474; Calls at the hondon Ntirscries, 



Mr. Wcltje's Collection of Pclargomums, which we saw early in June, 

 was very splendid. Twenty-three new seedlings of great beauty have 

 bloomed this season for the first time, and will be sent out, as the phrase 

 is, under fashionable or celebrated names. Mr. Weltje, by devoting him- 

 self almost entirely to the genus Pelargonium, has raised himself to a 

 conspicuous place in the floricultural world as an amateur florist. 



The Exotic Nursery, King^s Road, July 13. — We never saw this nur- 

 sery in such beautiful order, and all the plants in it, of every kind, looking 

 so well as at present. The number of articles in flower in the green- 

 houses and stoves, and among the green-house plants set out in the open 

 air, is very considerable. An abundant second crop of blossoms is now 

 coming out on the Wistaria in the grand dome. Among the blue flowers 

 of the green-house, those of Sollya are now most conspicuous. Francos 

 appendiculata is curious, and at the same time beautiful. A new pricklj'- 

 leaved *S'olanum, raised from seed sent over by Mr. Cuming, is also in 

 flower, and is very showy. The plants in the stoves, particularly the 

 epiphytes and aquatics, are in extraordinary vigour ; but we pass over 

 these, and a thousand articles of interest, to notice the introduction of 

 some new Chinese azaleas, to see which was the main object of our 

 present call. The following notice of these long wished for plants is by 

 Mr. Scott: — 



" The Chinese Azaleas lately purchased by Mr. Knight from Mr. M'Gil- 

 ligan, of the E. I. C. ship Orwell, are as follows : — 



" Of the variegated azaleas, nine plants were shipped at Canton, two of 

 which are now alive in England. Of the double red azalea, six plants 

 were shipped, and one plant is now alive in England. Of the red 

 azalea, lighter colour, four were shipped, and two survived the voyage in 

 good health. Of the large-flowered azalea, six plants were shipped, and 

 two are now in health. A yellow azalea, not the old A. sinensis (at least 

 it looks very different), one plant survived the voyage, and is now in 

 health. 



" A Jimiperus, some varieties of Chrysanthemum, Enkianthus, Nelum- 

 bium, Renanthera, and a few other Chinese plants, are all that arrived of 

 those belonging to Mr. M'Gilligan ; those shipped by the captain, &c., all 

 died. Great cai"e and attention must have been bestowed upon these 

 plants during the voyage. Mr. M'Gilligan says they suffered more, after 

 reaching the British coast, than during the whole voyage. When I saw 

 them, on board the Orwell, they looked like plants injured by spring 

 frosts. 



" The Horticultural Society, you are aware, have long been anxious to 

 get the variegated and other rare azaleas from China, but never succeeded 

 in bringing home a living plant ; and Mr. Reeves says he has shipped at 

 least 500 plants, not dne of which ever reached England in a living state. 

 I have not seen the flowers of any of the above varieties, except one like 

 A. phoenicea, and of the variegated variety of this Mr. M'Gilligan gave 

 us some beautiful flowers, which had been gathered during the voyage ; 

 one flower, just taken from the plant, was in a glass of water, in good pre- 

 servation. The colour of this vai'iety varies in the ground from white to 

 pale purple; in some of the lighter-coloured flowers the upper petals, 

 which are nearly white, are beautifully pencilled with dark purple ; the 

 other parts of the flower are variegated with pink, and sometimes sti'iped 

 like a carnation. There are some of the flowers darker and more varie- 

 gated than others, but they are all very delicate and beautiful ; the flowers 

 are of the size of the old A. indica. The plant has a smaller leaf and 

 dwarfer habit than any other variety I know : perhaps its station is 

 between A. indica and the old scai'let A. Indica. 



" These plants were growing in (Chinese) flat pots in a very strong clay 



