JtUr 9. 1668. ] 



JOUBNAL OP HOBTIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



variety ; Pnya or Djokia species, with a cnrions and nnnsnal tint of 

 colonr in its tlowerp, an intorcBtinR plant ; Croton tricolor nnd Croton 

 Hillii, both fino variutiea, especially tho latter. MeBORpiniilium sau- 

 ;^iiieuni, a ilelicate cherry-roso-coloured Orchis, rocoivcd a Borond- 

 clasa certifionto, and n fino specimen of Dcadrobium MuoCarthiuj, a 

 special ccrtitirato. 



Mr. C. Turner, Sloni;b, sent Zonal Pelargoninm May Qaeon, Silver- 

 edged, and which would now be designated hh a bicolor Pelargonium. 

 A first-class certificate wan awarded it. Mr. G. Smith, Ilornscy Road, 

 exhibited a fino doable Zonal Pelargonium, with a good truss and 

 largo flowers of a bright scarlet celonr. It received a first-class cer- 

 tificate, and is the best yet exhibited among Knglish seedlings. Nose- 

 gay Pelargonium Lizzie, very peculiar in colour, probably a new tone 

 of colonr, also from Mr. G. Smith, was likewise a>Yardcd a first-class 

 certificate. 



Mr. Parker, Tooling, exhibited a curiona form of Cjrpripodinra 

 Veitchii, with an apparent doable Up ; also a very beautiful seedling 

 Ixora, callod amabilia, larger in the truss of flowers than javauicum, 

 and of tho same colour. A first-class certificate was awarded to this 

 desirable plant. Mr. Patey, Milton, near Steventon, introduced a 

 moat exquisite and beautiful form of Polystichnm augulare, called 

 Patcyi, for which a first-class certificate was awarded. This is very 

 distinct and fine, and was a .needling picked up in a ramble in Devon- 

 shire. Tho discovery of this beautiful form of Polystichnm may well 

 encoarago those members of the Society who are about to migrate 

 into green fields and shady lanes ; such a prize is well worth seeking. 



Mr. Ley, nurseryman. Croydon, exbihited Coleus Carteri, which 

 was awarded a second-class certificate. This so much resembled a 

 plant brought by Mr. Green, gardener to W. W. Saunders, Esq., that 

 it coald hardly be distinguished from it. Mr. Green's plant was a 

 .sport from Coleus Verschaffelti. Messrs. Lee, of Hammersmith, sent 

 Zonal Pelargonium Mrs. John Glutton, a Silver-edged variety, which 

 received a first-class certificate ; also Quercus Concordia, a golden- 

 leaved Oak, and very banilsomo, to which a similar award was made. 

 Euonymns aureus elegantissimus, from the same firm, a well-marked 

 variegated form, likewise received a first-class certificate. 



Messrs. Jackman, of Woking, exhibited some good specimens of 

 their Clematises, which were awarded a sjiecial certificate; also some 

 cat flowers of socdling Clematis Sir Kobert Napier, a dark purple — 

 first-class certificate ; Beauty of Surrey, a greyish blue, a very fine 

 flower — first-class certificate ; and Clematis viticella rubra granditiora, 

 a new tint of dark brownish red ; the flowers were small, but very dis- 

 tinct. A first-class certificate was awarded. 



Mr. Green, gardener to W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., sent a small 

 collection of interesting plants, among them several beautifully- 

 marked terrestrial Orchids, for which a special certificate was given. 

 Mr. Robert Thompson, of the South Kensington Museum, exhibited a 

 most interesting collection of British Ferns, well grown, and good 

 varieties. Among them was a variety of Aspleninm adiantum nigrum, 

 to which the name of flabellatum was provisionally given. This re- 

 ceived a first-class certificate. 



