198 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[Mau. 30, 



Zealand, having the habit of a Pittosporum, but probably 

 quite new. From the garden of Prof. Dunbar, were exhi- 

 bited two Camellias in flower, one a seedling raised at 

 Rose Park, the other C. Colvillii, with a fine specimen of 

 Erica hyemalis ; from Trinity Cottage-garden, a tall and 

 ■well-furnished plant of Epacris impressa, in full bloom ; 

 from the garden at Biel, a most beautiful flowering branch 

 of Acacia affiuis, and a specimen of Calla JEthiopica in 

 flower, raised from seeds ripened at Biel, where Mr. Street 

 considers the Calla as completely acclimatised ; and from 

 a Ward-case, kept in the drawing-room of Mr. Smith, 

 landscape gardener, Queen-street, flowering sprigs of 

 Camellia Sasanqua, and Daphne odora. There were 

 placed on the table packets of seeds of Bokhara Clover, 

 presented to the Society by the Earl of Wemyss, and of 

 Himalayan Coniferse, presented by the Highland and 

 Agricultural Society ; and also various materials for 

 making steeps for seeds, recommended by Prof. Johnston, 

 presented by Lord Murray. At this meeting various 

 communications were read. The first was an account by 

 Mr. R. Foulis, Fordel, of the mode of dressing for table 

 the tubers of Oxalis Deppei. The tubers are peeled, and 

 the hollow centre cleaned out ; they are then well boiled 

 in rich stock, the fat being skimmed off. The tubers are 

 served up hot, with a sauce prepared by heating a piece of 

 butter and a spoonfulof flour in asaucepan till browned, and 

 adding a little stock. The next was a notice regarding the 

 successful raising of various Himalayan Coniferse, espe- 

 cially Deodars, at Elchies, on the Spey, in Morayshire. 

 The seeds, which came by the overland mail, were sown 

 on an open south border in spring 1812, and they all 

 germinated freely. During winter a glazed frame was 

 placed over a portion of the seedlings, but the rest were 

 left wholly exposed, and were repeatedly buried in snow. 

 In spring 1843 the plants left unprotected were as healthy 

 and vigorous as those which had been under glass. — Then 

 followed remarks by Mr. James Macnab on plants grown 

 in water charged with various salts and manures, the spe- 

 cimens being exhibited in glass jars. One general remark 

 was, that when only a small portion of liquid was placed 

 in the vessel containing the plant, and the mass of roots 

 was suspended above the liquid, the plant grew much 

 better than when the roots were wholly immersed. — The 

 next was a communication from Mr. MofFatt, Edengrove, 

 recommending a four-pronged spade, a model specimen 

 being exhibited. This spade he finds more useful than 

 the common spade, when the soil is bound in frosty 

 weather, or when it is very wet in rainy weather, and par- 

 ticularly safe in stirring the soil in shrubberies or in 

 flower-borders. — The last was an interesting and lively 

 account of the progress of Horticulture in Scotland during 

 the last fifteen years, drawn up by the Curator of the 

 garden. 



GHENT ROYAL SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURE 



AND BOTANY. 



The wealth, enthusiasm, and science, entering into the 

 several parts, and forming the combined operations of 

 this Society, taken as a whole, is certainly not surpassed 

 at the present time, by any similar institution in Europe. 

 It has existed since October 28, 1808, and conducted its 

 operations with energy and prudence, as is abundantly 

 proved by the fact, that the present is the 76th Exhibition 

 of the Society ; nor is its success less evident, when the 

 improved state of botanical skill, displayed in all their 

 gardening operations, is taken into consideration, especially 

 with respect to whatever relates to propagation. The 

 present Exhibition is the second forming a series of Shows 

 of great magnificence, which are held every fifth year ; 

