2o2 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



HOETICULTURAL AFFAIRS. 



|]HE JULY EXHIBITIONS of the great Jletropolitan and other prin- 

 cipal societies have been chiefly devoted to Roses and other cut flowers 

 and fruits. The rose shows of the Royal Hoiticultural and the Royal 

 Botanic Societies -were exceedingly poor as compared with those lield at 

 Birmingham, Hereford, OxforJ, Nottingham, and elsewhere. The ex- 

 ceptionally Wet weather interfered very much with the success of the July exhibi- 

 tions, as it has with all gatherings in any way dependent on tlje weather. 



The PELARGONirM Society held its first exhibition on July 21, in the gardens 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society at iSouth Eensington, and as the prizes offered 

 were liberal, the competition was spirited, and a good display of tlie several classes 

 of zonal pelargoniums was the result. A few novelties were exhibited, but they 

 were not of any great importance. The annual meeting of tiie society was held the 

 day after the exhibition in the Chisu ick Gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, 

 aad in the evening the members dined together. 



The P'kuit Phizes offered by Messis. J. Yeitch and Sons, for competition 

 among-t the gardeners of Great Britain on the 21st ult., resulted in one of the 

 finest displays of fruit seen this season. The collection of fruit, the pine-apples, 

 grapes, peaches, and nectarines were all alike remarkable for their splendid quality. 

 The fruit was arranged in the South Kensington Gardens of the Royal Hoiticul- 

 tnral Society, and in combiuation with tiie pelargoniums, and the large number of 

 miscellaneous contributions, proved a very interesting exhibition. 



The Carteu Cup, offered by Messrs. J. Carter and Co., the well-known seedsmen, 

 etc., for the best collection of vegetables was, in the competition on Julj- 7, awarded 

 to the Marquis of Exeter. The cup is of the value of fifty guineas, and the most 

 valuable prize ever offered for vegetables, and in addition money prizes of £10, £7, 

 £5, and £3 were awarded. The £10 to the gardener of the winner of the cup — 

 Mr. Gilbert, one of the most successful cultiva'.ors of vegetables we have— and the 

 other amounts, constituted the second, third, and fourth prizes. 



The Garueneu.s' Royal Bexevolent Ikstitltion held its thirty-second anni- 

 versary festival at the London Tavern on July 2, under the presidency of Robert 

 Broadwater, Esq., Master of the Fruiterers' Company. The atrendancewas not so 

 good as usual, and the horticultural element was but weakly represented. We are 

 glad to say, however, that the financial results were eminently satistVictory. 



A Xew Heating Appakatus. — Mr. Joseph Gadsby, of Metheringham, has, 

 we learn from the Gardeners' Chronicle, brought out a new invention tor heating 

 greenhouses, rooms, shops, &c. The app iratus consists of a very ingenious boiler 

 heated with one burner of a petroleum lamp ; to this boiler is attached 18 feet of 

 metallic piping, which becomes so hot through the whole length that you cannot 

 bear the slightest pressure of the hand upon it. The heat is spent in its operation 

 on the boiler, so that there is neither smtll nor smoke, and so very little beat 

 escapes that you may bear the naked hand on the escape pipe. Mr. Gadsby has 

 one in workiner order on his own premises, which may be seen at any time, Sundays 

 excepted. lie has not yet ascertained the length of piping it will heat, or the 

 quantity of oil it will burn in twenty-four hours, but the heat is sufficient to keep 

 out frost in winter or ripen a late crop of grapes. Mr. Gadsby ligl.ts the lamp 

 at 8 p.m., and the water is raised to near boiling point within half an hour, after 

 which the flame is reduced to a given point, at which it is kept until 7 o'clock in the 

 morning. There is no diminution of heat, nor any further trouble. 



The Evening Fete of the Royal Botanic Society held on July U. was well- 

 nigh a complete fiilure, owing to the continual downpour of rain during the day 

 and evening. Only about 3000 were present, but had the weather been favourable 

 there would have probably been 10,000, as n-arly 70UO tickets were sold before the 

 day. There was a good display of tible and side-board decorations, bouquets, and 

 hanging and other baskets, i'he judges for table decorations were Miss Annie 

 Hissard, Captain Raikes, and Mr. W. Thompson. The gardens were brilliantly 

 illuminated t-y variegated lamps, and at intervals by the electric light and coloured 

 fires. 



