162 



jocrnaij op horticultubb a\'d cottage gaedeneb. 



[ Febrnarj 19, 187i. 



Odontoglossnm coronarium, £2. Of the tree Ferns, the highest 

 •frice was £3 l.js. for a Cyathea dealbata, having a trunk 2 feet 

 1) inches high. Mr. Stevens also sold on the 12th iust. five 

 hundred lots of Orchids, realising about £700. Dendrobium 

 Jamesiauum sold at from 30s. to 50s. per lot ; Cajlogyne (Pleione) 

 Eeiehenbachiana, from 30s. to 57s. dd. ; Saccolabium Blumei 

 maJAis, a strong plant, 52s. Gd. ; two of OdontoglossumEoezlii, 

 five gotneas ; and Saccolabium prajmorsum for 65s. 



ROYAL HOKTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



Feebuahy 18th. 

 At the January meeting scarcely anything was exhibited ; at 

 this, on the contrary, there was an excellent display. Novelties 

 were fairly represented, of older plants several beautiful speci- 

 mens, and of mixed groups no lack, and among these Orchids 

 reii;ued paramount, while the briUiant colom-s of the Cycla- 

 mens and CameUias lent a glow to the whole. 



Fbuit CoMirrTTEE. — Alfred Smee, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. 

 A collection of Variegated Greens was exhibited by Messrs. 

 Stuart & Mein, of Kelso. They are the same as have been before 

 the Committee for several years past. Mr. Clayton, gardener, 

 Grimston Park, sent a box of the " Grimston Park variety of 

 Sion House " Cucumber, which does not differ from the original 

 variety. Mr. Bennett, gardener to the Manxuis of Sahsbiiry, at 

 Hatfield, sent tubers of a handsome seedling Potato raised from 

 the American Early Rose, and it was recommended to be grovm 

 in the garden of the Society. 



Mr. Horley, Toddington, Beds, sent a seedling Apple, and one 

 was also received from Mr. I. Wermlughton, Neeton Lane, Guils- 

 borongh, both of which were considered inferior varieties. Mr. 

 Bennett, The Gardens, Hatfield, sent a dish of Lownde's Pippin 

 — a good-sized cooking Apple, and also dishes of Winter Bon 

 Chretien and Uvedale'a St. Germain Pears. 



Mr. Jones, The Royal Gardens, Frogmore, sent three very 

 handsome fruits of Smooth-leaved Cayenne Pines, which were 

 awarded a cultural commendation. 



Messrs. James Carter & Co., Holborn, sent ten dishes of Pota- 

 toes, among which were New Snowflake — a newly-imported 

 variety not yet in commerce, and. Peach Blow, Carter's Main 

 Crop, Early Rose, Late Rose, Extra Early Vermont, Vermont 

 Beauty, Gleeson's Late, Comptou's Surprise, and Red-skinned 

 Flourball, for which the Committee awarded a letter of thanks 

 to Messrs. Carter. 



Floeai. Cojuhttee. — W. B. Kellock, Esq., in the chair. A 

 very good collection of Orchids, Cyclamens, Amaryllids, and 

 other plants was sent by Messrs. Veitch, Royal Exotic Nursery, 

 King's Road, Chelsea. In it were Odontoglossum pulchellum 

 niajus, a perfect gem, nothing could be better for wedding or 

 other choice bouquets ; Angi'iccum citratum, which had a first- 

 class certificate, forming a compact exquisite wreath of creamy- 

 white flowers; a pure white form of Cattleya Trianoe; Loelia 

 Pilcherii, a garden hybrid, the sepals and petals dehcate blush ; 

 Amaryllis Leopoldii, maroon crimson centre, margined with 

 creamy blush; and A. Ackermanni pulcherrima. There were 

 nleo a number of seedlings of considerable promise, crosses with 

 Eippeastrum pardinum. Toxicophltea spectabiiis, a stove shrub 

 vviiu lieads of white flowers delicately scented, received a first- 

 class certificate. A cultural commendation was awarded Messrs. 

 Veitch for their fine gi'oup of Cyclamens. 



Mr. B. S. Williams, of Upper HoUoway, also sent a coUeetion 

 of plants, prominent among which were the valuable winter- 

 flowering Orchids, Ccclogyne cristata, Odontoglossum nebu- 

 losum; Calanthe Turueri, perhaps the best of the vestita 

 section; and Renanthera coccinea, avery healthy specimen with 

 a branched spike of its quaint flowers. This was awarded a cul- 

 tural commendation. 



Mr. C. Turner, of Slough, sent an exceDent group of plants, 

 comprising standard Aucubas, green and variegated, profusely 

 covered with berries ; and Zonal Pelargoniums very well flowered 

 for the season. Messrs. Standish & Co., Royal Nurseries, Ascot, 

 likewise sent a group of Azaleas, Bouvardias, Chinese Primulas, 

 the white-flowered Abutilou Boule de Niege, Lily of the Valley, 



Mr. W. BuD, of Chelsea, had first-class certificates for Ple- 

 ocnemia Leuzeana with graceful glossy fronds ; AlsophUa ele- 

 gantissima, another handsome Fern with wide-spreading, shin- 

 ing frouds ; Rapartea pandanoides, and Hippeastrum pictura- 

 tum, very distinct in colour, white strijied with crimson. Along 

 with these were Alpinia vittata with cream-variegated leaves, 

 and Copernicia or Corypha cerifera, a very ornamental Palm. 