 other Shows are held by the Society (I believe four an- 

 nually) ; but the one in question, which is termed "Festi- 

 val Quinquennal de Flore," is, in all respects, a very great 

 display, both of industry and science. The saloon in 

 which these Exhibitions are held, has been built expressly 

 for the use of the Society, and with especial reference to 

 the Exhibitions ; it is 300 feet in length. The centre is 

 a lofty dome, 50 feet wide, supported by two wings, each 

 40 feet wide. The light is admitted at the roof, and in 

 some cases at the sides ; and the plants are arranged along 

 each side, leaving abundance of room for the visitors to 

 promenade without interruption along the centre, through- 

 out the whole length of the building. Under the plant- 

 saloon are offices for business ; a small library, and other 

 apartments occupied with specimens of Horticultural and 

 Agricultural implements. There is also a refreshment- 

 room capable of dining 200 persons. The general ap- 

 pearance of the plants, and the aspect of the whole 

 arrangements, were in many respects different to the 

 great metropolitan Shows in England. There were at 

 least three times the number of plants exhibited, that are 

 usually seen at the largest English Shows ; but three-fourths 

 of these would not have been considered admissible here, in 

 point of culture, and very few of the plants were above 

 mediocrity in this respect. Such is the zeal and desire 

 for novelty, that both amateurs and nurserymen seem to 

 lose sight of everything else ; and such also is their skill 

 and success in propagation, that with them the tempta- 

 tion is quite irresistible to cut up every leaf and bud of a 

 new plant for the purpose of increase, and hence the 

 general absence of well-grown and handsome plants of 

 whatever is new. There is, nevertheless, much to admire 

 and learn from their ingenious and scientific methods of 

 budding and grafting. It is no disparagement to our 

 Belgian neighbours to say that they do not excel in 

 everything; in their knowledge and display of culture 

 they are immeasurably behind the gardeners of this 

 country. The leading features of this great Exhibition 

 consisted of Camellias, Rhododendrons, and Azaleas • 

 besides these, there was a great many collections of mis- 



hardy plants forced into bloom. The Camellia was, 

 however, the great object of attraction, and is above all 

 others the popular plant in Ghent ; every amateur who 

 can afford a greenhouse, however small, esteems it his 

 highest honour, as it is by far his greatest ambition, to be 



?ossessed of a few of the newest varieties of the Camellia. 

 n the mode of conducting the Exhibition, and more 

 especially with respect to the manner of judging the 

 plants, there was something of novelty, as compared with 

 the method adopted in this country. Previously to the 

 opening of the Exhibition, one or two days were occupied 

 in collecting and arranging the plants ; then one clear 

 day was allowed for the proceedings of the judges ; the 

 next day, till 2 o'clock, was occupied in re-arranging the 

 plants after they had been examined by the grand jury, 

 and the prizes had been awarded ; and the members, the 

 grand jury (judges), and foreigners were admitted at 



2 o'clock on the same day ; the following day 

 (Monday) was reserved for the grand jury, and the 

 royal family and suite ; then the three following 

 dajs, the public were admitted without charge. The 

 mode of judging the plants was conducted in the fol- 

 lowing manner: — The judges, or grand jury, were 

 divided into two sections — the first consisted of 41 per- 

 sons, and the second of 46; 15 of these were from Paris, 



3 from London, 3 from Geneva, some from Germany, and 

 others from Prussia, Holland, &c. &c. The operations, 

 then, of this great combination of wisdom and science, 

 were thus proceeded with : — Each judge was required to 

 examine separately each collection or single specimen, as 

 the case might be, without reference to any consideration 

 or any agreement whatever with any other judge ; his 

 decision was written on a card, and thrown into a box or 

 baske% and when each member of the same section had 

 performed the same duty, the ballot or cards were 

 examined, and whichever member had the highest amount 

 of votes, was declared the winner. As the awards were 

 thus determined, they were also announced by the firing 

 of cannon planted in the adjacent grounds. It may be 

 worthy of remark, that certain members and patrons of 

 the Society forwarded for decoration various large plants, 

 which were classed according to some arrangement, and 

 dedicated to the honour of the Society; others to the 

 King, as Chamzerops excelsa, and Latania borbonica ; 

 others were dedicated to the Queen, as Chamcerops Birro, 

 and Phcenix farinifera ; and so on, with several other 

 classes of plants presented in homage of worthy objects. 

 The following will convey some idea of the number and 

 quality of the plants exhibited : — 

 Competition between Gardeners and Amateurs 



in the neighbourhood of ghent. 

 Collections o/40 to 60 Plants, in Bloom (distinguished 

 for their culture and variety).— 1st prize to Mr. E. Ros- 

 seels, of Louvain, for Pimelialigustrina, Bignonia cherere, 

 Enkianthus quinqueflorus, Crataegus indica, Pultenaea 

 daphnoides, Tropaeolum pentaphyllum, Indigofera rosea, 

 Chorozema varium, Billbergia aracena, Epacris grandi- 

 flora, and 19 other miscellaneous plants ; Rhododendron 

 arboreum alta-clerense, R. incarnatura, R. Nobleanum,R. 

 triumphansgandavense, R. ponticum, Camellia jap. Clivi- 

 ana, Colvillii, Donkelaerii, Press' Eclipse, punctata, imbri- 

 cata, and 6 other varieties ; Rosa, G varieties ; Azalea ind. 

