had his name and address been published ? — Eds.] 



EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



June 5th. 

 FaniT CoMsnTTEE. — John Lee, Esq., in the chair. Carter's 

 Late Silver Head Broccoli was sent by Messrs. J. Carter & Co., 

 High Holborn, but it was not white, and the Committee did 

 not consider it superior to other sorts. Mr. Gough, The Gardens, 

 Westwood Park, Bristol, also exhibited a uew Broccoli. The 

 heads were past their best, but considering the season it was 

 regarded as a useful variety, but was not thought worthy of a 

 certificate as shown. Mr. W. Howard, The Gardens, St. O^yth 

 Priory, Colchester, sent heads of a Broccoli named Model. It 

 was cousidered a distinct variety, but not an improvement on 

 sorts already in cultivation. A Cucumber, presumed to be new, 

 was sent by Mr. H. J. Barnes, gardener to Col. Taylor, Montrose, 

 Weston Park, Bath, but it was not an improvement on many 

 sorts already in existence. A cluster of Cucumbers was sent 

 from Mr. J. T. Creed, gardener to T. Swanwick, Esq , Chester- 

 field. One of them was slightly fasciated. A letter of thanks 

 was sent to the exhibitor. A. dish of Tomatoes— Hathaway's 

 Excelsior — was sent by Mr. Iggulden, gardener to R. B. Wiugfield 

 Baker, Esq., Orsett Hull, Essex. They were excellent examples 

 of skilful culture, and received a cultural commeudatiou. Mr. 

 Cadger, The Gardens, Tring Park, Herts, sent a very fine dish 

 of Strawberries. There seemed to be two sorts ; one of them 

 resembled Keens' SeedUng. A cultural commendation was 

 awarded. Mr. Denning, gardener to Lord Londesborongh, Nor- 

 biton, sent two pots of Garibaldi Strawberry, but the impression 

 appeared to be that they were not different from Yicomtesse 

 Hericart de Thury. A letter of thanks was voted to Mr. Denning. 

 Mr. R. Gilbert, TUe Gardens, Burghley, Stamford, sent a Green- 

 fleshed Melon — a netted Victory of Baih. It was of very fine 

 flavour, but was not considered sufliciently distinct from Victory 

 of Bath. Mr. John Gardiner, The Gardens, Elsham Hall, sent 

 a Red-fleshed Melon — Duchess of Edinburgh, which had been 

 injured in transit and could not be adjudicated upon. 



Florai. Committee. — W. B. KeUock, Esq., in the chair. This 

 was not a large meeting, but many choice plants were exhibited 

 in the conservatory. First-class certificates were awarded to 

 Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, for Cattleya Skiuneri 

 alba, a very pure white and beautiful flower; to Mr. Turner, 

 Slough, for Pelargoniums Venus, Mrs. King, Eloquence, and 

 Virgin Queen; to Mr. Kinghoru for Gloxinia Paragon, very 

 fine; to Messrs. J. Laing & Co., Forest Hill, for a very neat 

 and pretty double Begonia named Gloire de Nancy. This is 

 the first double Begonia we have seen, and promises to iu- 

 angarate a new race which will be vtry useful for decorative 

 purposes. The flower is somewhat like a single pip of a good 

 doable Geranium. To Mr. Douglas, gardener to F. Whitbourn, 

 Esq., Loxford Hall, for two charming varieties of Aquilegias, 

 which were very much admired. These were named Aquilegia 

 hybrida californioa and A. hybrida crerulea. These are impor- 

 tant additions to the old bat pretty genus of Columbines. Mr. 

 Ollerhead, gardener to Sir H. W. Peek, was also awarded a first- 

 class certificate for Od'intoglossum Alexandrte var. roseum. 



Messrs. Veitch i Suns staged some excellent Orchids; amongst 

 them were splendid plauts of OJontoglossum ujevium, Cattleya 

 MoBsiai, Cypripedium caudatnm, and thirteen species and varie- 

 ties of Masdevallias, which were very beautiful. A silver medal 

 was awarded for the group. 



Mr. John Wills of South Kensington had a small but attractive 

 group, including a very large and good variety of Anthurium 

 Scherzerianum, and excellent examples of Odontoglossum Alex- 

 andric and C,i ■^'.vri Mossiae interspersed with Ferns, for which 

 a Bilver medal was awarded. 



From the gardens of J. G. Hepburn, Esq. (Mr. J. Loveland, 

 gardener), Sidcup Place, Kent, came a group of over fifty Or- 

 chids, noticeable amongst which were two large plants of Vauda 

 Buavis ; a fine Anguloa Clowesii ; small but well-bloomed plants 

 of Oncidiums crispum, sessile, and flexaosum; Odoutoglossum 

 vexillarium and citrosmum, very fine ; Cattleyas Mendeli, lobata 

 and Moasiie ; Cypripediums oaudatum, BoezUi, and barbatam ; 



and Dendrobiums DalhousiaUum, and nobile cerulescens, for 

 which a silver medal was deservedly awarded. 



