October 7, 1889. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



283 



Ihe most usefal bedding plants yet raised. The foliage ia bright 

 yellow, the plant prodncing bnt few flowers. It is of a dwarf and 

 compact habit, and will be found generally usefal for decorative par- 

 poees. Mr. Tamer sent also a small collection of Tricolor zonal 

 PelargoDinms in great perfection, which were awarded a special certi- 

 ficate ; also three eUnds o Jsnperb Dahlias, for which a similar award 

 was made. Mr. Cliffe, gardener to Lord Egerton o iTatton, sent a 

 fine specimen of Hippeastrnm reticalatam. which wai awarded a 

 ■pocial certificate for good cnltnre. From Mr. E. G. Bland, Rich- 

 mond Hill, came four seedling zonal Pelar^oninms of no merit, also a 

 collection of cat zonal Pelargoninms. Etna was considored a fine and 

 promising variety. Mr. Green, gardener to W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., 

 exhibited a very interesting collection of plants, among them a very 

 pretty flowering balb, Bessera miniata — a spec al certificate was 

 awarded. Messrs. Paul <fe Son, Cheshunt, bronj^ht a most beaatiful 

 ieedling Cupressus called C. Lawsoniana pendula alba, for which a 

 first-class certificate was given. This is an extremely handsome plant, 

 and will be in great request. Messrs. Paul sent five boxes of magnifi- 

 cent Roses, which jastly merited a special certificate. 



Mr. James, Higbgate, sent plants of his silver Tricolor zonal 

 Pelargoniam.Mra. Col. Wilkinson. Messrs. Cripps, Tunbridge Wells, 

 ■ent plants of Yucca (draconis }alba spica, Enonymna japnnicus pul- 

 chellus (?) microphyllus, Cupressus Lawsoniana alba; Mr. Laxton, 

 Stamford, a seedling Rose, Beanty of Stamford, of a promising cha- 

 racter; Mr. G. Parker, Winkfield, seedling Dahlia Enchantress; Mr. 

 Poynter, seedling Fuchsia Royalty, with deep yellow foliage ; and Mr. 

 Frost, Dropmore, fine specimens of cut Conifers with cones, for which 

 ft special certificate was given. 



Messrs. Staudish sent a small collection of plants, inclading Acti- 

 nopteris radiata, Abies japonica, an Anthnrinm, Nerine Fothergillii, 

 and very fine plants of Ficas macrophylla, having very ornamental 

 foliage, and being of qnict growth. The plant is an epiphyte, and 

 grows 50 feet high. When it has exhausted the plant upon which it 

 has grown, its long roots reach the ground, and form stout poles, by 

 which the plant ia supported, and then receives its nourishment. 



Exhibition op Fu^fGi. — For the prizes offered for the best collec- 

 tion of edible and poisonous Fungi there were five competitors, each 

 showing collections of very considerable merit ; and that which came 

 from Mr. Worthiiigton Smith contained, we believe, as many as seventy 

 species. The first prize was awarded to Mr. English, of Epping, who 

 had in his collection the following Agarics — viz., A. mnscarius, ex- 

 celans, vaginatus, rachodes, melleus, personatns, nndns, cyathiformis, 

 laccatas, alealinas, primulas, equarrosus, tener, arvensis, faacicalaris, 

 and lacoatus amethysteus, very beantifal ; Coprinns comutufl, Lac- 

 tarius qaietns, Russula rosacea, R. fragilis, Cantharellna cibarias, 

 C. lutesceus, Boletus laridus and snbtomentosus, Hydnum repandum 

 and erinaceus, Lycoperdon gigantenm, Phallus impudicus, and many 

 others. But what attracted attention more than anything else to this 

 collection, was the beantifally preserved specimens of which Mr. 

 English exhibited a number on invisible wire supports, and which are 

 prepared by a process known only to himself, and that enables him 

 to retain all the characters of the species unaltered. 



