July 24, 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



Gl 



trass." I am not aware of being hard on tho Jersey rosarians ; 

 but if what I Bald has given that impression, I beg to apolo- 

 gise — W. E. Radciatfe. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



July 17th. 



Flouai. T'immittki:. — Mr. Bull exhibited a very fine collection of 

 plants, including Ferns, Palms, fco. A first-class certificate was 

 awarded to bim for Latania rubra, a fine Palm, and ouo of the second 

 class for EohevBria atropurpurea. This plant will bo found useful to 

 contrast with other species of Eehevcria used for margins to flower- 

 beds. Among the collection was a variegated Athyrium — Goriugiauuin 

 pictnni, but the plant was too young to show its true character or 

 beauty as a variegated Fern. This Fern was exhibited iu great 

 beauty by Mr. Standish, Royal Nursoi-ies, Ascot, at tbe International 

 Horticultural Exhibition. Tho plants exhibited this day were evi- 

 dently seedlings. From Mr. Bull came also small plants of Pandanus 

 Porteauus, which it was requested should bo sent again, Cinchona 

 nobilis, Philodendron bipinnatifiduui, Cycas plumosa, & very singular 

 plant, aud Auiorphophallus grandis ; but some doubts were raised as 

 to tbe identity of this species with A. nivosus, a doubt which is to bo 

 Settled at tin; next meeting. A special certificate was awarded to Mr. 

 Bull for this interesting collection. 



Messrs. Veitch exhibited some fine specimens of many beautiful 

 plants, aud among tbem Rhododendrons Princess Royal and Princess 

 Alice, the white Lapageria, and a new Anthurium called regale ; but 

 the plants being too young for any decision to be arrived at as to their 

 merits, it was requested that they should be sent again. Messrs. 

 Veitch also exhibited Cattleya quadricolor, a pale variety of C. Mosaiaa ; 

 Nepenthes ampullacea vittata major, a very curious form of this in- 

 teresting family ; Oucidium barbatum ; Pandanus Linmei, Disa gran- 

 diilora, and several other interesting plants. First-class certificates 

 were awarded to the same firm for a handsome-foliaged plant, Aphe- 

 landra species ; Polvstichum sp., a very handsome greenhouse plant, 

 and nearly hardy ; Loniaria-Lechlerii from Chili ; Nierembergia rivu- 

 laris, a beautiful white- flowering plant, much larger than the usual 

 form of Nierembergia, half-hardv, and which, treated as a bedding-out 

 plant, will be found very useful. Second-class certificates were 

 awarded for Maranta sp., and Pteridophyllum zeylanicum, an elegant 

 orna mental -foliaged plant. 



Mr. Wm. Paul sent four seedling Zonale Nosegay Pelargoniums — viz., 

 Dr. Hogg, Scarlet Dwarf, Walthani Scarlet, and Lilaeinum, but not ap- 

 parently in a condition for being satisfactorily adjudicated upon. There 

 are so many good Nosegays, and so much alike, that it requires some- 

 thing quite new in colour to surpass them, or in many cases to equal them. 

 The large bold truss of Stella and La Grande, or the King of the Nosegays, 

 must be the models of perfection in this class of flowers. Plants pro- 

 ducing thin and lax trusses, however bright in colour, are not desirable 

 or useful for bedding-purposes, for which alone Nosegays can be used. 

 Mi-. F. Grill, Blandford, sent seven seedling Verbenas, not one of them 

 sufficiently distinct from those in cultivation ; and Mr. Booth, a cut 

 specimen of Philadelphus Stewarti, a late -flowering Syringa. Mr. 

 Sherratt, gardener to James Bateman, Esq., had a first-class certificate 

 for a cnt spike of Grammatophyllum Ellisii, of which mention will be 

 found further on. Mr. John Maun, Brentwood, sent a collection of 

 thirty-two seedling Zonale, Nosegay, aud other Pelargoniums. Two 

 were selected by the Committee as promising varieties to be seen 

 again. They were Guardsman, a bright orange scarlet Nosegay, and 

 Dwarf Queen of Whites, a very pure white. Mr. Trotman also exhi- 

 bited a seedling Nosegay Pelargonium called Fire King ; and Mr. 

