^nly 8, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



25 



tinction o£ these plants. It is most eameBtly to be desired that this 

 example maybe followed. How mnch the horticnltnral world has 

 lost bv the neglect o£ this heantifal famUy, is now a subject of •con- 

 sideration, and we hope that support by way of information will be 

 readily afforded. What is specially desirable is to arrive at specifac 

 names, and what are seedUng or garden varieties. The Society, as 

 well as the promoters of the cultivation of the Lilinm family, will 

 be glad of any information or assistance in bringing these noble Howers 

 again into notice. .„ . „ ,. „ i- t i 



Mr AY. Panl received a special certificate tor his collection ol cnt 

 Roses ; he also sent seedling Roses and Zonal Pelargoniums. Mr. 

 Smith. Edmonton, sent seedling Zonal Pelargoniums. 



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

 of v*ry interesting jilants ; a species of Momodes, a very beautiful 

 Orchid, which received a tirst-class certificate: Brassavola lineata, a 

 very attractive Orchid— first-class certificate ; and others. A first-class 

 certificate was awarded the collection. We must notice from this 

 garden came also specimens of a lovely climbing Rose, a single sweet- 

 scented flower, most valuable as a decorative climber. This Rose i.s 

 in the sole possession of Mr. Saunders, and was raised from seed 

 introduced by the late Dr. Royle ; also cnt specimens of a hardy 

 ornamental plant, almost nnlmown, Stuartia pentagyna, were fur- 

 nished from this gentleman's garden. It is one of the most beau- 

 tiful hardy shrubs" ever seen, and should be sought for by all lovers 

 of ornamental hardy shrubs. Every meeting seems to draw fi-om this 

 valuable collection of plants some' hidden or, at present, unknown 

 ieauty. The Society may well be proud of so staunch and liberal a 

 supporter of its objects. 



Sir W. Parker exhibited a very fine specimen of a Clove Car- 

 nation, Souvenir de Malmaison ; its gross flowers devoid of all sym- 

 metry, condemn it in the eyes of a florist ; it is a plant in the 

 esteem of all amateurs and florists devoid of any merit. 



Interesting specimens of double and semi-double flowers of the 

 PotentUla were sent from Chiswick Gardens ; their merit as orna- 

 mental plants is of the highest order, and with careful attention they 

 will prove most useful among decorative herbaceous plants. We have 

 reason to belieTe that in a short time surprising varieties will be in- 

 troduced. 



Mr. Perkins, of Leamington, sent fine specimens of a seedling tree 

 Picotee, a fine yellow good flower, which received a first-class certifi- 

 •cate. Mr. Edwards sent Pteris serrulata cristata magnifica — first- 

 class certificate, distinct from the tasselled form. Mr. Turner, Slough, 

 sent seedling Roses— Caroline Hole, Lord Napier, a promising variety ; 

 rioreat Etona, Charl(^ Perr}-, and Miss Poole, none of special im- 

 portance. A special certificate was awarded to Mr. Turner for a box 

 of his Rose Miss Ingi-am, a flower of much beauty. Mr. William 

 Paul exhibited seedling Roses, and a special certificate was awarded 

 lor his superb collection of cut blooms. Mr. W. Paul also exhibited 

 Zonal Pelargoniums, among them AValtham Bride, a dwarf Silver 

 Bicolor, which will be most useful ; this had received a first-class cer- 

 tificate on a previous occasion. His collection of cut flowers of Zonal 

 Pelargoniums was much admired. Mr. Laxton sent four seedling 

 Roses, bat not in condition, or in any way ec^ual to many known 

 varieties. 



Major R. Trevor Clarke exhibited a seedling variegated Ilex, but 

 not considered permanently fixed ; also a MammUlaria. a fine speci- 

 men, which he has k-iudly offered to the collection of these curious and 

 interesting plants at Kew. 



