Marcli 27, 186C. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



241 



he (Mr. Bateman') woiild also suf:;;^est that the Duke shoxild stretch out 

 his arm to the Andes, aud introduce that plant which bears the name 

 of his family, and is said to be the glory of the new world, as the Am- 

 heretia is of the old. And here he would remark, in connection with 

 botanical nomenclature, that the honour of having a genus named 

 after one would be more appreciated twenty or twenty-five years hence, 

 for by that time the world would be so thoroughly ransacked that there 

 would be few new genera to be named. Returning to the Amherstia. 

 Dr. Wallieh had described it as the most beautiful object in the 

 Indian tiora ; and just as the celebrated Bouplaud, the companion of 

 the still more celebrated Humboldt, \vrote after a long imprisonment 

 in Paraguay, that the remembrance of their first botanical ex- 

 cursion was still rivid in his memory, so, too, it was likely that the 

 eye of Wallieh to the day of his death still rested on — Amherstia 

 nobilis. 



[We have seen the Amherstia in the Botanic Garden at Calcutta, 

 and well do we remember the sparkling eye and hilarity of Dr. Wallieh 

 as he brought us into the presence of his pet tree. He had had a 

 wooden palisading foi-med round it to prevent visitors gathering its 

 flowers, and well did the tree merit such care. It wa.^ in full bloom, 

 and as the breeze from across the Ganges waved the light pendulous 

 branches, the gentle motions aud blendings of the crimson racemes 

 and the long pinnatt^ leave?, rendered it the most brilliant and grace- 

 ful tree we have ever looked upon. — Eds.J 



After a few remarks from Mr. Wilson Saunders on the Sonchus and 

 Orobanche, it was, on the suggestion of the Chairman, resolved to 

 send the Amherstia blossoms to Lady Sarah Williams, the daughter 

 of the Earl of Amherst. 



At this meeting twenty-one new Fellows were elected, and seven 

 Societies admitted into union, among which was the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society of Ii'eland. The attendance at the lecture was ex- 

 tremely numerous, the visitors nearly filling the large Conncil-room, 

 and altogether the meeting must be considered the most successful of 

 those held this season. 



Weekly Show. — The interest of last Saturday's meeting was greatly 

 enhanced by Mr. William Paul's splendid show of bulbs and spring 

 flowers, which everybody should make an effort to see. 



The prizes offered on this occasion were for a collection of six mis- 

 cellaneous plants, the first of which was taken by Mr. William Young, 

 gardener to R. Barclay, Esq., of Highgate. His collection consisted 

 of forced Rhododendrons, Acacias Drummondi and eriocai-pa, Deutzia 

 gracilis, Epacris giandiflora, aud Azalea ardens. Mr. Beasley, gar- I 

 demer to Mi*s. Wood, Twyford Abbey. Acton, was second ; but it must 

 have been a stretch of imagination on the pai-t of the Judges to have 

 regai'ded four Azaleas and two Pelargoniums as a " miscellaneous 

 collection," in the sense in which the schedule requires it. Mr. Bart- 

 lett, of Hammersmith, exhibited a collection also, which received an 

 extm prize. 



In the competition for a collection of twelve bulbs, Mr. Young was 

 again first, and Mr. Bartlett second. Mr. Young received first-class 

 certificates for a collection of Tulips, a collection of Hyacinths, and a 

 tray of very good Camellia blooms ; and a second-class certificate for 

 mixed bulbs. Mr. Bartlett received a first-class certificate for a col- 

 lection of mixed bulbs, and an extra prize for a collection of Hyacinths. 

 Mrs. L. Y^oung, of f>, Blenheim TeiTace. Kentish Town, exhibited a 

 dozen well-bloomed Hyacinths in glasses, which had been grown in 

 the window of a sitting-room, and received a first-class certificate. 



■ INTERNATION^ili HORTICULTUR^VL 



EXHIBITION AND BOTANICAL CONGRESS. 



TuE following Hon. Local Secretaries have been appointed 

 in addition to the list already published : — For Leicester, Mr. 

 Wm. Penn Cox ; for Huntingdon, Mr. John Ingram, The Nur- 

 series, Huntingdon ; for Chepstow, Mr. .John PUlinger, The 

 Nurseries, Chepstow ; and for RedJitch, Mr. .John Gould, Eose 

 Cottage Nursery. The Uight Hon. Lord Lurgan has kindly 

 consented to act as Chairman of the Belfast Committee. 



As eridence of the success of organisation of this kind we 

 may mention that the following sums have akeady been an- 

 nounced by the Secretaries of the places named : — Glasgow 

 and West of Scotland, £127 3s. ; Doucaster, £50 8s. ; Bristol, 

 £18 18s. ; Ascot, £14 14s. ; Warrington, £24 3s. ; Chelmsford, 

 £63 ; Coventry, £26 5s. ; Manchester. £31 10s. ; Oxford, £5 5s. ; 

 Derby, £21 Is. ; Belfast, £36 15s. ; Hertford, £10 10s. ; Elgin 

 and North of Scotland, £24 4s. 



