MISCELLANY OP NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE. 117 



exhibited a model of a very useful contrivance, by means of which he proposes 

 to examine the soil of plants growing in large pots without inconvenience. His 

 scheme is registered as the " West Kent Garden-pot." 



At the meeting on March 3, amongst the new plants, was a species of Tro- 

 paeolum with yellow flowers, from Messrs. Veitch and Son, of Exeter, who 

 received it from their collector in Peru ; a certificate of merit was awarded for 

 it. Messrs. Loddiges, of Hackney, sent a new drooping-flowered plant, not 

 before known in Europe, from Tropical Africa, for which a Knightian medal 

 was awarded. It was named Ansellia Africana, in honour of Mr. Ansell, who 

 when he was out with the Niger expedition found it growing on the trunk of 

 the Oil Palm, in the island of Fernando Po. It proves to be a very handsome 

 thing, and will be an acquisition to the orchidaceous house. Mr. Robertson, 

 gardener to Mrs. Lawrence, tent Schomburgkia violacea, a beautiful South 

 American species ; a new Odontoglossum, with spotted white flowers ; and the 

 rare Phaleenopsis amabilis, or white Butterfly-plant ; a Knightian medal was 

 awarded. 



The meeting held on April 7 was most distinguished by the production of a 

 new species of Fuchsia from Messrs. Veitch and Son, of Exeter, which it was 

 stated was originally discovered about 200 miles from Lima in Peru by Mr. 

 Lobb, their collector. It proves to be a curious and rather handsome kind, pro- 

 ducing an abundance of rose-coloured tubes, each being from about four to five 

 inches in length, and entirely destitute of petals ; the large silver medal was 

 awarded. We hope to publish a figure of it shortly. 



Mr. Robertson, gardener to Mrs. Lawrence, sent a splendid plant of the Indian 

 Phaius W r allichii, with seven flower-stems of about five feet in height, rising 

 from among the widely spreading dark-green foliage; two plants of the rare and 

 delicate Phalajnopsis amabilis, which were stated to have been in bloom for 

 these six weeks ; two Azaleas, named Decora and Minerva, both good, but the 

 latter especially so, being covered with large bright-red, well-formed blossoms ; 

 and others for which a Knightian medal was awarded. A small group of Or- 

 chids came from Mr. Don, gardener to F. G. Cox, Esq., consisting of Burling- 

 tonia rigid a, a rare species; Ccelogyne ochracea ; the showy Cattleya Skinneri ; 

 and Epidendrum selligerum. Several groups of seedling Cinerarias were pro- 

 duced. Mr. Henderson, of St. John's Wood, sent four sorts, remarkable for 

 their dwarf habit and large spreading heads of bloom ; they were named Royal 

 Crimson, Royal Purple, Isabella, and Beauty of St. John's Wood ; a certificate 

 was awarded. Other seedling Cinerarias came from Mr. Best, of Reading, and 

 from Mr. Ivery, of Peckham, all of them exhibiting some improvement on the 

 kinds now in cultivation. From the garden of the Society we noticed Coburgia 

 incarnata, a stove bulb recently sent from Peru by Mr. Hartweg, havingastrong 

 stem of about two feet in height, surmounted by a bunch of drooping red flowers ; 

 Maxillaria suaveolens, somewhat resembling M. aromatica, and, like it, possess- 

 ing an agreeable perfume. A pretty little new Himalayan primula, somewhat 

 in the way of denticulata, and possessing a very agreeable fragrance; it was 

 considered to be hardy, but from its only having been recently received this had 

 not, however, been directly proved. It was named P. iuvolucrata, and it was 

 mentioned that there are several varieties of it in the gardens. We also ob- 

 served a cut specimen of Habrothamnus lasciculatus, which fully realised all that 

 has been said of the beauty of this noble shrub ; many have failed to grow it to 

 perfection ; these failures may, however, be referable to two causes — first, to the 

 plant not being Habrothamnus fasciculatus at all, but Cestrum roseum, or some 

 spurious variety ; and, second, to its having been grown with too much care ; it 

 will not stand much heat ; a cold greenhouse, free from damp, suits it best, and 

 from its blooming at this season, when every itinerant blossom is a desideratum, 

 it is likely to turn out an invaluable plant for the conservative wall. 



We must not omit to notice a very large Erica favoides elegans, measuring at 

 least five feet in height and as much in breadth, sent by Messrs. Fairbairn, of 

 Clapham ; it was a finely grown specimen, exhibiting, in a striking degree, what 

 can lie done with such things under skilful management ; a Canksiau medal was 

 awarded. 



