3'"8 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUEB AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



I AprU IG, 1874. 



become dangerous in the hands of an unscmpulons Council, 

 who could circulate ex parte statements, and canvass for proxies 

 fearless of the cost, because at the Society's expense. Again, 

 it might become a dangerous weapon in the hands of a few 

 determined plotters banded together for the object of carrying 

 out some factious opposition to the powers that be, or measures 

 to serve their own interests only, to say nothing of the possi- 

 bility of its ever answering the purpose of Her Majesty's Com- 

 missioners to put forth all their strength to carry through a 

 policy that might be most repugnant to us as horticulturists, 

 aud detrimental to the interests of the Society. These are 

 poiuts demanding not only consideration but action on the 

 part of all loyal Fellows of the Society. 



The Council, I take it, are acting as mere passive agents in 

 the matter, simply carrying out the expressed wishes of a sec- 

 tion of the Fellows ; for I gleaned from the remarks made by 

 Lord Bury at the meeting, that the Council were fully aware 

 of the abuses this method of voting is open to, and of the 

 dangers liable to accrue to the Society by its adoption. 



There are also other questions that suggest themselves to 

 my mind in connection with the subject. Why should the 

 Society all at once stand so urgently in need of this innova- 

 tion? If I mistake not, some of its warmest advocates were 

 formerly, and for many years, members of the Council. Why 

 did they not propose it before ? It seems to me strange that 

 it should only have occurred to them as necessary to the sal- 

 vation of the Society after they had thrown up the reins of 

 government. 



Again, in what respect does the constitution of the Eoyal 

 Horticultural Society differ from other scientific societies that 

 it should require this adventitious aid ? 



Moreover, would not the adoption of proxy-voting be insti- 

 tuting a retrograde movement ? Is it not a custom of the 

 past ■.' Useful, doubtless, before railways were, when a Fellow 

 residing, say at Bury St. Edmunds, would, prior to taking a 

 journey to the metropolis, make his will and many more 

 arrangements than one does now-a-days for a trip to New York. 

 Why was proxy-voting abolished by the House of Lords ? 

 Surely it would be more in accordance with the spirit of the 

 itimes were the Eoyal Horticultural Society to abolish the 

 custom altogether. It is certainly now-a-days nowhere used, 

 save in commercial circles, where money arrangements are 

 dependant thereon, and then only for voting upon specified 

 matters and questions which have been previously printed and 

 circulated among the shareholders. 



My own opinion is, that if this obsolete custom be permitted 

 to become law in the Eoyal Horticultural Society it will be to 

 it as the last straw put upon the camel's back, and that the 

 day would not be far distant when its very existence would, 

 like the proxy-voting of the Lords, become a thing of the 

 past ; and I do not share the confidence of some of my friends 

 that a vigorous and regenerated new Society would immedi- 

 ately spring up from the ashes of the old one. — John Denny, 

 Stoke Newington. 



PBIMULA NIVEA. 

 In reply to " G. S.," my Primula nivea is planted out in a 

 shady and protected border set apart for choice varieties of 

 that class of plant. The soil is simply good heavy loam, and 

 in that it seems to thrive capitally, for the one plant I have 

 commenced flowering more than three weeks ago, and at the 

 present time it has seven trusses of blossom on it. — J. P. W. H. 



In one of these visits he brought over, from the garden of the 

 monastery, grafts of this excellent fruit tree, which were culti- 

 vated in the garden at Hengravo Hall, and soon were spread 

 throughout England. This statement is correct ; the writer 

 of this note (aged seventy-six) has frequently heard the story 

 from her mother, whose family were near neighbours and most 

 intimate friends of the Gage family, now extinct — the last 

 baronet dying two or three years since without issue, — ¥. Z. 

 — (Notes and Queries.) 



In answer to " G. S." on how to grow Primula nivalis or 

 nivea, it blooms beautifully in rockwork nooks in the open 

 here. In one place we have it where the later blooms of Pri- 

 mula denticulata growing side by side add to its beauty. 



Some birds have a weakness for picking off the blossoms, 

 sometimes even the whole stem. If " G. S." has not a chained 

 cat, worsted threads will keep the birds sufficiently off. — George 

 F. Wilson, Heatherbank, Weybridge Heath. 



Origin of the Name of Green Gaoe Pluji. — The origin of 

 the name is simply that the Plum was brought into England 

 about the middle of the last century by the Eev. .John Gage, 

 Eoman Catholic priest, in some way connected with a monae- 

 tery or conventual establishment in France, I think near 

 Foutainebleau. The laws of that time against Eoman Catholic 

 priests were so severe that Mr. Gage lived abroad, but fre- 

 quently visited his brother. Sir Thomas Gage, of Hengrave 

 Hall, near Coldham, in the county of Snllolk, fifth baronet. 



ROYAL HORTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



Apbll ISth. 

