1885.] TRANSACTIONS. 13 



Does the award and distribution of money prizes promote that 

 end ? They are awarded and distributed. Is that the sole way 

 of horticultural salvation ? The entire and exclusive ambition 

 of the horticultural man or woman ? What then becomes of 

 those who, like your Secretary, find superior specimens of 

 Winter Nelis decided to be not even fifth-rate ? Shall they 

 curse the judge and go out to the highway, instigating the lame 

 and blind to a cabal for his removal ? Or shall they rejoice and 

 be exceeding glad tliat they have lived to see Josephine de Ma- 

 lilies attain such amazing development, finding ample satisfaction 

 iov their own inferiority in the fact that " Sparta has begotten 

 worthier sons !" When it comes to getting an exclusive run of 

 the trough, the titman will win every time. Faugh ! 

 " My offence is rank, it smells to heaven." 



When we pronounce a tree, shrub, or plant, hardy — what do 

 we intend by the expression ? Or, do we not, too often, use it 

 without reflection upon its full force and significance ? Some 

 years since, a lady, writing about Hyacinthus Gandicans, in the 

 Gardener's Monthly, says that " Mr. Hovey calls this bulb hardy 

 with the protection of a cold frame, but is better taken up and 

 planted in the Spring, like the Gladiolus. Perhaps that is the 

 better way to treat them ; but the bulb is as hardy as a Tulip 

 nevertheless." She goes on to describe her luck with " some 

 covered not more than two inches, while one was fully exposed 

 on top of the ground, in March, Every one came up, — that in- 

 cluded." In the winter of 1879-80, your Secretary left some 

 roots of Calla vari-folia in the ground, through forgetfulness, 

 and to his utter astonishment, found them putting forth in full 

 vigor, the following Spring. He has had a similar experience, 

 for four winters in succession, with bulbs of Amaryllis longi- 

 folium ; although it should be added that they were planted in 

 a place used for the deposit of leaves gathered in the Autumn 

 and which were sometimes heaped up a foot deep. And yet it 

 would be called an abuse of terms, to style any variety of 

 Amaryllis, or even Richardia, but half-hardy. In the English 

 Magazine, Gardening Illustrated, Dec. 8, 1883, occurs the fol- 

 lowing : " The lancifolium lilies or, as they are now called, 