The second prize went to Mr. Smith for the very extensive collection 

 before alluded to, and which was accompanied by coloured drawings 

 of a dozen species of Agaricus. One great merit of Mr. Smith's ex- 

 hibition, as compared with the others, was thp.t poisonous and edible 

 species were to some extent distinguished as su'-h, and this is a featnre 

 which, as Mr. Wilson Saunders justly remarked, it wonld be desirable 

 to carry out more fally at subsequent exhibitions* of Fungi. A know- 

 ledge of what are poisonous and what are perfectly safe ppecies cannot 

 be too widely spread abroad, for it is the want of that knowledge which 

 prevents Fungi being used as articles of food to a much greater ex- 

 tent than they now are ; at present they are regarded with distrust, 

 both by rich and poor, for both are, as a rnle, unable to distinguish 

 between those which are hurtful and those which wonld form a grate- 

 ful addition to many a dish. Mr, Smith sent among edible kinds 

 Gomphidius glutinosus, Agaricus gambosus, Coprinus comatns, Agari- 

 eu8 rubescens, Koletus edulis, Agaricus Orcella, A. procerus, and 

 A. rachodes, Lycoperdon giganteum, Marasmius Oreades, Clavaria 

 mgosa, Fistulina hepatica, and Lactarius delieiosus; some, as Agari- 

 cus vaginatns, Pasillus involntus, and Boletus subtomentosus, which 

 have the negative quality of being not poisonous ; whilst of those 

 which are poisonous he had a numerous collection, among which were 

 Agaricus muscarius, Russula rosacea and fragilis. Boletus luridus, 

 Lactarius vellarius, and many more, besides several marked suspicious 

 or dangerous. 



The third prize was awarded to G. W. Hoyle, Esq., of Reading, 

 who had a good collection, and several of the specimens were excellent. 

 From Mr. Edmonds, Chiswick House, came a basket containing a 

 small collection most tastefully arranged ; and Messrs. Carter S: Co., 

 were likewise exhibitors, having, along with others, a Giant Puff-ball, 

 apparently in excellent condition for use. Further particulars re- 

 specting the exhibition of Fungi will be found in our report of the 

 General Meeting, and we can only add, that we hope such exhibitions 

 will be frequently repeated. They are instructive to those who attend 

 them, beneficial to the Society, and promise by their results, direct 

 and indirect, to be beneficial to the country at large. 



Gkwer.vl Meeting. — J. Bateman, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. 

 After the usual preliminary business had been gone through, the 



Rev. M. J. Berkeley said his observations would be principally con- 

 fined to B^ongi. Before touching upon these, however, he would just 

 remark that an extremely pretty Epidendrum, sent by Dr. Rogers tc 

 the last meeting, proved to be Epidendrum glumaceum ; also that 

 though at one time Picea Pinsapo had b&en supposed to be merely a 

 variety of P. cepbalonica, the two are totally diflfcrent, as evidenced by 

 the cones sent by Mr. Frost, Mr. Archer, and others, those of cepba- 

 lonica having secondary scales, whilst there is no trace of these in 

 Pinsapo. This constituted a decided difference. 



Mr. Berkeley next adverting to the exhibition of Fungi, said that 

 last year, in his unavoidable absence, a brilliant lecture was given by 

 Dr. Bull, of Hereford. That lecture he would not attempt to rival, 

 but, instead, would read a letter he had received from Dr. Curtis, of 

 North Carolina, shortly after the war between the southern and 

 northern States of America had ended. Dr. Curtis stated that when 

 the southern army were in straits they often lived on Fungi, and Dr. 

 Cartis himself had lived on these for months together. Three prizes 

 were offered for Fungi — viz., one by Mr. Wilson Sannders, one by- 

 Mrs. Lloyd Wynne, and one by Lady Dorothy Nsvill. The first prize 

 had been awarded to Mr. English, of Epping, not so much because it 

 abounded in the same number of species that some of the other col- 

 lections did, nor because the manner of arrangement was that sug- 

 gested by Mr. Wilson Saunders, but chiefly on account of the mode 

 of preservation employed. And here he (Mr. Berkeley) would remark 

 that he had never seen any specimens of Fungi equal to those pre- 

 served by Mr. English, who had been employed for the British Museum, 

 the South Kensington Museum, and had sent collections to Norwich, 

 as well aa to Dr. Balfour, at Edinburgh. The collection to which the 

 second prize was awarded came from Mr. W. G. Smith, of North 

 Grove West, Mildmay Park, who was known as a first-rate artist, and 

 had supplied drawings of Fungi to tho South Kensington Museum. 