Messrs. Carter <fc Co. sent fine groups of their Variegated Zonal 

 Pelargoniums. These are, doubtless, among the very best of the first- 

 rate Tarieties. Ettie Beale, with finely-coloured brilliant foliage, re- 

 ceived a firstciass certificate. Sir Robert Napier, very dark, fine, and 

 distinct, a first-class certificate, and Black Prince, a bronze Zonal, 

 first-rate in quality, a first-class certificate. A special certificate was 

 also awarded this firm for a basket of well-grown specimens of Tri- 

 chininm Manglesii. 



Mr. Davis, gardener to W. Stride, Esq., sent cut specimens of 

 Rignonia cherere, very fine in colonr, bat we hear rampant in growth. 

 Numerous other plants were sent ; some of them had received previoos 

 awards. Mr. G. Maw sent specimens of a new garden label, made of 

 their peculiar earth at the Broseley Works. These were approved of 

 by the Committee, and recommended for pot labels. Those of the 

 size exhibited were a shilling per hundred. They are made in various 

 colours, and can be used for the pencil, or a prepared enamel ink. 

 They will be found very durable, but, like all materials made of clay 

 or earth, fragile. With fair usage they may be considered a boon to 

 tho amateur. 



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

 chair. After a vote of thanks for numerous donations of plants, seeds, 

 •fee., and the election of seven new Fellows, the usual announcement 

 of awards was made. 



The Rev. M. J. Berkeley then offered the following remarks : — It 

 was some time since there had been more than a formal General Meet- 

 ing, but those who were present at that held on May 19th, would 

 probably recollect an Orchid shown as the Arachnanthe moschifera, of 

 Blume, but doubts were expressed whether its name was correct or not, 

 and on examining a figure of the Arachnanthe, ho had found that the 

 plant exhibited was totally different. Tho opinion had been mooted 

 at the Floral Conamittee that it was one of the Angrxrums, but on 

 looking over the specimens of these in the herbarium at Kew, he 

 fonnd nothing like it. A few meetings ago Mr. Wilson Saunders had 

 referred to the subject of raising Orchids from seed, and he himself 

 had recommended all who might try experiments in this direction to 

 sow the seeds on branches covered with moss, an idea which he (Mr. 

 Berkeley), had taken from the late Mr. Joseph Henderson, who was 

 gardener to Earl Fitzwilliam, at Wentworth. Mr. Berkeley said he 



had afterwards visited, along with tho Scientific Committee, Mesarg. 

 Vcitch's establishment in pursuit of an inquiry into Orchid spot, and 

 he there met with Mr. Dominy who had been so successful in raiflinpj 

 hybrid Orchids, and who confirmed all that ho (Mr. Berkeley) hail 

 said, stating that no success whatever had been met with except when 

 the seeds were sown on mosa. Mr. Berkeley then pointed out a flowct 

 of a Cj'pripedium, the singularity of which consisted in tho lip being 

 apparently double, but in reality there was but one lip which had be- 

 come split in two, the case being analogous to what anatomists call 

 spina bifida. 



Mr. Bateman had last year given some Interesting information rela- 

 tive to an insect called Sirex joveucus, which proves very injurious to 

 I*ine trees, and Mr. Berkeley said, that in a village near him, observing 

 this insect abundant, he looked about for tho cause, and found that 

 the rector was making a new parsonage. In all probability, therefore, 

 it came from the deal which was used ; but not only was there Sirex; 

 juvencus, but a much finer species, most likely S. gipas, which watf 

 also met with near Market Harborongh. It was desirable that thosa 

 who had large plantations should pay attention to these insects. 



The magnificent specimens of Golden Champion (Jrapo sent by 

 Mr. Thomson were next noticed, and Mr. Berkeley remarked that 

 fine as they were, all the berries were not healthy, for on cutting thenr 

 open in some cases he found that the seeds were affected by a disease 

 which often attacks Muscat and Black Hamburgh Grapes, and whichc 

 also deterioratis the pulp. His opinion as to the origin of the diseasa 

 was, that either the roots get in a bad condition and can-y up some 

 putrescent matter from the soil, or that the Vines are unable by evapo- 

 ration to get rid of a superabundance of moisture. He did not believe 

 that the disease originated from any fungus, but afterwards ferment- 

 ation took place, followed by monldiness. 