Messrs. Barr &' Sugden sent a fine collection of Spanish and English 

 Iris. Of the beauty of this class of plants too much cannot be said ; 

 they are of little reputation among amateurs, hut are of great value, 

 etsy of cultivation, and most ornamental. Years ago one of the oldest 

 Fellows of the Society, whose name is well known, and whose labours 

 in horticulture will for ever be respected, Mr. Masters, of Canterbury, 

 paid much attention to this family, and possessed a very unique and 

 fine collection, but from want of appreciation till the present time they 

 seem to have been lost. We cannot too strongly recommend attention 

 to these flowers. Useful for decoration and beautiful in themselves, 

 no garden should he without a well-assorted collection of them. 



The meeting this day was most successful ; and we would here ven- 

 tare to hint that mnch labour would be spared the Committee if only 

 novelties were entered for their consideration. 



Prizes were awarded for twenty-four Carnations, which, like the 

 Picotees, were of first-class character. Mr. Turner was first for twenty- 

 four with Premier, Defiance, Col. Windham, Dreadnought, Juno, Sen- 

 sation, Prince .Ubert, James Merryweather, Splendour, Beauty of 

 Woodhouse, Lady of the Lake, William Cowper, Favourite, Princess 

 Royal, Companion, John Rett, Eccentric .Jack, Christopher Sly, Mer- 

 rimac, Africana, Dr. Foster, Rifleman, True Blue, and Rainbow. Mr. 

 Hooper, Bath, was second, and Mr. Bragg, Slough, third. For twelve 

 Carnations Mr. Norman, a veteran grower, whose name is most wel- 

 come again, was first with Lady of the Lake, Robinson's .John Reet, 

 Seedling, Miss Xapier, Baildon's Juno, -Juba, Mayor of Nottingham, 

 Simpson's Queen, Ward's Sarah Payne, Kay's Comet, and Delicata. 

 Mr. Smith, Bath, was second ; Mr. Kingston, Bath, third. For six 

 Carnations Mr. Norman was first with Julia, Juno, Comet, Mayor of 

 Nottingham, .John Reet, and Lady of the Lake. Mr. Kingston was 

 second ; and Mr. Smith, Bath, thii-d. 



For twenty-four Picotees, Mr. Turner was first with Lucy, Prince 

 Arthur, Exquisite, Miss Wood, Pecco, Emmeline, Lord Nelson, Ascot 



Giant, Amazon, Mrs. Hobbs, Mrs. May, Finis, Alfred Ingleton, Mrs, 

 Dodwell, Miss WiUiams, Countess, Rosetta, Northern Star, New 

 Colour Duke of Devonshire, and two or three seedlings. Mr. Hooper 

 was second, and Mr. Pilgrim third. For twelve, Mr. Kingston was 

 first with Polly Perkins, Miss Matthews, Lady Peel, Antonia, Mr. 

 Varley, Lady Grantham, General Pym, and Jessie. Mr. Smith was 

 second For six Picotees, Mr. Norman was first with Mrs. May, Miss 

 Wood Eliza Payne, Miss Sewell, Princess of Wales, and a seedling. 

 Mr Kingston was second. For thirty-six Carnations, Picotees, and 

 Cloves mixed, Mr. Turner was first, Mr. Hooper second ; and for 

 twelve, Mr. Kingston was first, Mr. Smith second, and Mr. Norman 



The collections of these flowers were of first-rate character, and 

 the blooms exhibited quite sufticieut to again make them great favonntes 

 with all who admire these essentially beautiful flowers. 



Gen-ekil Meetkc— W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., F.R.S., in the 

 chair Six new Fellows having been elected, and the Committee 

 awards announced. Major Trevor Clarke, in the absence of the Rev. 

 M J Berkeley, through illness, directed attention to some of the 

 plants exhibited. Ho particularly noticed Pelargonium Empress, 

 which, instead of haring flat rounded petals, like a florists flower, ex- 

 hibited beautiful undulating lines; the Satyrinms fi-om Messrs 

 Henderson, a class of Cape ground Orchids well worthy of notice, and 

 of which Sir John Herschel is one of the greatest cultivators ; the 

 Carnations and Picotees, of which he remarked that there is yet very 

 much to be done in crossing and hybridising with each other and the 

 various forms of Diiinthus ; and Spinea palmata, than which he con- 

 sidered a more beautiful shrubbery plant could scarcely be eonceiv-ed. 