To show the strong interest the proposed banquet is exciting 

 in the City, we may say that the Eight Hon. the Lord Mayor 

 has nominated a C'ommittee of six gentlemen from the Corpo- 

 ration to assist and advise the Banquet Committee, nominated 

 by the Executive Committee of the International Horticultural 

 Exhibition. It is composed of the following gentlemen : — 

 Mr. Deputy Obbard, Mr. Deputy Charles Eeed, F.S.A., Messrs. 

 J. E. Saunders, Chairman of the City Lands Committee, John 

 Kelday, Wm. Lawley, and F. Wyatt Truscott. 



THE LATE Mr. FRANCIS DICKSON, OP CHESTER. 



Mk. FKiNcis Dickson, who died at the Upton Nurseries on 

 the 3rd inst., was bom at the Nurseries, Leith Walk, Edin- 

 burgh, on December 25th, 1793, and was the youngest son of 

 the eminent nurseryman of this name who was the founder of 

 the well-known nurseries of the Dicksons of Edinburgh. The 

 late Mr. Francis Dickson was the last direct representative of 

 that family in the profession. After making himself tho- 

 roughly master of the nursery business as practised in Scot- 

 land, he went to the then celebrated nurseries of Malcolm, at 

 Kensington, where he distinguished himself by his enthusiasm 

 and love of his profession, and made the acquaintance and 

 lasting friendship of many of the foremost men in the botanical 

 world. After remaining there for a considerable period he 

 returned to his brother, Mr-. George Dickson, in Edinburgh, 

 and in tiie year 1819 came to Chester, where he established 

 the well-known nurseries with which his name was so long 

 and so honourably associated. The collection of hardy plants, 

 and especially of rare herbaceous aud alpine plants, which he 

 brought together, was considered at one period to be unequalled. 

 He was the intimate friend of the late Mr. Loudon, and was 

 frequently consulted by him in the pubUcation of his botanical 

 works, as well as by the late Thos. Andrew Knight, Esq., by 

 whom he was nominated, in the year 1825, a corresponding 

 member of the Eoyal Horticultural Society. 



From his earliest years he was an enthusiast in his pro- 

 fession, and his chief delight was in cultivating those plants 

 which were considered the most difficult of management, and in 

 which he was so successful. He was well known for his integrity 

 and uprightness of character. His genial heart warmed with 

 kindly fellowship towards those of his immediate profession 

 who came into contact with him, and his generous hospitaUty 

 was ever proffered to them. His erect and manly frame gave 

 indication of the vigorous mind it enshrined — a mind stored 

 with great and varied information relative to aU branches of 

 his profession. He was borne to his grave in Chester Ceme- 

 tery on the 8th inst., followed by a numerous throng, 'who 

 paid in this manner their last respect to a worthv fellow towns- 

 man and a valued neighbour. He is succeeded in the manage- 

 ment of the business by his two sons, Mr. F. Ai'thur Dickson 

 and Mr. Thomas Dickson. 



NEW BOOK. 



A Practical Treatise on the Culture of the Pine Apple. By 

 David Thokson. W. Blackwood & Sons. 

 The name of the author, one of the very best gardeners of 

 the British islands, guarantees that this volume contains no 

 directions that are not sound and tested by experience. He 

 says that his object was to be as " strictly practical as possible ; " 

 he has attained his object, and we commend the work to any 

 of our readers who need truthful information on Pine-Apple 

 culture. One or two extracts will give an idea of the contents. 



'' HOW TO KEEP UP A CONSTANT SUCCESSION OF RIPE ERUIT AT.T. 

 THE TEAE. 



" Where a regnlai' supply of fruit has to be kept up with the least 

 possible intermission all the year round, it is more ceitainly accom- 

 plished by potting a quantity of suckers at frequent intervals. Sup- 

 posing that a number of Queens ripen in May. .June, and July of 

 1866, these stools will f^ve the suckers that supply the earliest fruiters 

 for 1868. And those that ripen in August, September, aud October, 

 give the suckers that will succeed the earUest lot, so that these two sest 

 of early fruiting sorts cover sis months of the twelve. The other six 

 months of winter and spring — particularly spiing — are those in which 

 Pines ai-e most valued, as other fruits are then scarce. March and 

 April are the most difficult months of the whole year in which to have 

 ripe Pines. 



'' In .June and .July I always endeavour to stait a quantity of the true 

 Smooth-leaved Cayenne. This is a noble Pine when well gi'own, being 

 unsui-passed for appearance and long keeping after it is ripe, and 

 swells better after October than any other Pine I know. The Black 

 Jamaica is also a most useful Pine for ^Tinter swelling. ,ind probably 

 is unsurpassed for davour at the dullest season of the year. The 

 Queen is comparatively worthless as a winter Pine compared to these 

 two ; it does not swell kindly, and is always dry aud juiceiess com- 

 pared to them. 



" There should he two sets of Cayennes and Jamaicas. as recom- 

 mended in the case of Queens aud other early sorts, for summer and 

 autumn fl'uit. The Smoothdeavcd Cayenne is so very shy in maldng 

 suckers that I always endeavour to save as many crowns as I can. and 

 take aU the suckers that can be got in Oetoher from the fmiting plants, 

 whether the fruit be ripe or not. These suckers and crowns are potted 

 generally into six-inch pots, and shifted in spiiug as soon as sufficiently 

 rooted, as described in the former part of this treatise. These are 