Some specimens of labels from Messrs. Maw, of Broseley, and whiclr 

 can be had at Is. per 100, were ihen pointed out as being an improve- 

 ment on the ordinary wooden labels, after which Mr. Berkeley ob- 

 served, in reference to the Puya shown by Messrs. Veitch, and o£ 

 which the flowers have a singular metallic appearance, that he waar 

 uncertain whether the plant was a Puya or a Dyckia, or, indeed, one 

 of a distinct genus. The only instance he knew of a plant so singular 

 as the Puya in colonr, was Agaricus aeruginosus (Peziza fflruginosa), 

 which gives its tint to the green Oak used at Tunbridge for a variety 

 of ornamental purposes. 



After a brief reference to Osalis megallorrhiza which forms the first 

 plant in Mr. Wilson Saunders's " Refugium Botanicum," and the 

 sport of Coleus Verschaffelti from tho same gentleman, Mr. Berkeley 

 announced that tho two prizes for Fungi, spoken of on a previoua 

 occasion, would beoiTered at the first meeting in October. ThatwonU 

 be the best time, for it often happens when tho autumn rains come, 

 that Fungi spring up abundantly. He hoped to see exhibited both 

 useful and reputed poisonous species ; and, in connection with the 

 latter, remarked that Dr. Badham stated that an Agaric which wa^ 

 nearly fatal to his schoolmaster, he had again and again eaten with- 

 out evil results. In conclusion the Yang-mae, the fruit of a species of 

 Myrica commonly cultivated in China, was referred to as being really 

 very palatable. 



Mr. Wilson Saunders said Mr. Berkeley had well observed that tho 

 colour of the Dyckia or Puya was vei-y remarkable, and except in the 

 other instance which Mr. Berkeley had mentioned, he (Mr. Saunders^ 

 did not know any case of so peculiar a colour among plants. Some o£ 

 the Dyckias. although related to the Pme Ap^le, could be grown out of 

 doors, and they would flower in a cool greenhouse. Some of thenip 

 too, produced long flower spikes which hung down, and such should be 

 grown on pedestals. The flowers were of various colours, and al- 

 together these plants were well worthy of attention. With reference 

 to bhe Coleirs sport which was produced by Coleus Verschaffelti, antf 

 was permanent, be had exhibited it less on its own account than |to 

 direct attention to the fact, that the present dry season is very pro- 

 ductive of sports. When such remarkable alterations in the dryness 

 of the atmosphere occur sports are set up, and we should be on the 

 alert to detect them. As regards Sirex juvencus it was a pest in Laroh 

 forests, and very destructive on the continent. Here it was yearly 

 becoming more common, and though at one time it was diflacult foe 

 entomologists to obtain a specimen, now wherever Pine trees wera 

 growing there was a good chance of finding it. 



Mr. Wilson Saunders then announced that the nest meeting, which 

 was to have been held on tho 21st of July, would be postponed to iM& 

 4th of Augvst, in consequence of the Leicester Show, which, he waff 

 glad to say, promised to be a very successful one. 



BIRMINGHAM ROSE SHOW. 



Taking rank among the moat important annual 6oral ejhibitiong, 

 this requires special notice, not only for tho excellence of the flowers 

 and specimens exhibited, bat also as it affords an occasion of bringing 

 into comparison the prodnctinns of growers who, on account of dia 

 tance or other causes, do not compete at tho metropolitan shows. It 

 is not always that the stands of amateurs generally, excepting thoea 

 of Mr. Hedge, Key. E. N. Pochin, Eev. S. R. Hole, and a few others, 

 who exhibit at the Crystal Palace and Kensington, will bear the teit 

 of comparison with those of tho professional growers. At Birming- 

 ham the classes for amateurs were well filled, and the flowera anl^ 

 mittcd for competition showed ample proofs of tha pains that hair 