Mr. Ollerhead also exhibited excellent Orchids, including 

 several Masdevallias, Cypripediums niveum and barbatum, 

 Odontoglossums Alexandrse aud citrosmum, a very fine Cat- 

 tleya Mossios pallida, Oncidium ampliatum, LoeUa purpurea, 

 the curious Brassia Liwrenceana, Saccolabium retusum, Den- 

 drobium formosum giganteum, &c. A silver medal was also 

 awarded to this group. 



Messrs. Barr & Sugden sent an extensive collection of Ixias 

 and Sparaxes, which were placed in a groundwork of Ferns, and 

 were very attractive. A bronze medal was awarded. Mr. Turner, 

 Slough, contributed a group of small plants of Pelargoniums, 

 several of which were certificated ; also a basket of Picotees. 

 A vote of thanks was awarded. Mr. Dean, Ealing, sent Giant 

 Brompton Stocks, Mimuluses, &c., and was awarded a vote of 

 thanks; and the Rev. A. Rawson, Bromley Common, Kent, ex- 

 hibited plants and cut blooms of Calochorti and Cyclobothras. 

 Mr. Kinghorn of the Sheen Nurseries, Richmond, contributed 

 several very well-grown Gloxinias, and received a vote of thanks. 

 Messrs. Osborne & Sons exhibited Pyrethrum aureum laoinatum ; 

 and Mr. E. Holmes, Lichfield, a very pretty Juniper. Votes of 

 thanks were awarded to Mr. Ollerhead for Actus gracillimus, 

 and to Mr. Iggulden, gardener to B. W. Baker, Esq., Orsett 

 Hall, Essex, for a basket of La France Roses. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



We are authorised to announce that their Royal Highnesses 

 the Prince and Princess of Wales have signified their inten- 

 tion of being present at the Great Sumhee Snow of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society at South Kensington on Tuesday, 

 the 113th inst. There is every reason to believe that the Show 

 will be an unusually fine and extensive one. 



On Tuesday last, at the meeting of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society, the Right Hon. Lord Aberdare, the President, 

 presented a number of medals to the successful exhibitors at 

 some ol the late shows, aud thanked them for the liberal way 

 iu which they had supported the Society during its recent 

 difficulties. He stated that there was now every prospect that, 

 these having been overcome, in another year the Council would 

 be in a position to offer prizes of a more substantial kind than 

 mere honorary awards. 



We are pleased to gee by the announcement In the 



London Gazette that Dr. Hooker, C.B., Director of the Royal 

 Gardens, Kew, has been appointed a Kuight Commander of 

 the order of the Star of India. We congratulate Sir Joseph 

 Hooker on this well-merited distinction. 



We have received several letters relative to the depre- 

 dations OF BIRDS in gardens. From them we gather that the 

 bullfinch has scarcely any defenders, and the sparrow and 

 finches few, while the tomtit is credited with doing more good 

 by eating insects and caterpillars than harm by destroying 

 fruit buds. Our correspondent Mr. W. Thomson states that 

 with him the birds mentioned never touch a bud with a rising 

 barometer or iu settled weather ; but in wet weather or before 

 a storm with a falling barometer they are very voracious, and 

 render bushes useless in a very short time. 



A committee has been formed, of which Mr. C. E. 



Elliott of the Cdramio Court, Crystal Palace, is the Honorary 

 Secretary aud Treasurer, for the purpose of providing a suit- 

 able testimonial to Mr. Wilson, who during a period of 

 twenty-five years has been of such great service to exhibitors 

 at flower, poultry, and other shows which have been held at 

 the Palace. A testimonial in money is also proposed to be 

 given to Mr. James Mitchell on his retiring from the manage- 

 ment of the gardens at Newbyth (Sir David B.iird's, Bart.), 

 illness of a serious nature precluding the possibility of Mr. 

 Mitchell resuming his employment. Mr. R. P. Brotherstou, 

 Tyninghame, Prestonkirk, will be glad to receive donations. 



• It has been decided by the Council of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society that a great provincial hobticultoral suow 

 will be held in June, 187S, at Preston in Lancashire, and we 

 are informed that the needful guarantees have been secured. 

 T. M. Shuttleworth, Esq., of Howiek House, Preston, has 

 undertaken the office of local Secretary, and under his inde- 

 fatigable management we have no doubt the Show will prove 

 a great success. 



Referring to the law of planting trees in Switzer- 

 land on the occasion of marriage ceremonies and the birth of 

 children, our correspondent " A. W." states that it is " not a 

 law, but a custom, accompanied in some Cantons with great 

 festivities. In the Canton of Zurich vineyards are often en- 

 larged on these nuptial occasions. This custom is a very wise 



