Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society. 59 



Diel, beurre d'Aremberg, beuiTe de Capiaumont, calebasse Bosc, and glout 

 morceau. The Committee were of opinion that a second premium should be 

 given for a collection sent by Mr. James Macintosh, gardener to Robert Fer- 

 gusson, Esq., Archerfield j the kinds being, beurre d'Aremberg, Easter beurre, 

 emerald, glout morceau, winter Nelis, and winter beurre (the last, how- 

 ever, doubtful). The premium offered for the best three kinds of French 

 or Flemish pears, from standard trees, was also gained by Mr. Smith, 

 Hopetoun ; the sorts being, Nelis d'hiver, beurre Diel, and autumn Colmar. 



A medal having been offered for any approved variety of culinary vegetable 

 not hitherto cultivated in Scotland, it was awarded to Mr. James Macintosh, 

 Archerfield, for specimens of the Portugal cabbage, the midribs of the leaves 

 of which are used in the manner of sea-kale, and much approved of. 



A dish of fresh ginger roots, for preserving, raised in the secretary's garden 

 at Canonmills, having been presented (but not for competition), the medal 

 offered for this article was, notwithstanding, awarded to Mr. William Lawson, 

 gardener to Dr. Neill, as a mark of approbation of his merit as a cultivator. 



Specimens of the Florence fennel, a new vegetable, much used in Italy, and 

 also in France, but hitherto unknown in Scotland, were produced from the 

 Meadowbank Nurseries ; and the secretary read an account of its mode of 

 culture and preparation for the table, derived from the Bon Jardinier for 

 1837. A medal was voted to Mr. John Baird, foreman to Messrs. Lawson 

 and Son, for this novel production. 



Several beautiful collections of Chrysanthemum sinense were exhibited; 

 and the premium was awarded to Mr. James Muir, gardener to William 

 Mitchell, Esq., of Parson's Green. Other fine collections of this elegant 

 winter flower were sent by Mr. Macintosh, Archerfield, and Mr. Gow, 

 TuUiallan. 



Several of the exti*a articles submitted to this meeting were of great novelty 

 and interest. A large and ripe cluster of the luscious fruit of the true banana 

 (Musa sapi^ntum), from the palm stove in the Royal Botanic Garden, excited 

 admiration, especially when it was mentioned that the same plant had yielded 

 above 60 lb. weight of similar fruit. The Society's silver medal was voted, 

 amidst acclamations, to Mr. William M'Nab for this production. Specimens 

 of the tubers of a new Indian cress (Trop0e''olnm tuberosum) were exhi- 

 bited from the garden of the Society. When dressed (as they were during 

 the sitting of the Committee), they were found equal in flavour to the best 

 asparagus ; and the superintendent mentioned that the plant was of very easy 

 culture : so that this is likely to become a valuable acquisition. Proliferous 

 German greens, bearing rosette sprouts on the leaves, which are very delicate 

 when boiled, were exhibited from Archerfield Garden. A large and fine 

 citron, from a two-year-old plant cultivated at Millearn, the seat J. G. Home 

 Drummond, Esq., was much admired. A fine clump of large mushrooms, 

 about twenty in number, and the group measuring more than 3 ft. in circum- 

 ference, was sent from the mushroom-house at Pinkie, the garden of Sir John 

 Hope, Bart., under the management of the venerable Mr. James Stuart, who 

 has been more than fifty-three years head-gardener there. Cakes of com- 

 pressed basil and of sweet marjoram, prepared in America, and sold in 

 Covent Garden market, but new to Edinburgh, were exhibited by Mr. John 

 Carstairs, How Street. Some beautiful apples and pears were placed on the 

 table, with their names, from the gardens of Sir David Baird of Newbyth, 

 and of General Durham of Largo. 



Several communications were laid before the meeting ; particularly, an ac- 

 count of a botanical and horticultural journey through the central counties of 

 England and north of Ireland, by Mr. James M'Nab [if this is not intended to 

 be published in Edinburgh, we shall be happy to receive it for the Gardener's 

 Magazine'] ; receipts for the making of the red rhubarb jelly and jam, for- 

 merly presented to the Society, and recommended by them; and a description 

 of a mode of grafting the grape-vine, devised and successfully practised by 

 Mr. William Gowans, Cs^CLdQX <jidixdQxi,\Edmbiirgh Advertiser, Dec. 12. 1837.) 



