THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 155 



admired. Mr. Deau has for some years past devoted much attention to the im- 

 provement of Primroses and Polyanthuses, and Le has succeeded in raising some 

 wonderfully fine varieties. The collection at his seed grounds at Bedfont is perhaps 

 the finest in the country. These hardy Primroses and Polyanthuses are well 

 adapted for frame culture in pots, as well as for the emhellishment of the flower 

 garden. 



The PELABGONinr Tuial at Chiswick will be carried out as usual this year, 

 and it is requested that raisers of the new varieties, as well as introducers of 

 foreign novelties, will send to Mr. Barrou, at Chiswick, the superintendent, plants 

 of such new varieties as they may be able to spare for trial purposes. 



The Pelargonium Society will hold its annual exhibition at South Kensing- 

 ton on July 21. A suggestion was made for holding the exhibition at Chiswick, 

 but there were certain difficulties in the way, and the Committee did not consider it 

 desirable to act upon it. The prizes offered by Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons for fruit, 

 which in the aggregate amount to upwards of £100, wiU be submitted for competi- 

 tion on the same date as the Pelargonium Show. 



The Inteiixational Exhibition of Potatoes projected by Mr. Peter 

 McKinlay, Woodbine House, Beckenham, and Mr. Shirley Hibberd, is making 

 satisfactory progress. The schedule comprises a large number of classes, and 

 amongst the prizes offered are three silver cups of the value of £5 5s. each, presented 

 by Msssrs. J. Carter and Co., Messrs. Sutton and Sons, and Messrs. Hooper and Co. 

 The President is Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Ellis, and the Vice-President J. Abbiss, 

 Esq., J.P., and late Alderman of the City of London. The exhibition will be held 

 on the 29th and 30th of September, in the Alexandra Palace, Muswell Hill, the 

 directors of which, through Sir Edward Lee, have contributed £30 to the prize 

 fund. The promoters are. in need of money to carry out the scheme, and subscrip- 

 tions are solicited. 



Desseht Pears. — M. Gillekins, in the Monitcur Eorticole Beige, recommends 

 the following six Pears for walls with a southern and eastern aspect, for late supplies: 

 — 1, Doyenne d'Hiver, ripe from January — June ; 2, Beurre d'Hardenpoint, ripe in 

 December — January (this, with the preceding, are specially recommended for market 

 purposes) ; 3, Passe Colmar, December— January ; 4, Beurre Eance, January and 

 February ; 5, Josephine do Malines, February — March ; 6, Passe Crassane, January. 

 The same writer recommends the following six for those who wish to have Pears 

 from July to May :—l, Beurre Glffard ; 2, Williams' Bon Chretien; 3, Louise 

 Bonne d'Avranches ; 4, Beurre Durondeau (M. Gillekins states that the flowers of 

 this variety withstand spring frosts better than any other ; 5, Beurre Diel ; 6, Ber- 

 gamotte Esperen. The last-mentioned six ripen in the order in which they are here 

 placed. 



Saxifraga Stracheti, a beautiful plant, has bloomed exceedingly well this 

 season on the rockwork at Kew. The flowers on opening are pure white, but 

 rapidly change to a pale pink colour. Ji, is a near relative of iS'. ligulata, and was 

 raised from seeds sent by General Strachey, F.R.S,, in 1851 . It is a native of the 

 Western Himalaya and Thibet. 



Tde Meteorological Society has issued a series of instructions for the obser- 

 vation of the first appearance in spring of wild flowers, birds, insects, etc. This list 

 has been drawn up by a conference of delegates from the Royal Agricultural, 

 Botanic, Dublin, Horticultural, Marlborough College, Natural History and Meteoro- 

 logical Societies. Some years since the British Association published a similar list. 

 Blank forms for recording these phenological phenomena can be had Irom the 

 secretary of the Meteorological Society, 30, Great George Street, S.W. 



The Gabston Vineyard, near Liverpool, has been purchased by the Cowan 

 Patents Company, Limited, who intend to use the property for the purpose of ex- 

 hibiting their system of lime-kiln heating in full working order, while at the same 

 time endeavouring to maintain the well-earned fame of the Vineyard, and, if pos- 

 sible, to increase its reputation. The price paid was over £10,000. 



Newman's Botanical Pai'er has obtained amongst working botanists the 

 celebrity it deserves, and many of our readers may be advantageously advised to 

 adopt it for herbarium purposes, as it combines absorptivencss of texture with great 

 strength. The size generally used measures 24 in. by 20 in., which affords a choice 

 of four useful sizes by folding or cutting the sheets. The time of year having 

 arrived when botanical CKcursions have more than ordinary interest and entertain- 



May. 



