38 . THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



alphabet has been nearly exhausted with the letters applied to designate the 

 various sorts considered worthy of trial and perpetuation. The Committee 

 are disposed to denominate some of them fine, and two of them very fine ; 

 but the most perfect, in their estimation, is the one designated by the letter 

 (I), already noticed in the report of the Flower Committee of 18.^3, as worthy 

 the Society's large gold medal, provided " its high character should be sus- 

 tained another season." This your Committee report has been the case, and 

 therefore now recommend the award of the Society's Large Gold Medal, 

 for this seedling Camellia, to the Messrs. Hovey & Co. 



The Chairman having examined specimen plants of this variety in the 

 conservatory of these gentlemen, gives the following description : — 



Leaves, — Large, five inches long by two wide, ovate acuminate, deep 

 green, smooth and glossy on the surface, finely nerved, slightly wavy, and 

 large and coarsely dentated. 



TFood buds. — Long, green, moderately stout. 



Flower buds. — Obtusely ovate, with clear greenish scales. 



Floivers. — Very large, nearly four and a half inches in diameter, full, and 

 perfectly double to the centre, and of great depth. 



Color. — Rich vivid crimson scarlet, a nearer approach to scarlet than any 

 variety with which we are acquainted, and decidedly the finest dark variety 

 we have yet seen. 



Petals. — Large, bold and beautiful, imbricated, symmetrically arranged, 

 and nearly entire on the edge. 



Habit. — Very robust and vigorous, flowering freely. 



Mr. Haggerston, in his weekly report, Feb. 2d, 1850, thus describes this 

 seedling: — "From Hovey dz. Co. a seedling camellia, very fine, form of 

 flower rounding to the centre, and full ; petals broad, smooth, and generally 

 very perfect ; color a bright crimson scarlet, much the shade of bractae of 

 Poins6tti'rt pulch^rrima ; size of flower large. This is decidedly the most 

 showy seedling camellia that has been exhibited ; the color is new, beauti- 

 ful and very rich ; foliage large, pointed, and acutely serrated." 



For the Committee, Joseph Breck, Cliairvian. 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FRUITS, 



AWARDING PREMIUMS DURING THE TEAR. 



The Committee on Fruits present to the Society a Report of their doings 

 for the past year. 



So far as the weekly exhibitions were concerned, the drought of the past 

 season has most seriously affected the show dependent on open culture. 



Apples have generally ripened previous to the usual season, giving us 

 email and immature specimens. So early as the last week in July, Samuel 

 Walker placed on the table specimens of the Gravenstein, a September 

 apple, and, with the exception of the annual exhibition, this department of 

 fruits has been exceedingly meagre, as compared with former years. 

 These remarks will apply more fully to the summer and early autumn 