 Smithii, amabilis, elata rubra, phcenicea, and 4 other varie- 

 ties. Collections of 50 Camellias, in bloom 1st prize to 



Mr. Glym, of Utrecht, for Camellia japonica punctata, 

 King's, elegans Chandlerii, Saccoya nova, Daelenii, splen- 

 dens, Stephanie, fimbriata, Ferdinandii, Susanna,Traversii, 

 nobilissima, Lefevreana, imbricata, do. alba, alba Lou- 

 doniensis, Fraseri, resplendens, Cavendishii, Roi des 

 Pays-bas, maculata, Colvillii spectabilis, maculata, Van- 



Fordii, speciosa, futteng, formosa, Ferleyana, Campbellii, 

 splendens, Thomsoniana, Stephanie, Vandesii superba, 

 delicatissima. Collections of 15 Rhododendron arboreum 

 (hybrids).— 1st prize to M r . Maurice Otin, of Etienne, 

 for Rhod. arb. altaclerense, Russellianum sup., tigrinum, 

 fulgens, superbissimum, delectum, Drummondii (sp. n.), 

 amabile, formosura, sericeum, excelsum, hybridum nov., 

 atrorubens, Smithii, and Knightii. 



Competition between Gardeners and Amateurs 



throughout Flanders. 

 Collections of 25 Forced Plants, in bloom.— 1st prize 

 to Mr. A. Van de Woestvne-D'Hane, of Ghent, for Mag- 

 nolia striata, Glycine sinensis, Kalmia latifolia, K. glauca, 

 Ledum palustre, Pseonia arborea, Lilium Broussartii, and 

 others. Collections of 50 to 150 Plants, in bloom.— 1st 

 prize to M. le Cher Heynderycx, of Ghent, Vice-President 

 of the Society, for Dejidrobium nobile, Lrelia anceps 

 Maxillaria aromatica, Oncidium Baueri, Trichopilia tor- 

 tilis, 14 varieties of Rhododendron arboreum, 9 varieties 

 of Acacia, Banksia integrifolia, B. prostrata, B. inter- 

 media, 9 varieties of Azalea indica, 5 varieties of Pseonia 

 arborea, 19 varieties of Camellia, 7 species of Epacris 

 20 species and varieties of Amaryllis, Crinum amabile,' 

 Chvia; nobilis, Begonia coccinea, Ixora Bandhuca, and 

 others,' making a collection of upwards of 150 plants 



Collections of 50 to 100 Camellias, in bloom 1st 



prize to M. Alex. VerschafTelt, of Ghent, for a collection 



, Gerardi, religiosa, macrocarna' 

 nbert., longifolia var. rabies"' 

 les), Pinsapo, longifolia p|J' 



prize to M. Alex. VerschafTelt, of Ghent/loTcCi^ 

 Victoria, Prince Albert, Fentonia, Marchioness of E ?* 

 fasciculata nova, Mathilde, imbricata rosea, alba mutahT^ 

 picta nova, amabilis triumphans, alba plena nova 1* 

 posita. Collection o/30 Conif\ rous Plants.-Ut prize tX 

 Alex. VerschafTelt, of Ghent, for Araucaria imbricata a 

 Cunninghamii, A. do. glauca, A. excelsa, A. Brasilien'siV 

 Pinus tenuifolia, excelsa, Gerardi, religiosa. mari-no*.!.- 

 (abies) Douglasii, Lambe 



Fraseri, cephalonica (abies), Pinsapo, longiiolia k Uum 

 Phyllocladus trichomanoides, Dammara australfg r> 

 orientalis, Dacrydium cupressinum, D. taxifolium, Jur/ 

 perus pendula, Thuja pendula vera, Cupressus pendula C 

 sp. New Zealand, C. australis, PodocarpusTotara Ced ' 

 Deodara. Collections n/Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Paonias. 

 Roses, Amaryllis, Dutch bulbous plants, Orchideae Cacti* 

 Ericas and Ferns, with various specimen plants and* 

 minor collections, were exhibited. Among the collections 

 of new plants, which were very extensive, was a most in- 

 teresting one from Dr. Von Siebold, consisting of plants 

 from Japan and Java. 



Theory and Practice applied to the Cultivation of the 

 Cucumber in the Winter Season, <Jc. By Thomai 

 Moore. 12mo. Groombridge. 

 This little tract, like Roberts' excellent treatise on the 

 Vine, is what it should be, — not only an explanation 

 of the mode of managing the Cucumber in the winter 

 but also of the reasons for its management. We wel- 

 come its Author as another recruit in the good work of 

 regenerating Horticulture, and of substituting for receipts, 

 which are only to be compared to those in our grand- 

 mothers' kitchen-book, something like rational language, 

 fit for the consideration of rational beings. If we could see 

 Mr. Moore's example universally followed by competent 

 persons, Horticulture would quickly receive an impetns 

 which nothing could resist. The plan of a Cucumber-pit, 

 which the Author proposes, although perhaps inferior to 

 the Worsley pit (figured at p. 180), is one which will be 

 found to suit some places better, and is,, like it, a wonder- 

 ful improvement upon the barbarous old contrivances for 

 obtaining heat by fermenting stable-litter. 