 Stuartia pentagyna, closely allied to the Cotton plant, was then 

 pointed out, and slices of the Giant Puffball, Lycoperdon giganteum, 

 of which large specimens were sent by Messrs. Carter A; Co., vvera 

 handed round, Mr. Saunders assuring those present that it might be 

 eaten \yith perfect safety. •■. t, t 



Major Clarke, on again proceedmg, referred to the white Lily troni 

 Mr G F. Wilson, as being probably merely a weU-giown plant of 

 Lilinm lon"iflornm, and produced a LUy raised from the seed of the 

 common Martagon, which he supposed had been fertilised with the 

 pollen of the common white garden Lily ; likewise Sweet Peas, show- 

 ing the result of crossing the common purple with the Scarlet luvm- 

 cible for three generations, and the more it was crossed the darker it 

 became. Aspenila aznrea was noticed as a pretty plant for a mass, 

 pincushion bed, or edging. , , „ i -i r tit 



Mr Wilson Saunders next dii-ected attention to the trnit ot Mon- 

 stera deliciosa, which he said he had used tliree or four times with 

 great pleasure. It should be used just before it became over-npe, and 

 was then extremely luscious and delightful ; it was, however, not 

 pleasant when eaten before it arrived at that state, nor afterwards. 

 It should be taken just when the outer scales begin to fall off, ""d i^='^ 

 then somewhat of a Pine- Apple flavour united to that of spico. AN itb 

 regard to the Briar Rose, noticed in the Floral Committee report, it 

 was introduced by Dr. Royle from the Himalayas ; it would spread over 

 an immense space, its flowers were sweet in the extreme, hut though 

 so luxuriant, it would not bear cutting. It had been very troublesome 

 to propagate till last year, when it was found to strike very readUy 

 from cuttings of the quite young wood. 



Mr. Bateman. after brief reference to the Monstera and the spicnls 

 which render it objectionable when it is not eaten at the proper stage 

 of ripeness, mentioned that an enormous Arum had been discovered 

 in Nicaragua, and pointed out some of the most remarkable of the 

 Orchids, especially Cypripodium Parishii and Thunia Bensonife, re- 

 marking, in connection with the latter, that he hoped Colonel Benson, 

 at present in this country, would come to the next meeting, and 

 give his experience relative to this and the other fine Orchids which 

 bear his name. The new species of Mormodes from Mr. AVilson 

 Sannders, showed how Mormodes and Cycnoches run into one another 

 The beautiful specimen of Oncidium macranthum from Mr. Salt 3 

 gardener was described as being particulariy worthy of notice and 

 Mr Bateman said that the sooner the absurd adjunct of hastiferum 

 was cut off the better ; for the plant exactly answers to the description 

 of O. raacranthnm which Messrs. Veitch had introduced many years 

 a"0, but which had been lost from not receiving the proper treatnient ; 

 tiie temperature required was that of an ordinary greenhouse. \Utli 

 reoard to the ground Orchids of the Cape, he hoped they were the farst 

 fruits of a large harvest from the same source. As an instance ot 

 their beauty he quoted Herschelia calestis, of which the blue of the 

 flowers calls to mind the tint of the southern sky. The Satynums 

 were only another instance that as fast as certain branches of horti- 

 culture seem to become exhausted others come forward to take their 



Mr'. Bateman then gave an entertaming lectnret on the Coco de 

 Mer, or Double Cocoa Nut of the Seychelles Islands, Ulnstrated by 

 specimens from Kew and the South Kensington Museum. He gave 

 extracts from Rumphius, showing what were the superstitions ot the 

 natives of the Spice Islands concerning it, the value of the nuts, an<t 

 the singular medicinal virtues ascribed to them; that the tree was 

 believed to grow at the bottom of the sea till at last it was discovered 

 that it grows in the SeycheUes, and that its frmts, faUmg mto the 

 ocean, are carried hundreds of mUes away. The uses made ot tna 



