Devonshire. 593 



it has stood the winter without protection. But the grand attraction of the 

 exhibition was the magnificent display of plants and flowers by Lucombe, 

 Pince, and Co., who on this occasion actually exceeded their former displays. 

 They exhibited a large and splendid collection of pelargoniums, conspicuously 

 the finest in the room ; some gorgeous specimens of that lovely genus, 

 Amaryllis, of the richest and most brilliant colours, beautifully striped and va- 

 riegated, several of which were seedlings of their own, and one of which, in 

 particular, A. grandissima, was much admired ; some fine specimens of hardy 

 shrubs ; that lovely hardy climber, the Wistaria Consequa?za ; and a very superb 

 seedling hybrid rhododendron of their own raising, flowering for the first time 

 this spring : it is of a rich full crimson colour, and is deeply spotted all over 

 the upper parts of the flowers with black spots, quite distinct from any thing 

 we have hitherto seen. They also exhibited 120 distinct named varieties of 

 the double Dutch anemones, of the richest and most varied hues, as well as 

 of the most compact and beautiful forms ; nothing that we have hitherto seen 

 in the way of double anemones can equal them : some of the flowers pro- 

 duced in the room actually measured nearly 5 in. in diameter. They had also 

 a fine bouquet of roses, composed of the yellow China rose, the yellow Noisette, 

 the white camellia rose, the Bourbon rose, &c. &c. Mr. Veitch, though he 

 declined exhibiting for prizes, sent some large citrons, oranges, and lemons, 

 from 4 ft. to 8 ft. high, covered with fruit and blossoms ; a plant of the true 

 crimson .Rhododendron arboreum, in blossom ; and many specimens of hardy 

 hybrid rhododendrons, from the open ground, of rich crimson and deep rose 

 shades, several of them beautifully spotted ; also that elegant exotic climber, 

 Tropae'olumtricoldrum, covered with several hundred of its beautiful tricoloured 

 flowers, of scarlet, purple, and yellow ; Tropse v olum pentaphyllum, with unique 

 green-spotted flowers ; a collection of upwards of sixty varieties of ericas in 

 bloom, &c. &c. Thirteen cottagers' prizes were distributed, of which Thomas 

 Crocker obtained five, and Thomas Coleman three. Among the indigenous 

 plants was a specimen of /'xia Bulbocodium, which was not before known to 

 exist in Devonshire in a wild state. One of the prizes given was for the best 

 specimen of the citrus tribe raised without artificial heat. {Ibid., May 8.) 



July 10. As compared with the former exhibitions, this was scant}', neither 

 Messrs. Lucombe, Pince, and Co., nor Mr. Charles Sclater, whose various 

 plants and flowers used to add so much to the splendour of these exhibitions, 

 contributing : Messrs. Dymond, too, have relinquished a portion of their bu- 

 siness, and, consequently, their supply was limited. Mr. Veitch was most li- 

 beral in his contributions, but neither he nor Mr. Dymond competed for prizes : 

 to the former, however, the thanks of the committee were awarded. The 

 gentry of the county, also, did not contribute in the way in which they have 

 been wont to do ; but, notwithstanding these drawbacks, there was a rich and 

 beautiful display of very choice productions ; and, whilst the fruits were of 

 the most delicious qualities, the vegetables, in every variety, were excellent. 

 A more numerous company also attended than on the preceding occasion. 

 There were sixteen cottagers' prizes, six of which were gained by Thomas 

 Crocker. {Ibid., July 17.) 



Oct. 2. Messrs. Dymond and Co. had a splendid collection of seedling 

 and other georginas, and some remarkably fine cockscombs ; and Mr. Veitch 

 a variety of hardy and green-house shrubs. The fruits were remarkably fine, 

 consisting of pines, melons, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, and apples. 

 The grapes merit every thing that could be said in the way of encomium, 

 many of them having been produced without fire heat, and yet being of the 

 most full and luscious appearance. The apples, too, were extraordinary pro- 

 ductions; and among them, two seedlings, from the gardens of E. Gattey, 

 Esq., Harefield, Lympstone. These had never before been fruited in Devon- 

 shire; and measured the one 15 in., the other 14 in. in circumference. There 

 were, also, on this table, several specimens of home-made wines, which were 

 spoken of as being of very choice quality. The culinary vegetables were (?f 

 great variety, and exhibited the manifest improvement that has taken place in 

 the modes of culture of those useful productions ; nor was it by any means 