 The day on which this Show was held offered a marked eou- 

 trast to that which opened the season— the Hyacinth Show; the 

 wind was due north, and though there was sunshine, the weather 

 was far from genial. The Exhibition, which was held in the 

 western conservatory arcade, was, notwitbstandiug, of a very 

 attractive character ; and though neither Ehododendrons nor 

 Azaleas, which were the most prominent of the objects specially 

 invited, were over-plentiful, still the magnificent Orchids of 

 Lord Londesborough and Mr. Williams, the Roses of Messrs. 

 Veitch and Mr. William Paul, and the group of Clematis from 

 Messrs. Jackman, were worth a long journey to see, added to 

 which the Auriculas were a source of keen interest to many. 



The first class in the schedule was that for twelve forced. 

 Rhododendrons. The only exhibitors, Messrs. Lane & Son 

 of Great Berkhampstead, staged a group of bushy specimens 

 from 3 to 4 feet high, and fully as much across, and which were 

 covered with fine trusses of bloom. Victor Trouillard, Hy- 

 bridum Roseum, Verschaffelti, Queen of the West, Hendersoni, 

 and Auguste Van Geert were especially good. A first prize was 

 awarded, and the same exhibitors were also first for twelve cut 

 trusses. 



In the nurserymen's class for nine Cinerarias Messrs. Dobson 

 and Sons, Isleworth, were first with very well grown and flowered 

 plants of Prince Leopold, rosy purple self; Profusion, rosy 

 purple, white ring, dark centre ; and others. Messrs. Standish 

 and Co., Ascot, were second with a group in which were some 

 large, finely-coloured flowers, but deficient in form; Rosalie and 

 Caisar especially good in colour. In the amateurs' class Mr. 

 James, gardener to W. F. Watson, Esq., Redlees, Isleworth, 

 was first with finely grown plants, and Mr. R. Marcham, gar- 

 dener to J. Mitchell, Esq., Coppius, Iver, second. These were 

 larger, but rougher. 



■rhough the Orchids were not numerous, those shown were, 

 with a few exceptions, remarkably fine. Especially was this 

 the case in the amateurs' class for six, iu which Mr. Denning, 

 gardener to Lord Londesborough, Norbitor., stood in the plac© 

 of honour with magnificent specimens of Cattleya citrina, the 

 flowers, eleven in number, very large and fine ; Cattleya Skin- 

 neri with five spikes of splendid-coloured flowers ; a tine mass 

 of Dendrobium Jeukinsii ; Arpophyllum giganteum with a dozen 

 or more remarkably fine and beautifully-coloured spikes; Den- 

 drobium Paxtoni loaded with rich yellow and dark crimson 

 blossom, and the lovely blue Vanda cirrulescens. Mr. G. 

 Wheeler, gardener to Sir F. H. Goldsmid, Bart., Regent's Park, 

 was second. In the corresponding class for nurserymen Mr. 

 Williams, of HoUoway, was first with a fine specimen of tho 

 beautiful white and yellow Cymbidium eburueum, Vanda tri- 

 color, Acrides Fieldingii with five racemes, and several more 

 advancing for bloom; a magnificent specimen of Dendrobium 

 nobile, D. infundibulum with a score of its white and rich orange 

 flowers, and a grand example of Phajus Wallichii. The second 

 prize went to Mr. Bull, of Chelsea, for a group which included 

 the beautifully-coloured Cattleya Meudelii, Masdevallia Lindeni, 

 Odontoglossum luteo-purpureum, and others. 



For nine greenhouse Azaleas Messrs. Lane took the first prize 

 with Comet, Stella, Flag of Truce, and Gloire deBelgiquein fine 

 bloom, along with others, but having the drawback of present- 

 ing a forest of stakes. Mr. Turner was placed second witli neat 

 little dwarf standards of Balsamiuiflora, Etendard de Flandre, 

 Seduction, Apollo, and Alexander II. In the amateurs' class Mr. 

 G. Wheeler was first, and Mr. Marcham second. 



Of twenty-four hardy spring flowers in pots, Mr. Barker, 

 Exotic Nursery, Tooting, sent a fine group, including Fritillaria 

 imperialis, Orobus vernus, Aucuba-leaved Daisy, splendid pots 

 of Aubrietia purpurea elegans, and Primula elatior Golden 

 Plover, Doronicum austriacum, Triteleia uniflora, Scillas, and 

 Saxifraga crassifoUa. Mr. R. Dean, Ranelagh Road, Ealing, 

 was second with a neat group of Primroses, Polyanthuses, 

 Daisies, bedding Pansies, Myosotia dissitiflora, &c. 



In the class for fifty Show and .'Vlpine Auriculas (open), Mr. C. 

 Turner, of Slough, exhibited in his usual good style a very even 

 collection. Amongst Green-edged flowers Mayflower CTraill), 

 was very fine. Grey-edged — Col. Champneys, free and distinct; 

 Unique (Maclean), and Alderman Charles Brown (Headly), a 

 new flower of good quality. Selfs — Charles J. Perry, Blackbird 

 (Spalding), and Bishop of Lichfield, a fine dark flower. The 