 His collection included a very rare species of Boletus with white 

 spores, and many other species of great interest. The third prize 

 was given to a collection from Mr. Hoyle, containing some particularly 

 good specimens, but many of them were not named. Two other col- 

 lections, both of considerable merit, were shown, the one by Mr. Ed- 

 monds, of Chiswick, tho other by Messrs. Carter & Co. 



Mr. Berkeley then noticed particularly a few of the species shown, 

 the first being 'boletus edulis. The merits of this, he said, were very 

 little known in England. Dr. Badham, when at Tunbridge Wells, 

 first tanght the people there its value, and to this day it is sought after 

 in the neighbourhood. It also abounds in Kew Gardens, whence some 

 of the specimens before him came. When in Hanover lately he went 

 to the markets, and saw abundance of tho dried slices of this and 

 other Fungi, which must grow there in the utmost profusion. It is 

 difGcolt to distinguish it from other species when young, but when it 

 grows older its stem becomes more reticulated, and is the only species 

 which can be found with a reticulated stem. Boletus castaneus could 

 not be mistaken for it, owing to the absence of reticulation, and by its 

 being detestably bitter, whilst an unfailing character of Boletus luri 

 dus is its becoming dark blue when broken. Of the Agarics, Agaricus 

 Orcella is one of the best, so is A. prunulns, often confounded with it, 

 and A. nebularis is not very different. A. Oreades, or Champignon, 

 no one could confound with others, being so much superior, and the 

 gills being leathery and far apart. Agaricus virosns, of which speci- 

 mens were shown to the meeting, though often eaten in London, is 

 extremely dangerous. The question had often been asked of him, 

 " How to distinguish edible from poisonous species?" and he confessed 

 he was totally unable to answer it. Experience, a knowledge of the 

 species, was the only guide; and the same thing applied to other 

 classes of plants as well as Fnngi. for a person unacquainted with the 

 difference might mistake the wild Celery for the Water Cress. All 

 Fungi he believed were wholesome if preserved with salt and vinegar 

 the latter seeming to neutralise the poisonous principle of Fungi. Mr- 

 Berkeley then related that Dr. Badham having sent Agaricus mus- 

 carius by mistake to a friend, and although only a small quantity had 

 been eaten, it had the effect of producing intoxication, a purpose for 

 which it is largely used in Kamtschatka along with Cranberry juice. In 

 fact, it derived its specific name muscarius from its property of intoxi- 

 cating flies. Mr. Berkeley then read Dr. Curtis'fl communication 

 before alluded to. and which was as follows : — 



"You have asked me to fiive you my 'experienc* with the eatable 

 Mushrooms of America.' This will be most sfitisffictorily done. I pre- 

 sume, in pretty much tho same style in which I would narrate it to you 

 at your fireside. My experience runs back onlv about twelve or fifteen 

 vears. You mavrememter that, previous to this period. I exin-essed a 

 fear of these edibles, as I had grown up with the common prejudices 

 against them entertained by most pe:iplo in this country. Having occa- 

 sionally rend of fenrful accidents from their use, and there being abun- 

 dance of other and wholesome food obtainable. I felt no inclination to 

 run any risk in needlessly enlarging iny bill of fftre. Thus I had passed 

 middle life without having once even tasted a Mushroom. 



" But aa under vour guidance and assistance my knowledge of Fungi 

 increased, a confidence in mv abilitv to discriminale species grew up 

 with it, and n curiosity to test the qualities of thepe much-lauded articles 

 got the better of timiditv ; and now, I suppose, I can safely say that I 

 have eaten a greater variety of Mushrooms thnn anyone on the Ameri- 

 can continent. I have even introduced several species before untried 

 and unknown. From the beginning of my exi-eriments, however, I have 

 exercised great caution, even with species long recoguiwed as safe and 

 wholesome. In every case I began with only a single mouthful. No ill 

 etfect following, I made a second essay upon two or three mouthfnis, and 

 so on praduallv, until I made a fuU meal of them. Fortunately, I have 

 never blundered upon any kind that was mischievous, although I have 



