May 22, 1873. 1 



JOUIINAL OF HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



409 



In nothiufc has so groat a change taken place as in the exhi- 

 bition of PelargoniumB. When we recollect the grand collec- 

 tiious which used to be staged by both amateura and mirsery- 

 men, it is a great descent to see only one reaUy good collection, 

 that of Mr. Ward, gardener to F. G. Wilkins, Esq., Leytou, 

 Esses. Pansies were exhibited by Messrs. Downie, Laird, and 

 Laing, and by Mr. James ; there were also some seedling Pelar- 

 goniuma both in the Tricolor and Zonal class, but none of them 

 seemed particularly well worthy of notice. — D., Deal. 



BOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mav 21st. 

 It is much to be regretted that the unfavourable character of 

 the day must have prevented many from attending this meet- 

 ing. The general display was remarkably good ; many of the 

 collections were worthy of the highest praise, and there was 

 none that could have been condemned. We have from time to 

 time had to note non-meritorious exhibits, but these seem to 

 have now entirely disappeared. Heaths were excellent. Pelar- 

 goniums not so good by a long way as we have seen them, iine- 

 foliaged plants well represented ; but what alone made the Ex- 

 hibition a notable one was the collection exhibited by Mr. T. 

 Baines, gardener to H. MichoUs, Esq., Southgate, for the Davis 

 Memorial Prizes. For these twenty flowering stove or green- 

 house plants in (j-iuch pots, selected at any nursery, and after- 

 wards securely labelled and sealed, are grown for two years by 

 the competitor, and he has to exhibit eight of them at the second 

 May meeting. On this occasion Mr. Baines, well known as he 

 is for his astonishing achievements iu the culture of this class 

 of plants, fairly took everyone by surprise ; his specimens were 

 positively marvellous, clothed with foUage and flowera from 

 bottom to top. His Ixora was a prodigy. Than his Dipladenia 

 "with over sixty flowers we have never seen a better, and all the 

 rest were equally well grown. More in praise we cannot say, 

 and therefore subjoin the dimensions of the plants : — Aphelexis 

 macrantha rosea, 3 feet 6 inches through ; 2 feet high. Epacris 

 Eclipse, 4 feet 3 inches through ; 3 feet 3 inches high. Boronia 

 pinnata, i feet 6 inches through ; 3 feet 3 inches high. Ixora 

 cocoinea, 4 feet 10 inches through ; 3 feet inches high. Heda- 

 roma tuUpiferum, 3 feet 3 inches through ; 2 feet 1(1 inches high. 

 Dipladenia amabilis, 3 feet 6 inches thiough ; 3 feet high. Bou- 

 gainviUea glabra, 3 feet 6 inches througli ; 3 feet G inches high. 

 Clerodendron Balfourianum, 5 feet through ; 4 inches high. 



Class 1 was for nine Heaths. Here Messrs. Jackson tV; Son, 

 Kingston-on-Thames, were first with dense bushy plants, aver- 

 aging 4 feet in diameter, and in beautiful bloom. Conspicuous 

 among them were Erica favoides elegans, ventricosa magnifica, 

 very bright in colour, tricolor Wilsoni, and ventricosa coccluea 

 minor. The others were depresaa, depressa mnltiflora, tricolor 

 superba, tricolor speciosa, and Victoria. Mr. Ward, gardener to 

 F. G. Wilkius, Esq., took the second prize with magnificent 

 plants of tricolor elegans, Candolleana, and Wilsoui, together 

 with excellent specimens of caudidissima, eximia superba, tri- 

 color impressa, &c. The third place was taken by Mr. J. 

 Wheeler, gardener to J. Phillpott, Esq., Stamford Hill, with 

 small specimens. In the next class, for six, Mr. J. Ward had 

 the first place for a very good group, Mr. J. Wheeler being se- 

 cond, and Mr. Gr. Wheeler third. For twelve the prizes went to 

 Mr. Ward, Messrs. Jackson & Son, and Mr. G. Wheeler ; those 

 from the lirst two were remarkably neat well-grown plants about 

 2.J feet through. 



