674 Provincial Horticultural Societies : — 



it had no protection during winter ; from John Cowan, workman, Sauchie, 

 two rustic garden chairs, of very superior design and workmanship ; from 

 Messrs, Eagle and Henderson, nursery and seedsmen, Edinburgh, an exten- 

 sive and first-rate collection of dahlias and French marygolds; from Mr. Thos. 

 Handayside, seedsman and florist, Musselburgh, an extensive and first-rate 

 collection of dahlias, and German, French, and Chinese asters ; from Drum- 

 monds' nursery and museum, a collection of flowers and shrubs, Alsike clover, 

 garden vases and ornamental pots, &c. (^SiirUng Journal, Sept. 23.) 



IRELAND. 



Belfast Horticultural Society. — In consequence of some political differences, 

 a division has taken place among the members of this Society ; part of whom 

 have withdrawn from it, and united themselves under the name of the Ulster 

 Horticultural Society. The original Society, however, still remains in a very 

 flourishing condition, as will be seen from the following extract from a letter 

 of Mr. Niven, curator of the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, near Dublin : — 

 " Never was I more gratified than at the last show of the Belfast Horticul- 

 tural Society. Rapid indeed must have been its progress, when I consider 

 that only seven short years have gone by since it first originated : now it 

 stands proudly forward ; and, if not the first, is at least the second, in point 

 of excellence, in the land. With nothing was I more pleased, than with the 

 admirable arrangement for adjudication. Every thing was complete. Not a 

 person but the judges ivas jjermitted to enter the rooms lukilst the adjudication 

 was going on. The classification of the various groups of plants, flowers, and 

 vegetables, was highly creditable to the worthy gentleman, the treasurer of 

 the Society, who bestowed so much attention to this, as well as to the 

 tasteful decoration of the rooms." Mr. Niven adds, " It is pleasant to look 

 around us, and consider how many of these useful societies are starting up. 

 A few years ago, and the Horticultural Society of Ireland stood single, alone, 

 without a competitor, without a rival. Stimulated by all that is passing 

 around, it will go forward with increased vigour and energy j and I sincerely 

 hope we shall live to see the day when, not only every provincial town, but 

 when every county town, in Ireland, will have its horticultural society and its 

 agricultural museum." {Northern Whig, Oct.) 



July 1. — The number of visiters exceeded 1000. The tender heaths, from 

 Mr. Andrews's, were remarkably beautiful. The calceolarias and fuchsias, 

 from the same gardens, were most splendid. Mr. Andrews also contributed 

 some very fine green-house plants, and a number of other valuable flowers. 

 Mr. Langtry, as usual, carried off the first prizes in pelargoniums. A very 

 fine seedling deservedly attracted much attention ; and his gardener, William 

 M'Kay, received great praise fw producing so beautiful a plant, and one 

 perfectly original in form and colour. Mr. Andrews's pelargoniums were, 

 also, remarkably fine ; and, only that some of his best received an accidental 

 injury, he would have stood well for the first prize. The finest tulips were 

 those of Mr. Henry Davis, who also received a prize for a specimen of his 

 new variegated entire-leaved ash, figured in a former page. The most remark- 

 able fruits were, a pine, from Lord Bangor ; and a dish of ripe cherries, from 

 Mr. John Thomson's of Low Wood. Mr. Campbell, curator to the Botanic 

 Garden, sent in a number of very uncommon and valuable plants ; but they 

 were not for competition. {Ibid., June 6.) 



Sept. 16. As a farther testimony in behalf of the Belfast Horticultural 

 Society, we may quote the following remarks from the editor of the Northern 

 Whig : — " The gentlemen who have the direction of this most excellent insti- 

 tution wisely regulate the principle of their rules so as to embrace the actual 

 produce of the cottager, the farmer, and the gentleman ; prudently arranging 

 the articles to be competed for in such judicious classification as that the rich 

 cannot, by adventitious circumstances, beat down the poor; but that each 

 meets his fellow in fair competition ; and he who is best entitled to the 

 reward bears off the premium." Among the plants which obtained premiums, 

 we would particularly notice an exceedingly fine specimen of Fuchs/a recurvi- 