 George Macintosh, Hammersmith, seedling Nosegay Pelargonium 

 Lady Palmerston ; likewise dwarf compact plants of Pyrethruin par- 

 thenium, the result of severe cultivation. 



Messrs. Osborn, Fulham, were awarded a special certificate for six 

 small bnt beautiful specimens of Heaths ; and Messrs. Leo, Hammer- 

 smith, contributed Amaranthus elegantissimus, very similar to Ama- 

 ranthus bicolor. Mr. Green, gardener to W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., 

 received a special certificate for au interesting group of plants, and 

 some cut specimens of Orchids were sent from E. Wright, Esq., of 

 Birmingham. C. J. Perry, Esq., of the same place, exhibited five 

 seedling Verbenas, of which Henry Law received a second-class certi- 

 ficate : it is of a deep cherry colour with a dark centre. A special 

 certificate was also awarded Mr. Perry for his beautiful collection of 

 cut Verbenas. Messrs. E. G. Henderson, Wellington Road, received 

 a first-class certificate for a novel Pelargonium called Grande odo- 

 ratum. This award was made from the probability tbat the plant 

 will prove the parent of a new section of Pelargoniums, having high- 

 coloured and well-formed flowers, with scented foliage ; the leaves 

 in form resemble those of the Oak-leaved and Fair Helen section, 

 and have their peculiar and agreeable scent. The plants produced 

 large trusses of tolerably well-shaped flowers, capable of much im- 

 provement. This property has long been desired, and was parti- 

 cularly alluded to by W. Wilson Sauuders in bis interesting lecture 

 given last year on the Pelargonium and Cape Geraniums. Messrs. 

 Henderson also exhibited Lady Cullum, one of the tricoloured sec- 

 tion of Zoaales, perhaps the best yet sent out by that firm, and which 

 received a first-class certificate in 1864 ; a specimen of the double 



Pelargonium Gloiro do Nancy, alluded to in a recent report ; and 

 Desfontainea spinosa, a beautiful greenhouse shrub. A collection of 

 variegated Zonale Pelargoniums was went from the Chi wide gardens, 

 and a nice little collection of Palms from South Kensington, as well 

 as a collection of Orchids, anion;; which were Grobya Ainherstio?, 

 rather rare, and a Stanhopes . M> its. Veitch exhibited cot -.pi-cimens 



of that beautiful and showy hardy climber Mutisia decnrrens, and its 

 bright Btarry. orange flowers were much admired. This plant is very 

 ornamental for covering a wall, making shoots rapidly, aud displaying 

 an abundance of its superb flowers. 



1' i:rn Committee. —Mr. Tillery, gardener to the Duke of Port- 

 land, Welbeck, sent a small collection of fruit consisting of large and 

 finely- ripened Bellegardr Peaches, I'liu:" Nectarines, Bigarreau Na- 

 poleon Cherries, aud Sir Charles Napier and Empn si I lugt aie straw- 

 berries. From Messrs. Backhouse, York, came a seedling Strawberry 

 with small, acid, dark-crimson berries ; and from the Society's garden 

 at Chiswick eighteen sorts of Lancashire Gooseberries. Mr. Gill, 

 Dorset Nursery, Blandford, exhibited a variegated Cabbage, which no 

 one, we should imagine, would prefer to a green-leaved one either for 

 appearance on the ground or at table ; and Messrs. Stuart & Mein, of 

 Kelso, pods of Raphanus caudatus, or Long-podded Radish. 