There were three exhibitors of nine Show Pelargoniums in 

 S-inch pots. Mr. Ward, who was first, had large finely-bloomed 

 epecimens of Alabama, Conqueror, Mdille. Patti, and Patroness, 

 about 4 feet in diameter, together with others of less size ; Mr. 

 James was second, Messrs. Dobson third. In six Mr. Ward 

 was also first with Hob Roy, fine, and very good examples of 

 ether varieties. Mr. James, gardener to W. F. Watson, Esq., 

 came second with an evenly-grown lot of small plants; and Mr. 

 Weir, gardener to Mrs. Hodgson, The Elms, Hampstead, was 

 the third prizeman. 



Only two lots of Fancies were shown by amateurs, Mr. .James 

 being first, and Mr. Weir second ; and in the nurserymen's class 

 Messrs. Dobson, Isleworth, were second. 



For nine fine-foliaged plants the first position was taken by 

 Mr. Baines, gardener to H. MichoUs, Esq., Southgate, with two 

 fine Crotons — variegatum and pictum, a noble specimen of 

 TheophrastaimperaUs, Cordyline indivisa, two fine Sarracenias, 

 Daayurion acrotrichum. Yucca aloifolia variegata, and Rhopala 

 corcovadensis, very fine. Mr. Foreman, gardener to E. C. 

 Nicholson, Esq., Heme Hill, was second, and Mr. Cole third; 

 Mr. G. Wheeler and Mr. R. Watson likewise sent groups. In 

 the nurserymen's class Mr. Williams, of HoUoway, stood first 

 with noble specimens of Chama'rops humilis, Croton pictum, 

 large and finely-coloured, Cycas revoluta, Gleichenia speluncEi?, 

 Phcenicopborium seychellarum, &c. The second position was 

 taken by Mr. Burley, Hereford Road Nursery, Bayswater, who 

 had also good specimens. 

 For six fine-foliaged plants Mr. Cole, gardener to J. S. Budgett, 



Esq., Ealing Park, was first with a large plant of Seaforthia 

 elegans, Latania borbouica, and good specimens of Chama?rop8 

 humilis and Yucca aloifolia variegata. The second place was 

 taken by Mr. S. Strahan, gardener to P. Crowley, Esq., Waddon 

 House, Croydon, with excellent specimens of Diefl'cnbachia 

 Bowmanui and Pandauus utilis. The third prize went to Mr. 

 Watson, gardener to T. H. Bryant, Esq., Surbiton Hill, who had, 

 among others, a large specimen of Cibotium princeps. For twenty 

 fine-foliaged plants the chief prizes went to Mr. Bull and Mr. 

 WiUiams ; Messrs. Bollisson, Mr. Aldous, Gloucester Road, Mr. 

 Burley, and Mr. G. Wheeler also contributing collections. Mr. 

 Bull's group comprised large plants of Zalacca Wagueri, Pty- 

 chosperma regia, Encephalartos vUloaus ampUatus, together 

 with handsome specimens of other Cycads ; and among Mr. 

 Williams's were the handsome Croton undulatum, Draciena 

 Clielsoui, and the gi-aceful Cocoa Wallisti. 



Of Rhododendrons there were only two collections of nine 

 coming from Mr. Bowe, The Rookery, Roehampton, and Mr. G. 

 Wheeler, who respectively took first and third prizes. 



The prizes for twelve hardy perennials in 12-inch pots only 

 brought forward two collections ; Mr. Parker, Exotic Nursery, 

 Tooting, and Mr. Ware being respectively first and second. 

 Alyssum orientale, rich yellow, Aubrietia purpurea grandiflora, 

 and the white-flowered Iberis corifolia were conspicuous objects 

 in Mr. Parker's group ; while iu Mr. Ware'a there were beautiful 

 masses of Phlox Nelaoni and frondosa. 



Of cut specimens of hardy flowering trees and shrubs Mr. 

 Earley, Valentines, Ilford, staged a very good collection. Mr. 

 George, gardener to Miss Nicholson, Putney Heath, was second. 



