PROCEEDINGS OF THE HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 615 



amateur and florist have done for flowers, in the production of new ones, or 

 the improvement given to the form and shape of old varieties. We have 

 before us some beautiful new Verbenas, raised by Mr. Peter Henderson 

 who has become somewhat identified with this flower. There are also some 

 pretty Pansies raised by myself; also a Heliotrope, which I call tlie Belle 

 of Jersey; and also tlie Double Chinese Primrose, raised by me 25 years 

 since. It will perhaps be interesting to you, sir, to see the' silver medal 

 awarded to me by the Horticultural Society of London, as I was not much 

 more than a boy then. 



In conclusion, there is one other flower I would call your attention to. It is 

 the Lily or Calla ^thiopica. This is probably the flower alluded to by our 

 Saviour, when he compared it to Solomon — Solomon the greatest potentate 

 the world ever knew, whose wisdom has never been equaled, living in a 

 superb palace, surrounded and adorned by the famous hanging gardens; 

 and 3'et, with all these attributes of royalty, our Lord said he was not 

 arrayed as one of" these little lilies of the field. And who can look at it 

 without feeling the full force of the remark! What more artistically beau- 

 tiful, whether we consider the chasteness of the form of the flower or its 

 general appearance, taking blossom and foliage together. I will only fur- 

 ther add, that flowers are so associated with us in our every day existence, 

 that life would be monotonous without them. 



On motion of Mr. R. G. Pardee, a vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Hen- 

 derson for the very interesting and instructive manner in which he treated 

 the subject. 



Mr. Isaac Buchanan exhibited a choice collection of rare flowers. Among 

 them were several very choice Camelias, Cacti, Rhododendrons, an Aus- 

 tralian plant called the Dottle washer. Lilies, Ltelia, &c. 



The President said that the Rhododendron is a plant that has been sin- 

 gularly neglected in this country. In England it is called the American 

 plant, and much attention is paid to it there; yet, strange to say, we know- 

 very little of it here. It is a wonder that we have neglected such a beau- 

 tiful ornament even for our city residences. It is a plant that is well 

 adapted to stand the heat of our summers and the cold of our winters. 



Mr. Buchanan said that it was an evergreen, and would grow in almost 

 any soil; but in a stiff soil it would stand the heat better than in a light one. 



Alderman Ely spoke of the profuse display of flowers that were on the 

 tables. The massive bouquets presented by Mr. Wm. R. Prince, of Flush- 

 ing, L. I., were worthy of particular notice. He called upon Mr. Mead for 

 some remarks upon them. 



Mr. Mead hoped that those who had favored them with such a floral dis- 

 play would be present and give an account of them; but as this time of 

 the year was their busiest season, they could not, perhaps, well attend this 

 meeting. He would, therefore, in compliance with the flattering request 

 of Alderman Ely, say soriiething in relation to a few of them. 



We have here some fine specimens of the Pansy. This plant exhibits, in 

 a peculiar manner, the advancement of horticulture in this country. He 

 well remembered when it was called the Johnny Jumper. It then stood 

 up something like the ladies' bonnets did about a year ago. The florist 

 has improved them very much. He had seen some that were almost per- 



