602 Provincial Horticultural Societies : — 



their admiration at the extent and value of the collection of plants which 

 they contain; a collection which is Vv^ell known to be superior to that of 

 many similar and older establishments, and which, by the unceasing exertions 

 of your excellent curator, is continually increasing. 



" During the past year, the collection has been augmented byplants received 

 from John AUcard, Esq., of London ; W. C. Alston, Esq. ; Edward Armfield, 

 Esq. ; Mr. Atkins, nurseryman, of Northampton ; Charles Barclay, Esq., of 

 Bury Hill ; George Barker, Esq. ; Woodhouse Crompton, Esq., of Liverpool ; 

 Mr. W. Chapman ; Mr. Cooper, at Wentworth House ; Mr. Henderson, at 

 Milton House ; the London Horticultural Society ; Mr. Low, of Clapton 

 Nursery ; Messrs. Loddiges, of Hackney Nursery ; Mr. Paxton, at Chats- 

 worth ; Mr. Murray, of the Botanic Gai'den, Glasgow ; Mr. Mackay, of 

 Trinity College Garden, Dublin ; Mr. Riley, of Nottingham ; Messrs. Young, of 

 Epsom Nursery ; Mr. J. Young, of Taunton Nursery ; M. Otto, of the Royal 

 Botanic Garden, Berlin, &c. &c. A great number of rare seeds have also 

 been received, through Mr. John Hunneman, of London ; from Dr. Fischer, 

 of Petersburg ; M. Otto, of Berlin ; Professor Jacquin, of Vienna ; Pro- 

 fessor Bunge, of Dorpat, in Russia ; and from various other individuals, both 

 in this country and upon the Continent. 



" It is also peculiarly gratifying to find, from Mr. Cameron's report, that 

 the severity of last winter has proved the situation of the gardens to be 

 admirably adapted for the preservation of an extensive collection of rare and 

 hardy plants ; the trees and shrubs in the arboretum having, with a few 

 exceptions, escaped almost uninjured, while the loss of herbaceous and alpine 

 plants was not more than in ordinary winters. Mr. Cameron further reports 

 that the trees and shrubs have grown so vigorously during the present season, 

 that it has been necessary to take out a number of laurels and other nursery 

 plants ; and that many more must be removed during the ensuing winter, 

 to allow room for the specimen plants. The apple and pear trees in the 

 orchard have likewise grown vigorously, and have been perfectly free from 

 blight. Several footpaths have been made in the interior of the arboretum, 

 to afford partially shaded walks during hot weather. 



" Upwards of ten thousand packets of seeds have been distributed during 

 the last winter and spring ; twenty-six packets of various sorts having been 

 given to each shareholder upon applying for them. About 300 dahlias, 

 tubers of Tropas^olum tuberosum, and a number of strawberry plants, have 

 also been distributed." (Aris's Birviingham Gaz., Nov. 5.) 



Grand Dahlia Show. — Sept. 12. This show was a very splendid one, 

 though the competitors were not so numerous as might have been 

 desirable. The blooms were many of them perfect; we speak as uninitiated 

 admirers. There are in respect to dahlias, as other flowers, certain technical 

 rules of judging, the reasons for which are not obvious, perhaps because, like 

 other technical rules in more important departments, reason had very little to 

 do with the framing of them. The prizes, as on the last occasion, went, with 

 hardly an exception, to competitors from a distance ; and those stands sent in 

 by nurserymen were very greatly superior to those sent in by amateurs ; con- 

 firming a special and general observation made by us on a former occasion : 

 1st, that the florists of Birmingham are by no means so advanced as they had, 

 previously to these open competitions, been led to believe; and 2d, that there 

 is no department of art, high or low, difficult or simple, which is not best filled 

 by those who make a trade of it. The nursery growers here will, we have no 

 doubt, contrive — they must do it — to attain to an equality with those of 

 Cambridge, Oxford, and other places ; but we believe that the amateurs will, 

 as hitherto, best show their love of the art, by encouraging those who cultivate 

 it on the ordinary principles of traffic. 



The following is the list of the principal prizes : — Premier Prize : 

 Twenty-four Blooms: Mr. Widnall, Granchester, near Cambridge; Wid- 

 nall's Ne Plus Ultra, Duke of Devonshire, Rienzi, Cambridge Hero, Horatio, 

 Conductor ; Royal Standard, Suffolk Hero, Docl's_ Mary Queen of Scots, 



