April 20, 1876. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICOLTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



305 



daily, keeping moist, and increasing the supply of water as 

 the roots possess the fresh soil. Free watoring is necoasary, 

 giving weak liquid twice a-weok after the pots fill with roots, 

 also a light and airy position. Shift into the blooming pots 

 by July, giving a moderate shift, and attend to tying-out the 

 shoots so as to form a neat compaot plant. — G. A. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Apkil 19th. 

 Fbuit Committee. — Henry Webb, Esq., in the chair. Very 

 few subjects were submitted to the notice of the Committee on 

 this occasion. Six heads of a Cabbage Broccoli were sent by 

 Mr. John Pottle, Sudborne Hall Gardens, Wickham Market. In 

 its early stages it is cat and used as a Cabbage, and at the present 

 time as a late Broccoli. It is said to be excellent for culinary 

 purposes, but was not thought worthy of a first-class certificate. 

 Mr. Sydney Ford, Leonardslee, Horsham, sent two brace of 

 Oucuoabers Masters' Prolific. They were very good examples of 

 that useful winter sort. He also sent seven varieties of exceed- 

 ingly well-kept Apples, comprising Pine Apple Pippin, Petworth 

 Nonpareil, and an excellent dish of Wellington. 



Floral Committee. — R. B. Postans, Esq., in the chair. The 

 Oonncil room was tolerably gay at this meeting, principally by a 

 collection of Roses in pots from Messrs. W. Paul & Son, Waltham 

 Cross, and an attractive group of ornamental plants from Mr. 



B. S. Williams, HoUoway. Votes of thanks were awarded to both 

 of these collections. Mr. Williams's plants consisted of Palms, 

 Ferns, and flowering plants, and the singular Aroid Amorpho- 

 phallus nivosus. Amongst the Roses Star of Waltham was ex- 

 ceedingly fine, and the new Tea Rose William Caldwell, which 

 is similar to Rubens, is a promising variety. 



Messrs. Jamas Veitch & Sons exhibited some fine Crotons. 



C. Mooreanns has leaves 15 inches in leugth by an inch in 

 width, with bright yellow midribs, the yellow also breaking 

 transversely through the body green of the foliage. C. Maca- 

 {eeanns is a Magnolia like plant, the leaves being a foot in 

 length by i inches in width, each being boldly blotched with 

 bright yellow. The plant is very massive and striking. A first- 

 class certificate was awarded. C. appendiculatum is a green- 

 foliaged kind, which has been previously noticed. C. Disraeli, 

 from the South Sea Islands, is the finest of the trilobed section. 

 It has been previously certificated. Messrs. Veitch also ex- 

 hibited Phyllanthus roseum pictum, a distinct plant with dark 

 stems and foliage, the leaves being irregularly blotched with 

 rose and white. A first-class certificate was awarded. They 

 also had a vote of thanks forDendrobium densiflorum superbum, 

 which had a splendid raceme of bright yellow flowers. It is one 

 of the finest of Dendrobes. 



New Auriculas were exhibited by Mr. Chas. Turner of Slough, 

 and first-class certificates were awarded to Slough Rival, dark 

 velvety purple shaded puce, with a very good pale yellow centre ; 

 and Bessie Ray, a neat flower, bright gold centre edged with 

 reddish crimson. Dear Hart is also a showy flower, with some 

 ronghness in outline ; it is, however, very effective. The above 

 are Alpines. Mr. Turner also exhibited a very good grey-edged 

 flower, Mrs. Purvis ; it has a neat habit and good truss. Mr. J. 

 Douglas, gardener to F. Whitbourn, Esq., Loxford Hall, received 

 a first-class certificate for a very fine grey-edged flower named 

 Alex. Meiklejohn. It was raised by the late Mr. Kay, the raiser 

 of Topsy. It is a very refined flower, black body colour, dense 

 white paste, and may be regarded as one of the first varieties of 

 its class. Rev. H. H. Dombrain exhibited a very good green- 

 edged flower, Q leen of Q iieens. It has a dense white paste, clear 

 gold tube, and distinct green edge. 



Zonal Garaniuaa Vanessa was exhibited by Messrs. W. Paul 

 and Son, Waltham Cross, and had a first-class certificate. The 

 plant is dwarf yet vigorous ; the foliage is distinctly zoned ; the 

 flower trusses large and pips of great substance, the colour 

 being warm cerise flushed with lilac. It will make a useful 

 plant for pot culture. 



Mr. Croucher, gardener to J. T. Peacock, Esq., Hammer- 

 Bmith, exhibited a plant of Sylophylla falcata — a remarkable 

 plant in exceedingly good conditiou, and which worthily had a 

 cultural commendation attached. A similar honour was awarded 

 for a plant of Cdlauthe vestita var. iguea oculata exhibited by 

 Sir T.Lawrence, Bart., Barf ord Park, Dorking, the plant having 

 a spike containing twenty fine flowers. 



