686 Provincial Horticultural Societies : — • 



and a full account of what passed on that occasion will be found from p. 270 

 to 2T2, The other meetings of the Society held in the course of the year 

 were equal in point of interest to the first, and displayed a great many garden 

 productions, both useful and ornamental. 



Aberdeenshire. — Aberdeeiiskire Hoi-ticultural Society. — Spring show. 

 See Gaw/. Ga~., 1840, P..3I9. 



The summer exhibition of this invaluable institution was held in Aberdeen 

 on June 2.3., and presented decidedly the best display which has ever been 

 exhibited at this season of the year. In the vegetable department there were 

 some remarkable specimens of the kidney potato, full-sized and ripe though 

 raised in the open air. The cabbages (Yorks) presented a great improvement 

 over those of last year, being much more solid and free from huskiness than 

 they used to be ; the early turnips were also very superior. It is especially 

 pleasing to notice these improvements, because the poorer classes of the com- 

 munity have so much dependence on the vegetable market. In the display 

 of fruit, the strawberries were much admired ; the cherries, too, were good ; 

 and there were a few green-fleshed melons of very superior quality. Three 

 bunches of grapes, by Mr. Runcie of Millbank, were the best we ever saw so 

 early in the season. A new seedling ranunculus, by Mr. Wright, the clerk, 

 was the leading attraction in the floral department. He has named it the 

 " British Queen," and well does it deserve the distinction, for it is a stately 

 plant, and promises to be very prolific. There were a good many fuchsias, 

 and a very rich and I'are variety of green-house plants, especially of geraniums. 

 The border flowers were also good, and the designs most tastefully, and, we 

 may say, ingeniously, wrought out. Nor must we forget Mrs. Rae's home- 

 made wine, for which she very justly obtained a premium. We may notice, 

 in passing, that this department has strong claims on the tee-totallers, for, if 

 we may credit the best-informed of our wine-brewers, an article can be made 

 which " will cheer, but not inebriate." (^Aberdeen Herald, June 27.) 



For the autumn show of this Society, see Gard Gaz., p. 623. 



Clackmannanshire. — Clackmannanshire Horticidtural Society. — The first 

 meetino- of this Society for the season was held at Alloa, the 14th of May. 

 The room was adorned, as usual, by evergreens and flowers, part of which 

 surrounded two fine paintings by our townsman, Mr. Bell. The meeting was 

 not numerously attended ; but this may have arisen from the season being 

 unusually far advanced, and a supposition that all the auriculas, primroses, 

 polyanthuses, and other spring flowers were past and gone. This was, no 

 doubt, the case to a considerable degree, on account of the long continued 

 dry weather, and owing to this exhibition having been put off a week later 

 than last spring, at a time when such weather was not anticipated. Notwith- 

 standing all this, the articles both for competition and exhibition were nume- 

 rous and in good order. The following were exhibited : — From Airthrey 

 Castle, i^hododendron arboreum, R. album, pelargoniums, pansies, &c. &c.; 

 from Kennet, Wistaria Consequa««, Hoya carnosa, Cistus, &c. ; from Powis, 

 herbaceous plants, pansies, apples, cabbages, spinach, turnips, &c. ; by Mr. 

 Livingstone, Alloa, a variety of pansies ; and by Mr. Williamson, Alloa, a 

 variety of plants. {Stirling Journal, May 29.) 



The second exhibition of this Society for the season was held at Alloa, on 

 July the 9th, when the room was adorned with a variety of fine shrubs and 

 evero-reens, kindly furnished from Alloa Park, by the Countess of Mar and 

 Kellie. The visiters were numerous, for, amidst much rainj^ weather, the day 

 was dry and favourable. Both the quantity and quality of vegetables, flowers, 

 and fruits much exceeded the expectations of the directors, being abundant 

 as well as excellent. On this occasion eight prizes were allotted for cottagers, 

 that is, persons who work their own gardens, only three of which were com- 

 peted for. It is much to be wished that cottagers may be induced to become 

 contributors to these exhibitions ; much good might result from their occa- 

 sional success, as it would probably stimulate them to cultivate their gardens 

 with more attention and in a better manner than at present. {Ibid., July 17.) 



