PLANTS AND FLOWERS IN 1872. 381 



But little harm was done to fruit trees, not even the 

 peach buds being killed ; but grapes and strawberries 

 received much injury, or were entirely destroyed, and 

 the same was the case with blackberries and raspberries 

 when unprotected. 



The summer, in extreme heat and excess of rain, was 

 such as to recall the accounts of tropical climates. As 

 regarded the exhibitions, the year was one of general 

 prosperity in all departments, though a severe rain storm 

 on the first day interfered somewhat with the annual 

 exhibition. 



An exhibition of Indian azaleas was held this year 

 for the first time, on the 1st of May. The prize for the 

 .best single specimen was taken by Mrs. T. W. Ward, 

 with Princess Mary of Cambridge. The committee 

 mentioned, as among the most interesting specimens ex- 

 hibited from time to time, the seedling camellias, from 

 Hovey & Co. ; the Climbing Devoniensis rose buds, from 

 James Comley ; the Niphetos rose, from Joseph Tailby ; 

 and at the annual exhibition, from W. C. Strong & Co., 

 a collection of seventy varieties of ferns and mosses, 

 including the finest plant of the beautiful Adiantum 

 Farleyense that had then been shown. The displays 

 of native plants at the weekly exhibitions were unusu- 

 ally interesting and instructive, comprising many rare 

 specimens, and were neatly arranged, and correctly 

 named. The collection from E. H. Hitchings, on the 

 10th of August, was pronounced the best and rarest 

 ever exhibited. The prize for native ferns also brought 

 from the same gentleman a collection of forty-seven 

 species and varieties, many of them very rare. Not as 

 many new plants were shown as usual ; but we must 

 not fail to mention the Aquilegia chrysantha from Louis 



