360 Domestic Notices : — England. 



tea plants grow here to a greater height and with greater luxuriance than they 

 generally do in China. — Henry Veitch. 



Art. III. Domestic Notices. 

 ENGLAND. 



The Horticultural Fete at Chiswick, June 13. — There are few public exhibi- 

 tions in the neighbourhood of the metropolis that give such universal pleasure 

 as these fetes ; and the increasing number of visiters, as well as the rarity of 

 the plants exhibited, fully prove that the love for horticultural science is spread 

 among all classes. Saturday's show was one of the best we ever witnessed, 

 and the rarity of the kinds, and the fine specimen plants of the Orchidaceas, were, 

 we believe, never before equalled at any show, either in London or elsewhere. 

 Among the more remarkable was a very large specimen of Aerides odorata 

 Lou., covered with pendulous racemes of deliciously scented white flowers ; this 

 plant is a native of China, and when in flower is commonly hung up in baskets 

 in the living-rooms of the Chinese, for the sake of its odour. Saccolabium 

 guttatum Lindl., and S. prasmorsum Lindl., both very beautiful plants with 

 long crowded racemes of lilac flowers ; a new species of Coryanthes, with 

 curiously spotted flowers; Burlingtonz'a Candida Lindl., with delicate white 

 blossoms ; brassias, gongoras, and peristerias, of several species, were equally 

 deserving of notice. A fine plant of Cycnoches Loddigesiz Lindl. was in full 

 beauty, and perhaps, for form, one of the most remarkable of the order. 

 If the flower is inverted, the column will be found to bear a considerable 

 resemblance to the arched neck of a swan, whence its generic name. Onci- 

 dium 'Lancechium Lindl., with fine purple and green spotted flowers, is, perhaps, 

 the pride of the order ; and Vdnda teres Lindl., with its beautiful purplish 

 pink flowers, scarcely less beautiful, were in finer flower than we have ever 

 seen them before. It is almost useless to attempt describing this extraor- 

 dinary order of plants, which alike surprise us by the beauty of some, and the 

 grotesque appearance of others ; and we can only exclaim with Milton, 



" These are thy glorious works. Parent of good." 



The pelargoniums were much finer than usual ; those from Messrs. Cock and 

 Catcleugh were astonishing, from the beauty and large size of the plants, as 

 well as from the immense masses of flowers they produced. Mr. Foster's 

 seedlings were also remarkable. The calceolarias it is almost needless to 

 mention, as they were much the same kinds as those exhibited at the last 

 show. Pentlandzfi! miniata, a rare and beautiful bulbous plant with scarlet 

 tubules, was splendidly in flower. The various species of ixoras were, as 

 usual, among the most showy plants exhibited. Two or three species of 

 Gompholobium, trained over wires, were in very fine flower. A new legumi- 

 nous plant from Swan River, with spikes of purplish flowers, said to have been 

 introduced by Captain Mangles, was very handsome, and quite distinct from 

 anything we have yet received from that part of the world. The collections 

 of cut roses were much more extensive than usual, and the competition very 

 great. Rondelet^'a odorata, with finely scented orange scarlet flowers, was in 

 a state of high perfection. A very large plant of Stephanotis follicularis, from 

 Mrs. Lawrence, was particularly fine. It is a new climber, with fine dark 

 green coriaceous leaves, and very odoriferous white flowers ; the plant 

 exhibited, we believe, is the largest in the country, and we hope to see it obtain 

 the attention it merits. The above-mentioned plants were among the most 

 remarkable ; but on the whole, though the number of rare plants was much 

 greater than at the last show, yet, from the want of those fine masses of colour 

 produced by the white azaleas and scarlet epiphyllums, it was not nearly 

 so striking. The company present included many of the nobility, and, it is 

 ascertained, exceeded 11,000 persons. — W. A. M. London, June 15. 1840. 



