May i, 1876. ] 



JOUBNAt OF HORTICULTURE AND OOTTAQE GARDENER. 



347 



some Bolitary occasion only that they have experienced this, 

 but whenever there is an opportunity offered for their aaaembling 

 together they meet with a recognition which they receive no- 

 where else. 



On this occasion no sooner bad the representatives of the 

 different nationalities arrived in Brussels than a warm reception 

 was accorded to them by tbo Bargomaeter at the Hotel de Ville ; 

 but the greatest honour was reserved for the opening day of the 

 Exhibition, when the delegates from the different governments 

 and societies, members of the jury, and some of the leading 

 exhibitors, were invited to a banquet by the King and Queen 

 at the royal palace. Nothing could be more kind than the re- 

 ception iheir Majesties gave their guests, with each of whom 

 they entered freely into conversation; and to the British repre- 

 Bentatives the banquet had an additional interest from the whole 

 of the service, which was solid silver, being the wedding present 

 to the Princess Charlotte by her father George IV. on her mar- 

 riage with Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, afterwards King of 

 the Belgians. Every plate was marked with the royal arms of 

 Great Britain. What gave especial importance to this occasion 

 was that their Majesties remained in Brussels for the event, 

 and departed for Germany late at night after the entertainment 

 was over— an act cf courtesy and cunJeacension such as horti- 

 culturists are not familiar with at home. 



Tickets for the opera were provided for all the guests who 

 after the banquet were diaposed to avail themselves of them. 

 Another banquet waa given by the Socifetfi Bojale de Flore on 

 the evening of the 1st of May, and numerous other attractions 

 were offered, leaving nothing to be desired to render the visit of 

 foreigners agreeable and memorable. 



ROYAL HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



May 3bd. 



Fruit Committee — Henry Webb, Esq, in the chair. — Mr. 

 Enst of Eridge Castle Gardens sent three dishes of seedling 

 Apples, said by him to be a seedling between Stnrmer Pippin 

 and Damelow's Seedling, which waa not considered of auiHcient 

 merit, and was gone at the core. Mr. John Cheeher, Conuing- 

 ton Castle Gardens, alao sent one diah of eight seedling Apples, 

 considered by the Committee to be a promising sort, and re- 

 quests that It may be sent agaiu in Nove.mher and June nest. 

 Messrs. Harrison & Son of Lticester a dish of six Apples, which 

 is reqnested to be sent again in November and early next year. 

 Mr. W. Earley sent a collection of seven dishes of Apples and 

 Pears, including twenty-five sorts, to which a letter of thanks 

 was awarded. A collection of thirty-six sorts of Apples and 

 Pears were sent by Mr. Middletnn of Wyunstay, Ruabon, but 

 they arrived too late for adjudication by the Committee. 



Messrs. Line exhibited a box of bunches of Muscat of Alex- 

 andria Grapee, sent as specimens of the berries setting in damp 

 treatment. The bunches were large and the berries set very 

 freely, and were exceptionally vigorous in footstalk. The 

 bunches were not syringed while in liloom, but no moisture was 

 withheld otherwise. A vote of thanks to Mr. Line was unani- 

 mously awarded. 



Floral Committee. — H. Kellock, Esq., in the chair. Mr. 

 B. S. Williams of Holioway contributed an intereating collection 

 of miscellaneous plants, among which a fine specimen of the 

 pretty Adiantum gr«cilliaium and several other things of in- 

 terest, including AraliaVeitcbii, Pandanus Veitchii, and several 

 Orchids. A vote of thanks waa awarded. Messrs. Veitch and 

 Sons sent an interesting collection oT Clematis and other flower- 

 ing plants, who received a vote of thanks. H. J. Buohan, Esq., 

 a vote of thanks for cut blooms of Rhododendron Nuttallii. H. 

 Smith, Esq. (Mr. Sumner, gardenei), a letter of thanks for three 

 plants — Odoutoglossum Alexandife, Masdevallia Veitchiana and 

 Harryana in flower. Mr. Millar a letter of thanks for some cut 

 Primroses, and a firstclass certificate for Primula Golden Queen, 

 cut blooms. Messrs. Carter & Co. received a cultural commenda- 

 tion for eight plants of Mignonette trained in the pyramidal 

 form, which were full of bloom, and remarkable for health, and 

 vigour, and size. For instance, a plant of the new white kind 

 was 6 feet high and 4 feet in diameter ; while another sort called 

 Hybrid Tree was 5 feet high and nearly 4 feet through. Another 

 plant of similar dimensions was, perhaps, the best-flowered of 

 any, this was the crimson-fluweiiog Giant. The sorts called the 

 Pyramidal Bouquet andDwaif Compact were conspicuous for 

 their stout spikes of blooms. These plants filled one-quarter of 

 the Council-room. 