Among miscellaneous subjects Messrs. Veitch seut a collec- 

 tion of Japanese Maples. These were extremely beautiful, both 

 in the colours and curiously-cut foUage. Acer atro-purpureum, 

 dissectum, and piilmatum roseum marginatum were very 

 striking. From the same firm came also a group of .\zaleas, 

 including many fine varieties. M. Thibaut, Grandis, and 

 Chai-mer were very fine. For Madame Paul Deschryver, semi- 

 double, almost double, intense bright rose, a first class certi- 

 ficate was awarded. Messrs. Lane, Great Berkhampstead, 

 sent a large collection of Azaleas and greenhouse Rhododen- 

 drons. Messrs. E. G. Henderson, St. John's Wood, contributed 

 a number of seedling Petunias of an excellent strain, for which 

 they had a commendation ; also Bronze Pelargoniums Admiral 

 Inglefield and Northern Star, vrith broad chocolate bands, each 

 of which was awarded a first-class certificate. Messrs. Osborn, 

 of Fulham, sent a small miscellaneous group ; Messrs. Dobson, 

 herbaceous Calceolarias ; Mr. W. Paul, cut flowers of Rhododen- 

 drons, Zonal Pelargoniums, and Roses ; Mr. Ware, P'ancy and 

 other Pansies ; Mr. Ware, Miss P. Barr, and Mr. E. Barr, Toot- 

 ing, collections of cut flowers of Narcissi, in competition for the 

 prizes offered by Mrs. Lloyd Wynne and Messrs. Barr & Sngden. 

 From J. Luscombe, Esq., Combe Royal, Kingsbridge, Devon, 

 came cut flowers of Rhododendrons grown in the open air, and 

 flowers of Embothriums from trees 18 feet high. A cultural 

 commendation was awarded for each. Messrs. Mart & Co., 

 130, Oxford Street, exhibited Bananas, Chinese Loquats, fruit 

 of Passiflora quadrangularis, and Sugar canes imported from 

 Madeira. Mr. Denning, gardener to Lord Londesborough, Nor- 

 biton, contributed a choice collection of Orchids, including fiue 

 examples of Masdevallia Harryaua, rare Cattleyas, Oncidium 

 altissimum with seven fine spikes, and Odontoglossum citros- 

 mum roseum, very fine. Mr. Richards, gardener to Baron 

 Rothschild, Gunnersbury Park, sent a group of Odontoglossum 

 crispum, and Mr. Woodford, gardener to the Duke of Abercorn, 

 Eastwell Park, Kent, a fine specimen of Cycas revoluta, 8 feet 

 in diameter, with a female flower. This received a cultural 

 commendation. Several extra prizes were awarded, which will 

 be found recorded in another page. 



Fruit Committee. — Alfred Smee, Esq., P.R.S., in the chair. 

 Messrs. Watts it Son, of Northampton, again seut the North- 

 ampton Broccoli. Mr. R. Dean, Ealing, aent heads of the old 

 Knight's Protecting Broccoli, cut from a market garden in the 

 neighbourhood of Hounslow, to show that even at this late 

 season this esteemed variety is as fine as any of the new varieties 

 recently exhibited. This was a very true form of the Knight's 

 Protecting, and the head was completely enclosed in the spirally- 

 twisted leaves. Mr. T. Bray, the Gardens, Nynehead Court, 

 Somerset, sent a bundle of very excellent Asparagus, to which 

 a cultural commendation was awarded. Mr. A. Henderson, the 

 Gardens, Thoresby Park, Notts, sent three Royal Ascot and 

 three Favourite Melons. They were much admired as excellent 

 specimens of cultivation, and a cultural commendation was 

 awarded to them. Mr. WilUam Marcham Weutworth, Staines, 

 sent a basket of Black Hamburgh Grapes, and also a dish of the 

 same from pot Vines, and these wore so good as to receive a 

 cultural commendation. A gentleman at Colchester seut fruit 

 of an Apple called D'Arcy Spice, a variety of great excellence 

 and high flavour, which may prove to be the Golden Russet. 



Flor-u. Committee. — W. B. Kellock, Esq., in the chair. The 

 subjects submitted to the Committee on this occasion were by no 



