xUi PROCEEDINGS. 



4oz., from Mr, Taylor, gardener to J. Coster, Esq,, of 

 Streatliam. Cut specimens of a Scarlet Pelargonium, called 

 " Conway's Royalist," a variety which has been found to 

 force well, from Mr. Conway, of Earl's Court Nursery, 

 Brompton Road. A specimen of JEschynanthus speciosus, 

 and a small well-flowered plant without leaves of Fuchsia 

 macrantha, from Messrs. Veitch. The latter was sent to 

 show that it is not a shy bloomer, as has been stated by some. 

 It had been wintered under a cool greenhouse stage, and 

 was stated to dislike heat. Mr. Silver, gardener to the 

 Rev. H. Pole, Maidenhead, sent cut specimens in flower of 

 Deutzia scabra and Weigela rosea, in order to show the 

 comparative merits of the two plants for early forcing. 

 They were introduced into heat at the same time, and the 

 Weigela was greatly in advance of the other. From Mr. 

 Grey, gardener, Beaufront, Northumberland, came a spe- 

 cimen of Chinese Primula, which, together with several 

 others, had been flowered in the open ground at Beaufront. 

 They were stated to have stood the winter without pro- 

 tection, although on the 3rd of January the thermometer 

 had fallen to 14° Fahrenheit, and the ponds were covered 

 with ice from three to four inches in thickness. The plants 

 turned out were seedlings in the autumn of 1847, and, after 

 contributing to the gaiety of the conservatory in the spring of 

 1848, they were transferred to the open border in May, where 

 they bloomed beautifully tlirough the summer and autumn ; 

 and it was stated that they are now (February 20) again un- 

 folding their blossoms. The Hon. W. Fox Strangways sent 

 a collection of cut specimens of plants in flower in the open 

 ground at Abbotsbury, as examples of the mildness of the 

 climate of the south of Dorsetshire. It consisted of three 

 sorts of Indian Rhododendron, which had received no pro- 

 tection whatever; three of Camellia, but not sent as 

 examples of the climate ; the Tree Heath (Erica arborea), 

 which is reported to quite scent the air of the south of 

 Europe with its fragrance ; two of the more tender Helle- 

 bores (H. argutifolius and olympicus) ; the sweet-smelling 

 Italian Laurustinus ; a beautiful Florence Tulip (T. Rad- 

 diana) ; a red variety of the Nepaul Saxifraga ligulata ; and 

 some spring bulbs. Among the latter was the large- 

 flowered Snowdrop (Galanthus plicatus). This was not sent 

 as an instance of mildness of climate, but to exhibit its 

 superiority in size over the common snowdro]}. It is quite 

 as hardy as the latter, much larger, and therefore more 

 desiral)le. The above were all from the open garden, in 

 which it was mentioned many other things were also in 