Messrs. Paul & Son of Cheshunt received unanimously a first- 

 class certificate for Hybrid Perpetual Hose Duke of Connaught, 

 a rich velvety-looking Rose of great merit. They were cut 

 blooms, no plant of it being shown. Mr. R. Dean of Ealing 

 Bent half a dozen pots of spring flowers, among them Aquilegia 

 formosa, which was awarded a botanical commendation ; also 

 MyoBotis rupicola ; double purple Auricula, very pretty ; Primula 

 cortnsoides amoeua laciuata, with a more vigorous growth than 

 ama^na, but the flowers larger and richer in colour, with the 

 petals very prettily and regularly divided ; a first-clasa certificate 



was awarded to it. Messrs. Osborne received a first-class cer-. 

 tificate for a basket of Pyretbrum aureum, a cut-leaved variety 

 and very distinct and pretty; also a letter of thanks for two 

 baskets of Gentiana acaulis in flower. Mr. Noble, Bagshot, a 

 first-class certificate for Clematis Proteus, a large double flower. 

 Captain Blake of Danesbnry Park, Welwyn (Mr. Parsons, gar- 

 dener), a first-class certificate for Azalea Duke of Edinburgh. 

 The flowers are remarkably large and fall of substance; they 

 are a kind of orange red. Mr. C. Turner of Slough for Alpine 

 Auricula CharUs Lidgard; this of the velvet-edged kind. Also 

 one for Gertrude Knight ; this is of the grey-edged class. The 

 Rev. A. Rawson, Bromley Common, received a first-class certi- 

 ficate for Pelargonium Queen of Stripes. As a decorative plant 

 this is likely to be a favourite, as it is likely to be a good fancy 

 sort. Messrs. L. Crippa & Sou of Tunbridge Wells sent two 

 new Clematises named Souvenir de John Standish and Lilian, 

 both good kiuds. 



OUR BORDER FLOWERS-CAMPIONS. 



Perhaps no plants are more admired than the LyohniseSi 

 Lychnis Flos-cnculi, or, aa our country oousins will have it, 

 Ragged Rjbiu, is a general favourite. It is commonly found in 

 moist places and is widely distributed. The double varieties 

 form a bouquet in themselves, and are useful for cut flowers. 

 Some of them are much esteemed by our cottagers and often 

 seen to advantage under their oare. They are plants that do 

 not require so much attention as some of our border flowers 

 do, yet the better they are cared for the more satisfaction they 

 afiord. Lychnis chalcedonicum with its brilliant flowers and 

 its double varieties, eFptcially the white variety Lychnis 

 fulgens, are amongst the finest of border flowers. The last- 

 named is not so hardy as some of the family, and in cold 

 places requires protection in the winter. 



L. Haigeana and its white variety should be in all collec- 

 tions. It is of recent introduction, but has proved itself quite 

 hardy in our climate. L. alpina is a charming plant for 

 rockeries ; being a native adds to its interest. L. Visoaria 

 and L. rubra plena are really good border plants, and deserve 

 exteniive eultiva'ion ; then there is L. pyrenaioa, coronata, 

 and mutabilis, andothers that might be named as being worthy 

 of culture. 



Most of the kinds thrive in ordinary garden soil, but are the 

 better for having mixed with it leaf mould or well-decayed 

 manure and coarse grit. The plants like a moderately dry 

 situation, but should not suffer for lack of moisture. Many 

 of them are increased by seed, and all by division after 

 flowering, or in spring when growth has commenced. They 

 are all the better for being replanted every year. Some of 

 them require staking to preserve them from being broken by 

 the wind. Many of them continue in bloom for a long time, 

 and are very useful for affording cut flowers for home and 

 even exhibition purposes. — Vebiias. 



Maeechal Niel Rose. — The bloom forwarded to you is from 

 a plant of some years' standing established on the back wall 

 of a greenhouse, and is planted in no border whatever, but in 

 a box situated close by the bottom of the wall, the box being 

 13 inches wide by 24 deep. The earth is comparatively poor 

 garden soil, a reason to which I partly attribute its free-bloom- 

 ing habit, as it makes little wood, and generally produces up- 

 wards of two hundred blooms in the early spring, some of 

 them measuring 4 to 5 inches in diameter. The Rose is a 

 shade wanting in colour, owing to a stage and blinds in front, 

 which partly prevents the sun from acting upon it. Nothing 

 can be wanting to complete the beauty of this lovely Rose, to 

 obtain a good wall of which should be a chief effort of every 

 gardener. In after-years an evening look at its dozens of 

 golden blooms will amply repay him for all his cost and 

 labour. — John Boyd, BaWriggan. 



[The Rose sent to us was very fine, and the petals of good 

 substance but rather pale. — Eds.] 



SUBTROPICAL BEDDING.-No. 2. 



The beds submitted are, like others which have preceded 

 them, of flowing design and informal outline. Beds of this 

 character are particularly appropriate to the class of plants 

 which are supgested as suitable for imparting an ornamental 

 appearance by their foliage and habits. For such plants geo- 

 metrically-shaped beds and planting by mathematical rules are 

 unsuitable. The plants possess a free, and some of them 

 almost a tugged growth, and to show them to the best ad- 