A grand collection of cut blooms of Camellias was exhibited by 

 Mr. W. Paul, of Waltham Cross. The most noteworthy were 

 Marchioness of Exeter, Alba plena, Fimbriatn, Elegans, Imbri- 

 cata, Uliinte, Principessa AJdorandinia, salmon flesh, peculiarly 

 beautiful and dehcate in colour; Bealii, very rich in colour; 



Sarah Frost ; Jenny Lind, a beautiful and fine-constitutionefl 

 variety ; and Madame Lebois. Mr. W. Paul also exhibited his 

 Waltham White Chinese Primula, which had before received a 

 well-deseiTed first-class certificate. 



Mr. F. Perkins, of Leamington, sent Chinese Primula Prince 

 Arthur, semi-double, rose crimson, very showy ; a first-class 

 certificate was awarded. Mr. Smith, Eahng Dean Nursery, also 

 sent a variety of the same character, but much paler in colour, 

 called Carmine. From Mr. R. Dean, Ealing and Bedfout, came 

 a collection of Primroses ; Violacea had a first-class certificate. 



A noble specimen of the beautiful golden-and- white Ccelogyne 

 cristata, exhibited by Mr. Child, gardener to Mrs. Torr, Gar- 

 brand Hall, Ewell, was awarded a cultm'al commendation ; and 

 a first-class certificate went to Mr. Mitchell, gardener to R. F. 

 Ainsworth, Esq., Manchester, for Dendrobium Ainsworthii, a 

 hybrid between D. heterocarpum and D. uobile, with flowers 

 larger, more creamy, and with not so deep-coloured a blotch as 

 the latter. 



Mr. George Lee, of Olevedon, Somerset, offered four special 

 prizes for two plants of his fine new Violet Victoria Regina (of 

 which an engra\'ing and description were given in vol. xxiv., 

 pp. 2G.5 and 26G), flowering in G-inoh pots ; and similar prizes for 

 The Czar. There was hardly any competition, and none of the 

 specimens shown were remarkable. Mr. R. Dean was first 

 for both varieties; J. Maguire.Esq., The HoUies, Northampton, 

 being second for. Victoria Regina. 



CROCUS IMPERATI. 



A MEET companion for the choicer species of Christmas 

 Rose (Helleborus), the brave Uttle, cold-defying, ever-flowering 

 Violet Cress (lonopsidium), that hardiest, earliest, and most 

 floriferous of flowering shrubs, Rhododendron prrecox, &c., is 

 that magnificent Calabriau Crocus named by Tenore after the 

 old Italian botanist Imperato, C. Imperati. Here is a plant, 

 the showiest and most stately of the genus, which puts forth 

 its beautiful and fragrant blossoms weeks and weeks before 

 the earliest of the yellow or other spring Crocuses dare to 

 venture theirs, beginning to flower in midwinter, and persist- 

 ently continuing to bloom well into the first month of spring. 

 In habit too, and bold appearance, it is superior to any of 

 them, and further, is remarkable for the delicious primrose 

 fragrance of its flowers. 'Oue of its distinguishing features, 

 too, is that, unlike other species, the pretty dark green foliage 

 appears long before the flowers, sets off their beauty to advan- 

 tage, and enhances not a little the value of tho plant for the 

 purpose which we have immediately in view. The three outer 

 divisions of the flower are yellowish-white, with three weU- 

 marked feathered longitudinal stripes of purple ; the three 

 inner nearly or altogether purple ; the anthers are yellow, the 

 stigmas orange and fringed. There is also a white variety of 

 it which is very fine, but somewhat rarer than the species; it 

 also is somewhat later in flowering. For bordering, say a 

 tastefuUy-arranged circular bed of Hellebores for border lines 

 or patches, or any other situation in the shrubbery or spring 

 flower garden which taste or fancy may suggest, we confidently 

 think our readers will find in the precocious, winter- defying, 

 and beautiful Crocus Imperati, one of the choicest subjects 

 they could take in hand, and we hope ere long to find it better 

 known, and see it far more extensively grown than it is.— 

 {Irijih Farmera' Gazette.) 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



A CURIOUS form of Chinese Peimrose has been raised in the 

 garden of the Royal Horticultural Society at Chiswick. It is 

 like that which wc lately figured of the common Primrose, 

 and which was called by the old florists Jack-an-apes on Horse- 

 back. The stalks produce flowers in whorls, and the bracts 

 are so enlarged as to become foliaceous ; in seme cases the 

 calyx is also foliaceous as in the Galligaskins. It is a very 

 grotesque-looking thing. 



According to the Californiau papers. Orange Cultukb 



is there taking a largo development, and is becoming extremely 

 profitable. It is estimated that as much as three thousand 

 dollars an acre can be realised. 



ECONOMIC CONSUMPTION OF COAL. 



The Exliibition of appliances for the economic consumption 

 of coal, which has been formed in the Peel Park, Salfbrd, by 

 the Society for Promoting Scientific Industry, was formally 

 opened ou the 6th inst. Mr. J. Lowthian_Bell, who had been 



