210 



JOTJKNAL OP HOETICtTLTTTEE AND COTTAGE GAUDENEE. [ March 14, l8«s. 



previous experience leads us to the conclusion that, if we 

 did not demand too much from them, we should make them 

 all answer well.] 



DEAETH OF GOOD HOETICULTUEISTS ! 



In your recent report of the annual meeting of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society Mr. Batemau is represented to have 

 stated, as the reason why there ai-e not more horticulturists 

 on the Council, that there never was such a great deai'th of 

 good horticulturists as at the present time ! 



Is it possible this was correctly reported? My own 

 impression had been that we never had so many ! and I 

 therefore hope to hear that it was an error on the part either 

 of your printer or reporter. 



In the interest of the science pray inform me in your 

 next Number, and oblige your attentive reader — J. C. C. (I 

 enclose my card.) 



[Our report was quite accurate, and Mr. Bateman has 

 given great offence to the horticultural community, who 

 most assuredly do not deserve such a censure. We believe 

 that there ai'e more good gardeners, amateur, as well as 

 professional, and more good gardening now than at any other 

 period. — Eds.] 



EOYAL HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 

 Maech 7th. 



Floeal Committee. — The first meeting of this Committee 

 was held on this day in the Society's garden. South Ken- 

 sington ; there was a fuU attendance of the members, and a 

 great many interesting plants sent for examination. 



Mr. Veitoh, Chelsea, exhibited a large miscellaneous col- 

 lection of plants, which added much to the interest of the 

 meeting. Among this collection several plants received 

 certificates, both as novelties and as wcll-srrown specimens. 

 It was quite encouraging to hear the gratification expressed 

 by several of the Fellows present at seeing so fine a display 

 of plants ; and it is much to be desired that others of our 

 leading nui-serymen would occasionally follow Mr. Veitch's 

 example, by sending collections of miscellaneous plants, or 

 a series of such as represent any particular family. We 

 would remind the FeUows of the Society, also, how much 

 they might contribute to the interest of these meetings if 

 they would send any plant or flower for exhibition which 

 bears any special interest. Among the Orchids in Mr. 

 Veitch's collection which received special notice, was a new 

 Cypripedium, lievigatum, from Manilla. This is a very dis- 

 tinct and handsome species ; the upper segment of the 

 flower white, with dark veins ; under lip yellow, with long, 

 brownish, narrow, waving, side petals ; the foliage very 

 handsome and bright green. This received a first-class 

 certificate. Angrajcum species from Madagascar was a very 

 pretty small Orchid, growing on a portion of a stake of 

 wood, and having a white spike of small white flowers bear- 

 ing a conspicuous spur. Cattleya Pilcheri, one of Mr. 

 Dominy's hybrids between C. crispa and Lselia Perrinii, 

 promises to be an interesting variety, and the Committee 

 requested to see it again. Phala;nopsis Schilleriana major, 

 with beautiful broad mottled foliage, the flowers much larger 

 than those of P. Schilleriana, and of not so deep a colour, 

 received a 'first-class certificate. Odontoglossum Pescatorei 

 splendens had a similar award. This most elegant Orchid 

 is one of the cool-house section ; the plant exhibited had 

 flowered in a house with a temperature varying from 40° 

 to 45°. Mr. Veitch also exhibited Lx'lia Lindleyana, white 

 flower with pale purple lip, narrow upper and aide petals — 

 firat-clasa certificate ; Barkcria Skinneri superba, with bright 

 purplish rosy spikes of flowers, which were abundant — first- 

 class certificate; Cattleya Warscewiczii, only one flower on 

 the plant to be seen ; Lycaste Skinneri alba, a. distinct 

 variety with a pure white lip, giving the flower a very deli- 

 cate appearance ; Seedling lihododendron Princess Alexan- 

 dra, the flowers white on dark red footstalks, highly econted, 

 in the form of jasminifloruni — first-class certificate ; and 

 Cytisus filipes, an old plant, useful for table decoration, for 

 which it received a speoial certificate. This elegant and 

 graceful plant, with its racemes of white and yellow flowers, 

 waa mnch admired. A special certificate was awarded to 



each of the following plants, sent also by Mr. Veitch : — 

 Collection of Lycaste Skinneri of endless variety, specimen 

 plant of Cojlogyne cristata.Phalffinopsis Schilleriana, Camellia 

 Koi Leopold ; and one for the general collection sent, in- 

 cluding Hyacinths, Narcissus, &c. 