Fortnightly Meeting. — W. W. Saunders, Esq., F.R.S., in tho 

 chair. The Chairman said that before proceeding with the regular 

 business of the meeting, the pleasing duty devolved upon him of pre- 

 senting Mi-. Bull, of Chelsea, with a gold medal of the value of £25, 

 called the Prince Consort's medal, which was instituted as a reward to 

 the person gaining the greatest number of marks at tho Saturday 

 Shows. Although several competitors had obtained a large number of 

 marks, Mr. Bull was tho winner by a very considerable majority ; the 

 Society was also indebted to him for his numerous contributions or* 

 new plants at the Tuesday Meetings. 



Mr. Bull said "My duty to-day is one of the most agreeable and 

 pleasing character. It is to return thanks for the presentation of this 

 extremely handsome medal, a medal that I shall pri2e more than any 

 award I have ever received, aud for the reason that it has been pre- 

 sented to me somewhat publicly by the Council of the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society, a Society that has done more to benefit horticulture, done 

 more to increase a taste aud love for it, and extend a knowledge of it, 

 than any other agency extant. It is now many years ago that the 

 Society instituted flower shows at Chiswick, and it is not too much to 

 say that those shows first gave thousands the knowledge, not only of 

 different classes of plants, but of tho perfection and beauty to which 

 they could be brought. That naturally increased and extended the 

 taste and love for flowers and plants, but tbe Society did not stop there 

 — it sent its collectors abroad to ransack forest and jungle, mountain 

 and vale, to search for novelties and find floral treasures wherewith to 

 gratify the taste it had created. In addition to that, the Society dis- 

 tributed a Journal among tho Fellows, which gave practical informa- 

 tion on most subjects relating to horticulture. These things are of 

 the past, but what of the present ? Why ! the Society is still leading 

 and creating a taste for horticulture. Chiswick shows were good, so 

 they have been copied, until we have large flower shows too frequently, 

 for they are nearly all thrust into two months of the year, until their 

 number, frequency, and similarity have become almost satiating. The 

 Horticultural Society seeing this, has re-organised its Tuesday Shows 

 and Scientific Meetings. These meetings, as most of you know, are 

 not new ; the Society formerly held them under the guidance of that 

 eminent botanist, Dr. Lindley, whose portrait hangs above me ; in the 

 interest of horticulture the Council have thought it best to revive them, 

 and now they are attaining an importance, and are watched with an 

 interest, that must be beneficial both to horticulture and the Society. 

 These Tuesday Shows extend throughout the year, and by and through 

 them, fruit and flowers for every season will be brought before the 

 Fellows and the public, and hence the culture of fruit and flowers will 

 be encouraged and horticulture benefited accordingly. Looking at all 

 these things, I cannot as a horticulturist be otherwise than pleased at 

 receiving this handsome medal from the Society. But there is another 

 reason why I shall be proud of this medal, and that is, that the Society 

 has associated with it the name of one of whom all England is proud, 

 one who was always associated with art and science, who was himself 

 not only fond of horticulture, but was also President of this Society, as 

 indeed he was connected with everything that tended to the progress 

 or benefit of mankind; aud horticulture has a powerful tendency to 

 that benefit, for it affords an innocent, instructive, and enjoyable 

 occupation to those who have leisure time, a health-giving relaxation 

 to those whose energies are taxed to the utmost in this age of severe; 

 competition ; and it exercises an elevating, humanising influence for 

 good on the artisan and mechanic. Associated, then, with the name of 

 that great and good man, the Prince Consort, this medal to me will 

 be a charming souvenir of his memory. ' 



The Rev. Joshua Dix having read the awards of the Floral Com- 

 mittee, remarked that the bedding plants at Chiswick are now in great 

 beauty, especially the Scarlet Pelargoniums, in addition to which there 

 is a fine collection of ornamental-foliagcd plaAts. 



Dr. Hogg said that the Fruit Committee had made no awards, in 

 fact tbe only subject of any novelty was a Strawberry from Messrs. 

 Backhouse, a hybrid between the Elton and Fragaria lucida, and that 

 was of moTe interest in horticulture than to connoisseurs, because it 

 might serve as the basis of future hybridisation. There was a small 



