THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE 125 
HORTICULTURAL AFFAIRS. 
Fee HE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY held its first exhibition of 
Qe spring flowers on March 15. The subjects invited by the schedule 
#431 comprised Hyacinths, Tulips, Lily of the Valley, Cyclamens, and other 
seasonable subjects ; and as the prizes in the several classes were well 
contested, a very beautiful and interesting display was the result. 
Tae Annuat Dinner or THE Finpiry Cius took place at St, James’ Hall, 
Regent Street, on the evening of Wednesday, March 15, when Mr. A. F. Barron, 
Gardener in Chief to the Royal Horticultural Society, was entertained as the chief 
guest, in recognition of the great services he has rendered to practical horticulture, 
The chair was occupied by Mr. Shirley Hibberd, and about fifty of the leading 
horticulturists sat down. 
Tue InrernationaL Potato Sxow for 1876 will be on a more comprehensive 
scale than that of 1875. The schedule may be obtained on application to the 
Honorary Secretary, Peter Mc Inlay, Esq., 23, Upper Thames Street, London, B.C. 
Garpeners’ Roya Benevowent Institution.—The thirty-third anniversary 
dinner is fixed for the 30th of June, when the chair will be occupied by Dr. 
Hogg. 
fee iutGine speciosum, the grandest of the tribe, appears as a trade plant in the 
newly-issued supplement to Messrs. Backhouse and Sons’ Catalogue of Alpine 
Plants. The flowers of this Colchicum are of a soft rosy pink colour, and measure 
seven inches from tip to tip. 
Roses THAT HAVE BEEN CATALOGUED, NUMBER ABOUT 5200, according to the 
statement of M. Schwartz, the eminent rosarian, of Lyons. 
THe ExuIBITIoN AND ConGRESS To BE HELD IN AMSTERDAM IN 1877 is in pro- 
cess of being definitely organized. So far as the programme is prepared, it indi- 
cates an intention on the part of the promoters to secure a large exhibition of a 
comparatively restricted number of raw materials and manufactures. The Secretary 
is Mr. H. Groenewegea, 5, Oudewaterweg, Amsterdam. 
A Mareenat Niet Ross with 500 yards of mature growth, and now growing 
at the rate of two yards of wood per day, may be seen in Mr. Harrison’s nursery at 
Darlington. It is budded onthe Napoleon stock, described in these pages, by Mr. 
Taylor, some time since. The stock originated with Mr. Harrison, and as yet is 
not in commerce. 
Tue Tire-CutturE or PotarTors, introduced to public notice in Mr. Hibberd’s 
lecture on Potato Culture at the Society of Arts, February 25, 1874, has been tried 
and varied by several cultivators. The latest variation is described by Mr. Pink 
in his pamphlet lately published by Messrs. Ridgway, Piccadilly. At page 10 the 
author says, “‘ A small experiment in the form of artificial drainage was earried out 
with Brownwell’s Beauty, twenty sets in rotation being alternately placed on 
inverted fl»wer pots (24’s), the pots being sunk to the requisite depth. When 
lifted, those grown on the pots were found to be of better shape, and averaged about 
half a pound per hill more than the alternating sets planted in the usual way. 
“Weiner Oxsst unD GartEN ZEITUNG” is the title of a new and nice-looking 
monthly paper devoted to the affairs of the orchard and the garden, under the joint 
editorship of A. W. Freiherrn von Babo and Dr. Rudolph Stoll. The publishers 
are Faesy and Frick, of Wien. 
Tue Kine or tue Bererans is erecting at Laeken a grand winter garden close 
to the palace, which adds considerably to the effect of the whole building, This 
new garden is surrounded by a wall about 80 yards in diameter, and covered with a 
roof about 120 feet in height, so skilfully constructed as to need no support in the 
centre. The cost of the building is estimated at £80,000. 
Twenty New Dovptr-rLowerine PeLarconius are announced as ready for 
distribution by M. Alegatiere, of Chemin St. Priest, Monplaisir, Lyons. Of these, 
five are M. Alegutiere’s raising, six are Lemoine’s, five Rendatler’s, and four 
Bruant’s. Collectors of double zonals will find much to interest them in M. Ale- 
gatiere’s list. 
Evorisn Orncwarps anp Marker Garnens.—From a Parliamentary return just 
issued we glean the following details relating to the quantity of land cultivated as 
Orchards, Market Gardens, Nurseries, and Woods in Great Britain. ‘he grand total 
April, 