Mr. OUerhead, gardener to Sir H. Peek, Bart., Wimbledon 

 House, sent good examples of Cypripedinm caudatum, Dendro- 

 biums lituifloram and densiflorum, and Masdevallia Veitchii, 

 and a vote of thaoks was awarded ; a similar award being 

 accorded to Mr. Rjberta, gardener to W. Terry, Esq., who exhi- 

 bited two good plants of Dendrobium chrysotoxum. One of the 

 plants had twelve trusses of fine floivers. 



A semi-double yellow Auricula was exhibited by Mr. Dean, 

 Ealing, the colour being very bright, with a white eye. The plant 

 is of free-growing habit, and the flowers are very sweet-scented. 

 Mr. Dean also exhibited a collection of Primtila cortuaoides 



amrena Lilacina, and received a vote of thanks. For a small 

 group of terrestrial Orchids Sir G. Macleay, Peudell Court, re- 

 ceived a similar mark of recognition. 



The Hon. and Rev. J. T. Bosoaweu exhibited some fine 

 trusses of Rhododendrons which had been grown in Cornwall, 

 and had endured 4° of frost. Mr. Allen, gardener to Viscount 

 Falmouth, Tregothnan, exhibited cut blooms of Camellias, also, 

 we presume, from the open air ; and Mr. Parker, Tooting, ex- 

 hibited Primula acaulis umbellifera plena and Rhododendron 

 magnificum, and the thanks of the Committee were awarded 

 for the Primula. Mr. Allen, gardener to Sir R. Shefiield, Nor- 

 manby Park, Brigg, exhibited Iresine Alleui, which is similar 

 to I. acuminata. Rose Cleopatra was exhibited by Mr. Bennett, 

 Stapleford. It has good foliage and large blooms. The petals 

 are smooth and gently recurved, the colour being somewhat 

 similar to John Hopper. Cleopatra is not only u good, but alflo 

 a Bweet Rose. 



PRIMROSE LADY ADELAIDE TAYLOUR. 

 The Primrose " Lady Adelaide Taylonr," not Lady Adeline, 

 sent out by Messrs. Carter, is a seedling, and therefore can 

 scarcely be the same as Primula altaica. It blooms much 

 earlier than that species, and I consider its chief value is as a 

 flower for winter dinner decoration. It lights up unnsnally 

 well, and is most effective for the purpose. I agree with 

 Mr. Dean in thinking that the colours of Primroses are not 

 seen to fair advantage in a dark hall or tent ; moreover, like 

 many Roses, their colours fade very quickly, and become shabby 

 when the blossoms have been more than a day gathered, or 

 when plants are potted for exhibition. Lady Adelaide Taylonr 

 was in bloom with me the first week in January and ia still in 

 fair blow. — The Raiser. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



The change from foul weather to fair at the early part 

 of the month was not more sudden than the recurrence of 

 winter after several sunny days of spring. The bright sun- 

 shine and genial temperature raised the hopes of cultivators, 

 and every post brought us hopeful tidings as to the prospective 

 plenty of the fruit crops ; but on the eve of our going to press 

 last week we had the unusual combination of thunder and 

 snow in London, and the weather on Thursday night and 

 Friday morning was the most inclement of the entire winter. 

 On Friday snow was 6 inches in thickness in the neighbour- 

 hood of Sydenham; and our country oorrespoadents, especially 

 in the north, have told us of the breaking of the branches of 

 their fruit trees by the weight of snow, and the great injury 

 that has been done to the blossom by the violent and intensely 

 cold gale. This applies more particularly to Pear and Plum 

 trees, the Apple blossom not being fully expanded ; and the 

 trees on south walla have generally been sufficiently sheltered 

 to prevent them receiving material injury. The temperature 

 ia again rising, and notwithstanding the severe ordeal which 

 vegetation has experienced, we have still hopes of a " good 

 fruit year." In the market gardens near London we are in- 

 formed that great injury has been done to the early Cauli- 

 flowers, many plants having been cut into shreds by the violent 

 frost-winds. 



The Hyacinths in the beds in Hyde Park, which each 



spring are so well grown and so attractive, have this year not 

 been so durable as usual owing to the very severe weather — 

 the high winds, driving anew, and heavy rains of last week. 

 The white varieties have lost their purity and some of the 

 pinks are battered and faded, but the deeper reds are still 

 effective. The light blue spikes are also more severely injured 

 than the dark bluea, several beds of the latter colour being 

 still rich and massive. These beds are still worthy of a visit, 

 for if the spikes have lost their brightness the character of the 

 varieties can be seen, and their spring-like perfume can be 

 enjoyed by visitors. 'The beds are numbered, and many who 

 hive inspected them have been consequently disappointed. 

 Unless some good reason can be offered to the contrary flowers 

 in public gardens should as far as practicable be named, for a 

 vast number of visitors attend such gardens, seeking not merely 

 enjoyment but also instruction. 



Ant lover of Orchids who would call at Mr. Robert 



Warner's, Broomfield, near Chelmsford, will find the Vaudas 

 in full flower. The gardener will show them. One single stem 

 has five good spikes on it. 



How effective are well-grown plants of Primula cor- 



TCSoiDES AMCENA for Spring decoration was well exemplified by 