Dried Specimens of the Agricultural Grassesof Ireland 

 forms a small thin folio volume, which Mr. D. Moore, 

 the Curator of the Royal Dublin Society'! Garden, has 

 prepared for the use of farmers. It is not too much to 

 say of this work, that it is one of the most useful thingi 

 that can be put into the hands of a person interested in 

 rural affairs, and unacquainted with Botany. Its very 

 small price (6s.) places it within the reach of everybody. 

 Young Gardeners, too, who are expected to know the 

 common Grasses when they see them, will find it an 

 excellent companion. 



GARDEN MEMORANDA. 



Lord Wichlo?o's Seat, Shellon Abbey, in the Vale of 

 Avoca. — At this place is a tree of the Olea paniculata, 

 nearly 40 feet high, a wonder to all the gardeners in the 

 neighbourhood, and probably the only specimen in Great 

 Britain, in the open air. 



Sheffield Botanical Gardens. — A large house at this 

 place is appropriated to the cultivation of Ferns, and is 

 one of the most unique structures of the kind in this 

 country. There is a walk near the front, and anight of 

 steps at each end leading to a gallery. Next the back wall 

 is a platform, on which is placed in pots a collection of 

 Orchidacese. The space between the front walk and the 

 gallery is where the Ferns are grown. They grow on a 

 rustic kind of rockwork formed with chumps of wood, 

 rough roots of trees, and large pieces of petrifaction from 

 the Derbyshire hills. The outline of the rockwork is 

 broken into knolls, promontories, and bays in miniature, 

 with pools of water seen in some places through rustic 

 arches covered with those interesting plants. The inter- 

 stices of the rockwork are filled with a compost of 

 chopped sphagnum, heath-mould, and loam, in which the 

 Ferns appear to delight, as the following dimensions of 



some of the principal ones will show — 



Jong 



Pteris longifolia, frondj 3$ ft. 



specimens from New Zealand . • H 

 Plumieri ....►• 4 



arguta 4j 



specimen from New Zealand, a most spienaio 

 plant, the entire plant being 8 ft. diameter, 4$ it. 

 high, with a circular rhizoma;. the stems of eacn 

 frond average 2 ft., and then divide into > a 

 quadripinnate frond, 20 fronds forming ^ e 

 entire plant. . - Ae 



„ nemoralis, 4 ft. diameter hl f a ZT' 



Cheilanthes repens, many fine fronds; one measures 9't. /» 



Nephrolepis exaltata 



m f tuberosa ...••' 



Allantodia corcovadensis ....•• 



»» 

 >» 

 >» 



wide- 

 lift. 



3 

 2 

 2 



n nemorosa . . 



Anisngonium Seramporense 

 Aspidium coriaceum 

 Blechnum Braziliense • 



occidentale 



3 



5 



3* 

 3 

 2 



2* 

 3 



2i 

 2 



4 in 



>» 



2 diam. 



I 



„ ol . _ , . , ., . . . _ , Collection of 12 new Camellias, in bloom, (exhibited in 



cellaneous plants, both stove and greenhouse ; and also honour of his Majesty the King of the BeWaw!) 



of 50 plants, including the following varieties, which were 



not included in M. Glym's collection, noticed above : 



C. delicatissima, Kew blush, Colvillii, tricolor, rubra 

 aurantia, Gruneltii, Woodsii, do. alba, ccelestina, Pressii, 

 alba plena, rubricaulis, llaylockii, Parkerii vera, Phila- 

 delphica nova, rosa chinensis, Sweetii, Lechmannii, 

 ochroleuca, Youngii, reticulata, rubra plena, florida, glo- 

 nosa, picturata, coronata vera, Rollinii, Hendersonii. 





Doodia, species, New Zealand, fine • * „AfeT- 



Lomaria Pattersoni, fronds 1 ft. 4 in. long, both barren anm* 



tile fronds ramifying, a circumstance rarely seen. g ^ 



Gymnogramma, new species, something like dealbata, a 



extraordinary plant, diameter of the entire plant, 7 «• » " ' 



3^ feet high by 1 ft. 4 in. wide. etmnds 



G) mnogrammaochracea,4ift. diameter, with hundreds otiru" 



2 to 3 ft. high. 

 Dicksonia antarctica, 3 years' old, fronds 3 ft. high. 

 Adiantumformosum,3.i feet high, and many others equally b • 



One part of the collection is very fine. The loftf 



Cheilanthes in the back ground, Polypodium aure ™ 



with its graceful fronds, overhanging a lofty p " 



... montory, on a lower portion of which stands a no 



1st I plant of Acrostichum alcicorne, 4 £ feet ia diameter, 



