68 G Provincial Horticultural Societies : — 



of their native country in every quarter of the civilised world. The care of 

 the Society was bestowed not only on fruits, on those productions which were 

 fitted to pamper the tastes of the luxurious ; they attended not less sedulously 

 to the rearing of those common productions which were calculated to benefit 

 the country at large. The affairs of the Society were in the most flourishing 

 condition, and he hoped that the support of the public would henceforth be 

 given to it in a greater degree than ever, for such an institution was a national 

 benefit. — The Lord Provost proposed the health of the chairman, whose 

 courteousness of manner, and kindliness of disposition had, he said, secured 

 the esteem of all who had come in contact with Mr. Craig. — The Chairman 

 returned thanks, and proposed the health of that most valuable member of 

 the Society, their excellent secretary. (Great cheering.) The toast was 

 drunk with all the honours, and one cheer more. Dr. Neill, in returning 

 thanks, said, if he had served the Society long, it had been a pleasure, not a 

 toil ; and he could not form a better wish for the happiness of all who heard 

 him, than that they might all enjoy as much felicity from horticulture, 

 and the Horticultural Society, as he had enjoyed. He was now one of four 

 surviving original constituent members ; the other three being Dr. Home, 

 Mr. Macdonald, formerly of Dalkeith, now of Portobello, who had assisted at 

 the competition yesterday, for four or five hours, and Mr. Walter Sang, sen., 

 of Kirkaldy, whom he was happy to see this evening acting as croupier. 

 Through the late Mr. Kennedy and the Lord Advocate, they had received a 

 grant of 200/., to be continued annually, provided the Society raised 300/. ; 

 and he had no doubt they would do more. He begged to propose " The 

 professional gardeners of Scotland ; may they long continue to maintain their 

 distinguished name for superiority of professional talent and correctness of 

 moral character." Drank with all the honours. — Mr. Sang returned thanks. 

 (Edinburgh Evening Courant, Sept. 7.) 



The Caledonian Gardeners' Society. — The annual competition and dinner 

 took place in the Calton Convening Rooms, July 16. After dinner, the 

 chairman, Charles Lawson, Esq., President of the Society, presented the 

 Society with a handsomely silver-mounted ram's-horn snuff-mull, with all the 

 Highland appendages, having a large Cairngorm on the lid, and on the tip a 

 thistle, ornamented by a beautiful amethyst. (Caledonian Mercury, July 18.) 



The Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland held their half-yearly 

 general meeting at their hall, in Edinburgh, July 8 ; and their annual show of 

 live stock was held at Inverness, on October 3. (Constitutional, July 13.; and 

 our p. 6i?6.) 



Aberdeenshire. — Aberdeenshire Horticultural Society . — The fourth exhi- 

 bition of the Society, held on September 3., is said to have been the best 

 ever seen in Aberdeen. One of the prizes was for a beautiful new seedling 

 Fuchsia, raised by Mr. Alexander Forbes, Kingsland Place. (Aberdeen Herald, 

 Sept. 7.) 



Aberdeenshire Horticultural Association. — This Society holds its exhibitions 

 monthly, and to it the city of Aberdeen is said to be "indebted for its rich and 

 rare supply of fruits and vegetables." An extra prize was awarded to John 

 Booth, gardener, Canal Road, for a splendid Fuchs/a, raised from seed by him ; 

 and two extra prizes to Patrick Grant, Thainston ; the first for a box of 

 calceolarias, and the second for a strawberry, also raised from seed by him ; 

 a fine-looking fruit, and a good bearer. There was also presented a fine box 

 of geraniums, from the garden of Thainston. This institution contemplates a 

 botanic garden. (Aberdeen Journal, July 31.) 



Ayrshire. — The Ayrshire Horticultwal and Agricultural Association con- 

 tinues to prosper. — May 31. See Gard. Gaz., 1839, p. 397. 



At the September meeting, a very neat model of a thrashing-machine, to 

 be worked by the hand, made by Mr. Henderson, Thornhill, attracted atten- 

 tion, from its simplicity and apparent practicability. It would require no more 

 than two men to work it, and could be constructed for a sum comparatively 

 trifling. Mr. Henderson is well known as a self-taught and most ingenious 