Mr. Wilson Saunders had Cotyledon sp. from South 

 -Africa, resembling Cotyledon orbiculai-is — the plant pro- 

 duced a cluster of brownish-red flowers on a tall stem grow- 

 ing from the centre of thick fleshy leaves, interesting only 

 as a curious plant ; also a hybrid seedling Sonchus between 

 S. arborea and S. gummifer. This plant had beautiful 

 transluoid dissected foliage, forming an elegant plant for 

 table decoration, and as such received a first-class certificate. 

 A species of Brassavola, sent to the Society by their col- 

 lector Mr. Weir, and supposed to be B. nodosa, was also 

 shown. Mr. Bateman contributed a superb cut spike of 

 Phalaenopsis SchOleriana, with about forty beautiftilly ex- 

 panded flowers — special certificate ; Dendrobium Wallichi- 

 anum, a cut spike of this plant thought to be wrongly 

 named ; Dendrobium hedyosmum, a dwarf plant with white 

 flowers having a yellow lip, remarkably sweet-scented, for 

 which property it received a label of commendation. 



Mr. Marcham, Hanwell, sent three seedling Cinerarias ; 

 Mr. Gibson a cut specimen of Nicotiana wigandioides with 

 greenish-white flowers; Mr. Standish, Ascot, Camellia re- 

 ticulata flore pleno, a very handsome, large, deep crimson 

 flower — first-class certificate; Camellia Eeine des Beautes, 

 a very reflexed, pale-shaded, flesh-coloured flower of exqui- 

 site form, bright green foliage, a perfect gem — fii'st-olass cer- 

 tificate ; Corylopsis spicata, a hardy Japanese shrub with pale 

 yellow flowers, scented like the Cowslip — beyond its being an 

 early spring-flowering shrub it has no claim for particular 

 notice — and a small plant of Aucuba japonica vera, with 

 beautiful bright scarlet hemes. Mr. BuU exhibited an in- 

 teresting collection of Aucubas, discovered by Dr. Von Sie- 

 bold, many of them female or beiTy-bearing varieties, vrith 

 very handsome foliage. Most of the plants were very small, 

 too small to enable the Committee to decide upon their 

 merits. Aucuba macrophyUa, a very large, broad, green- 

 leaved variety — first-class certificate ; Aucuba mascula ele- 

 gantissima, the leaves with broad, yellow, central markings, 

 bordered with green — first-class certificate ; Aucuba lati- 

 folia fcemina, a very dark glossy green-leaved variety — first- 

 class certificate; Aucuba bicolor; A. sulphurea; A. lanci- 

 folia mascula variegata, with pale green variegation ; 

 A. mascula angulata ; A. mascula elegans, smaller foliage 

 than elegantissima, different shaped leaf; and A. hima- 

 laica, bearing unripe berries on long and loose footstalks. 

 Mr. Todmau, gardener to Mr. Hodson, exhibited seedling 

 Azaleas Dr.Lindley, deep rose, smooth-edged flowers, of good 

 substance ; Lord Palmerston, rose, with faintly-spotted 

 centre ; Lord Stanley, orange scarlet ; Mont Blanc, a semi- 

 double white flower, inferior to Flag of Truce. The plants 

 were small, and there were not sufficient flowers to determine 

 their mex-its ; there appeared to be nothing new among them. 



Mr. Graham, Cranford, exhibited a seedling Violet, The 

 Czar, with very large flowers, highly scented ; dark, robust, 

 green foliage. Some discussion arose as to its identity with 

 other Violets — namely. The Giant, Devoniensis, and Russian 

 Improved. It is a valuable seedling from whatever parent 

 it sprung, and was awarded a first-class certificate. 



Fetjit Committee. — George F. Wilson, Esq., F.K.S., in 

 the chair. Mi-. Wills, gardener to Sir Philip Egerton, Bart., 

 Oulton Park, sent a seedling Apple raised near that place, 

 and called Oulton Russet. It is a handsome-looking medium- 

 sized fruit, somewhat flattened in shape and ridged round 

 the apex. The flesh is tender, and has a very pleasant 

 flavour. The tree, Mr. Wills says, is " one of the most 

 constant fruiting Ifinds ho knows ; for four seasons they 

 liavo borne good crops of Apphjs." The opinion of the Com- 

 mittee was that it is a good Apple, but that the flavour was 

 iipparently passed, and that tiiey would like to see it again 

 earlier in the season. Mr. Dwerrihouso, gardener to Lord 

 Rvcrsley at llcckfield, sent five specimens of Bergamotte 

 Ksporcn, which were cviih'ntly from an orchard-house; but 

 :ia no letter nor namo accompanied them, tlio Committee 

 (lid not know tho circunistancos under which they were 

 produced. They were accompanied by specimens of appa- 

 rently the same variety grown out of doors, bub which were 

 very inferior in Biae and appearance. 



