614 Provincial Horticultural Societies : — 



Buda kale, by Mr. James Mackintosh, gardener at Archerfield. The kale is 

 planted in boxes, which are introduced successively into the mushroom house ; 

 where the kale is at once forced and blanched (light being excluded), while 

 the production of mushrooms is not interrupted. (Edinburgh Advertiser.) 



March 6. 1834. Only one competitor having appeared under each of the 

 heads of China roses and pears, the committee did not feel themselves war- 

 ranted to award a medal to either ; and there was no competitor for the prize 

 offered for early cucumbers. These defects, however, were considered as amply 

 compensated by the excellence of the actual productions, particularly of some 

 seedling camellias ; one of which, raised at Woodhall, by Mr. Robert Den- 

 holm, under the direction of his predecessor, the late Mr. Walter Henderson, 

 was very much admired : and, of the culinary articles, a parcel of blanched 

 rhubarb stalks, upwards of 3 ft. in length. These latter were the produce of 

 Seacliffe garden; and, though no medal was offered for such produce, the 

 Society took occasion to mark their approbation to the grower, Mr. Arthur 

 Calder, gardener to John Sligo, Esq., and requested him to communicate an 

 account of his mode of forcing. Specimens of a pear, from Hopetoun House 

 garden, excited much curiosity from the singularity of its history. The tree, 

 which grows as a standard at Hopetoun, had produced abundantly for several 

 years, but its fruit was always hard, gritty, and disagreeable to the taste ; 

 until this season, when it has become melting, and of agreeable flavour. 

 Thanks were voted to Mr. James Smith for this production ; and he was 

 requested to continue to observe the tree and its produce, and to communicate 

 the history of the fruit, as far as can be ascertained. (Ibid.) 



Horticultural Exhibition. — June 5. This show was a very good one. The 

 calceolarias from Comely Bank, and the plants from the botanic garden, &c, 

 were very much admired. At the experimental garden, a seedling grape, 

 resembling the royal muscadine, but ripening some weeks earlier, raised by 

 Mr. Taylor, gardener to the Earl of Dunmore ; a most extensive collection 

 of species of the genus 7 v ris, from Mr. Forester, gardener to D. Falconar, 

 Esq., of Carlowrie ; a new species of Testudinaria, lately imported by Mr. 

 Lawson, seedsman; a collection of fine green-house plants, from Mr. Hender- 

 son, Trinity Cottage ; sweet peas in flower, which had been treated as bien- 

 nials, from Mr. Guthrie Wright, Duddingstone Cottage ; and admirable 

 specimens of the Gros Asperge of Holland, from Mr. Bell, gardener to Mr. 

 Wallace of Newton Hall. All excited great interest. An elegant vase, and 

 two ornamental flower-pots, manufactured from the fine fire-clay lately dis- 

 covered at Garnkirk, were exhibited, and much admired. (Ibid.) 

 ':■- Ayrshire. — Kilmarnock Horticultural Society. Sept. 12. and 13. The 

 walls of the room were tastefully hung round with wreaths of evergreens and 

 flowers ; the passages were ornamented with eight smaller and two very large 

 arches of evergreens and flowers, from which hung bunches of grapes, pears, 

 plums, and other fruits ; and a great quantity of fine stuffed birds from Mr. 

 Charles Russel, very appropriately placed, heightened the effect. The chan- 

 delier was ornamented with two very large and splendid leaves of the banana 

 tree. The orchestra was completely concealed by evergreens; and beauti- 

 fully ornamented by a large and splendid structure, much admired and richly 

 ornamented, denominated the Temple of Flora, executed by Mr. Laing of 

 Messrs. W. and T. Samson's nursery. A large model of Caprington Castle, 

 executed by Mr. Isaac Buchanan, flower-gardener there, richly ornamented 

 with heath and flowers, attracted much admiration ; as did also two figures, 

 models of the Town House and Burns's Monument, neatly executed and 

 richly ornamented by Mr. Wm. Nesmith and Mr. Wm. Wallace, gardeners in 

 the employ of Messrs. Fowlds and Lymburn ; also a cone of evergreens, 

 richly ornamented with flowers, by Mr. John Dunlop of the same establish- 

 ment. A most ingenious device was displayed by Mr. Archibald Smart, fore- 

 man to Messrs. W. and T. Samson, of the flowers of the double white camel- 

 lia, so neatly cut out of a turnip as to deceive practised eyes, had the present 

 been the season of flowering. The tables were covered with a splendid dis- 



