METItOPOLlTAN FLORAL EXHIBITIONS. 131 



METROPOLITAN FLORAL EXHIBITIONS. 



THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Our former volumes contain very interesting and useful records of tiie 

 annual floral uicetings, held in and around tlie metropolis of our 

 country, on a scale of unparalleled excellence and magnificence. To 

 these exliibitions are brougiit from all parts of the kingdom the finest 

 specimens of plants and flowers in their various classes, whicii the un- 

 equalled sliill of tlie gardeners of Great Britain have produced, as well 

 as nearly every recently introduced new and handsome plant or flower ; 

 so that at once may be seen an assemblage of beauty and novelty in 

 that high state of perfection which a nation of practical and amateur 

 florists have been successful in producing. 



We have had the pleasure to observe an improvement in the floral 

 productions exiiibited each successive season ; and from what we \\it- 

 nessed at the exhibitions lield of the Horticultural Society at Chiswick 

 on the 8th of May, and at the Royal Botanic Society at the Regent 

 Park Garden on the 12th, the present year's succession meetings are 

 likely to exhibit a considerable improvement upon any previous one, 

 and render them more attractive in proportion. 



The first exhibition for the season was held by the Horticultural 

 Society, and for the period of the year the productions shown were 

 never equalled. 



We cannot give entire in our jiresent Number the description of 

 each of the beautiful productions, but shall commence with the new 

 and rare single specimens. 



A box of plants from Kew (not for competition) contained two 

 varieties of Siphocampylus microstoma, named rubra and viride, one 

 having green leaves and tiie otlier red beneath. Scutellaria ventenatii, 

 with its ricli brilliant red flowers, was much admired ; it deserves to 

 be grown wherever it can be admitted ; it is particularly beautiful and 

 ornamental. Achimenes cuprea, with its deep copper-brown hairy 

 leaves and flowers. New plants for competition were as follows : — 



By Messrs. Veitch. — Hoya campanulata. The flowers are not in- 

 teresting in appearance, but very fragrant ; it is a stove climber. 

 Vanda (a new species), witli tawny-coloured flowers. Dendrobium 

 (new species), with rich orange-coloured flowers, in fine racemes. 

 Mr. Ayres had a new species of Gompholobium, in the way of 

 G. holymorplium, but richer-coloured flowers. 



Maij 4. — Tlie objects produced were few in number, a circumstance 

 no doubt owing to the large exhibition at the garden at Chiswick 

 being so near at liand. From Mr. J. Rigby, nurseryman, Brompton, 

 was a very handsome specimen of Eriostemon neriifolium. A Banksian 

 Medal was awarded it. A similar award was made to Messrs. Weeks 

 for a fine Torenia asiatica. — Mr. Glendinning, of Chiswick Nursery, 

 sent a novelty in the shape of a Daviesia, an odd-looking plant from 

 the coast of New Holland, with flowers handsome enough, but with a 

 singular foliage, if it may be so called, for it was rather an extension 

 of the stem. This hist ojjcrates in some measure as a drawback on 

 the beauty of the plant, giving it a bare appearance. A Certificate 

 was awarded it. — From Mr. Donald, gardener to Mrs. Lawrence, of 

 Ealing I'ark, were Vandu cristutu ; a neat Dendrobium secundum ; 



