5 1 Domestic Notices. — Scotland. 



best twelve Carnations, various, Alex. Fraser, Ferryhill Nurseiy. Fourth 

 best quart of Gooseberries, William Chalmers, gardener at Lochhead. 



Extra-Premiums were also awarded for a Gourd, and an Essay on the 

 inutility of artificial tyers to Vines and other Climbing Plants, toDr. Dyce; 

 for a specimen of the Strelitzia reginge, in full flower, to David Young, Esq., 

 Cornhill; for a specimen of the Snake Cucumber, to Alex. Riddel, gardener 

 at Castle Fraser. 



Besides the above Prize Fruits, there was a great variety of beautiful and 

 highly flavoured melons, nectarines, apricots, plums, Jargonelle pears, and 

 apples, that were not successful in gaining premiums, but which were mostly 

 left for the dessert ; for which also there were sent baskets of fruit from 

 Messrs. Alex. Diack, Thomas Milne, Alex. Thomson, and Alex. Malcolm. 



The following gentlemen, as well as several practical gardeners, were 

 admitted members of the Society: — Colonel W. H. Knight Erskine, of 

 Pittodrie : Alex. Webster, Esq., President of the Society of Advocates ; and 

 Alex. Stionach, Esq., Advocate. 



It is not always that our predictions are so literally fulfilled as upon the 

 occasion of the above Show. Long before the hour announced for opening, 

 so great was the anxiety of the public to obtain admission, that the doors, 

 the staircase, and even the passage to the street, were crammed to suffoca- 

 tion. On entrance being had, the effect was truly imposing ; the walls of the 

 hall, to the ceiling, were beautifully decorated with shrubs, both evergreen 

 and flowering, tastefully intermixed with hollyhocks, sunflowers, &c. &c. ; 

 the whole furnished by, and put up under the direction of, Mr. Walker. 

 The orchestra also was decorated in a similar manner, and filled by the 

 Aberdeenshire militia band, who played a variety of choice airs. Around 

 the end were placed tv.elve plants of a singtdarly large pea, fully 10 ft. high, 

 raised by Mr. George Bothwell, Broadford; the produce, when pulled, ex-, 

 ceeded three imperial pecks. In the centre of the hall, the tables were laid 

 out with much taste, and were loaded with frnits of the very finest descrip- 

 tion, interspersed with some beautiful flowers, supplied from the private 

 green-house of Mr. James Forbes, Broadford. There was also a specimen 

 of the cotton plant, in full pod, raised in the manufactory of Messrs. 

 Forbes, Law, and Co. j and, amongst other curiosities, there was a snake 

 cucumber, nearly 5| ft. long, from the gardens at Castle F'raser ; this sin- 

 gular vegetable had^the most correct resemblance to a live snake that any 

 thing possibly could have. The Vice-President, Dr. Dyce, also exhibited a 

 curious specimen of a gourd plant, climbing to the height of 9 ft. and sup- 

 porting itself and fruit merely by its own tendrils, without any artificial 

 tying. This specimen was accompanied by an essay, illustrative of the ad- 

 vantages to be derived from allowing the vine, and other plants of the same 

 nature, to support themselves. Many other beautiful, i-are, and curious 

 articles were upon the tables, particularly a plant of the Strelitzza reginae, 

 from the green-house of Mr. Young, Cornhill ; and a pine-apple, nearly 

 5 lbs. weight, from the garden of Lord Kennedy, Dunnottar House. Upon 

 the whole, it was decidedly one of the best exhibitions of the kind we have 

 witnessed, and afforded infinite satisfaction to at least 2000 visitors. From 

 the great interest which is now taken in the shows of this Society, we be- 

 lieve it is in contemplation to hold them in future in the Public Rooms. 



At five o'clock, a very numerous and respectable party sat down to an 

 excellent dinner, comprising venison, turtle, and many articles not usually 

 met with; followed by a dessert, such as, under other circumstances, could not 

 possibly be procured ; nearly the whole of the fruits competed with, at least 

 all those that had merit, besides others not sent for competition, were placed 

 upon the tables. Several who have travelled in different parts of the 

 world, and others who have been at similar meetings in London and Edin- 

 burgh, freely acknowledged that they had never seen any thing superior to 

 the dessert, and in but very few instances its equal. The conviviality of the 



