Harcb H, 1865. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOKTICULTTJEB AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



211 



Mr. John Shaw, nurseryman, Manchester, sent a collection 

 of a new sort of tallies for naming trees and shrubs. They 

 consist of plates of polished zinc, of various sizes and orna- 

 mental shapes, and the names are engraved deeply in the 

 metal, the space being filled with a black substance, thereby 

 rendering the name clear and distinct. The Committee 

 approved of these, and considered them well adapted for the 

 purpose, provided the black substance remains permanent, 

 and the polished surface does not become so tarnished as 

 to render the name indistinct. Mr. WUliam Earley, gar- 

 dener to F. Pi-ior, Esq., of DigsweU, also sent a label for 

 trees and shrubs, which consisted of thin plates of zinc 

 painted white, and the name cut through in the way of a 

 stencilling plate. 



After the meeting of the Committees the Scientific Meeting 

 was held at three o'clock, W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., F.E.S., 

 in the chair. The room was well filled with Fellows, of whom 

 a considerable number were ladies. The Chairman congra- 

 tulated the Society on a return to these meetings, which 

 had always been so attractive and attended with so much 

 interest at Regent Street, and then proceeded to comment 

 on the programme of the year. He stated that it was the 

 object of the Society now to promote in every way the ad- 

 vancement of horticulture, and for this end all its resources 

 would be called into operation. The garden at Chiswick 

 would this year be devoted to very extensive experiments 

 both in fruits, flowers, and vegetables, and everything would 

 be done to enable the Society to carry out the legitimate 

 objects it was instituted to foster. 



The Eev. M. J. Berkeley then delivered a lecture on the 

 various plants that were exhibited before the Floral Com- 

 mittee, and Kev. Joshua Dix made some observations on the 

 florists' flowers. 



upon which the money was divided amongst the exhibitors. 

 Unexplained, the prizes are not worth competing for. — 

 H. Bentlet, Gardener to Lord St. Leonards, Thames Ditton. 



I MUST inform you that the Eoyal Horticultural Society 

 sent me 2s. 3d. worth of stamps for a first-class certificate 

 for a Queen Pine, and a third-class certificate for six dishes 

 of kitchen Apples exhibited at the Great International Fruit 

 Show in 1864. — Thames Ditton. 



[No remark is needed to increase the ridictde felt at such 

 awards ; but we rejoice to be justified in adding that an 

 entirely new spirit is gradually being infused into the ma- 

 nagement of the Eoyal Horticultural Society, and though 

 why those awards were so contemptible may be explicable, 

 yet we think in future there will be no need of any such 

 explanations, as a much more dignified policy has already 

 been inaugurated.] 



TCEEELT SHOW. — MAECH IItH. 



On this oec^ion Messrs. Lee exhibited fine plants of 

 Cordyline indivisa, DavaHia tenmfolia, with very graceful 

 finely-divided fronds, Cyathea Smithi about 6 feet across, and 

 Oncidium Phillipsii in excellent bloom. From Mi-. Bull came 

 a small collection of flowering plants and Camellias Contessa 

 OttoKni, a finely imbricated rose vrith broad and handsome 

 foliage, and Eaffii deep rose; also Anthuri\im leuooneurum 

 and one of his ornamental stands for the drawing-room. 

 Sir. Coysh, gardener to E. Wood, Esq., Eugby, contributed 

 a weU-bloomed plant of Deutzia graoUis, Thyrsacanthus 

 rutUans, and a mixed collection of flowering plants, whilst 

 Mr. Lucking and Mr. Greeves sent window-baskets, bou- 

 quets, and flower-baskets filled with Hyacinths, and other 

 early flowers. 



PEIZES PAID BY THE EOYAL HOKTICULTUEAL 

 SOCIETY. 



I HAVE recently received from the Accountant of the 

 Eoyal Horticultural Society a letter, stating "the pleasure 

 which he has in enclosing me 7s. lid., being the amount of 

 my prize account for the last two shows." I exhibited at 

 the first of these shows, and obtained first-class certificates : 

 first for Pears Beurre Langelier, Catillac, and Beurre de 

 Eance ; second for " the best large table Potatoes, the variety 

 Lemon Eadneys, a very handsome and excellent Potato" 

 (I copy from their report) ; and at the last of the shows I 

 obtained third-class certificates for Ipples and Turnips. 



Now, -with many other gardeners who exhibited, I believed 

 that I should have medals to show my success, and probably 

 a trifle in money. The pleasure which is expressed in send- 

 ing me 7s. Ud. for my four certificates is not felt by me in 

 the receipt of the money. Surely some explanation should 

 be given as to the mode of payment and how it is calculated. 

 If half-a-crown had been sent to me I must either have re- 

 ceived it or rejected it. Success at two shows with no medal 

 ajid 7s. Ud. only in money will hardly attract exhibitors to 

 the high-sounding Eoyal Horticultural Society. It would be 

 weU if the Society would forward to you for publication 

 what is the average value of their different certificates, and 

 in what cases only medals are distributed, and also the 

 amount of their receipts for admission, and the scheme- 



VISITS TO GAEDENS PUBLIC AJTD PEIVATE. 



Me. W. Bull's, Exotic Nussekt, Chblsea. 



If "variety is pleasing," as we used to be taught in our 

 boy days, when undergoing our preliminary instruction in 

 round hand, then ought Mr. Bull's life to be one of unmixed 

 gratification : for so little reverence has he for what is old 

 and well known, that, save in the matter of large specimens, 

 these qualities would be an absolute disqualification for any 

 plant that sought admission into his establishment ; but let 

 it have but the recommendation of novelty combined with 

 merit, and then it matters little from what portion of the 

 world it comes, or for what it may be remarkable, it will 

 find there a home. After my stroU through Mr. Veitch's the 

 other day I spent a short time with Mr. BuU, and have here 

 to record a few things that struck me on going through his 

 numerous plant-houses. At this time of the year I need 

 not say they present a very different aspect to what they do 

 later in the season, and that one must not expect to see any 

 gorgeous display of flowers. The mere loiterer, who can 

 admire a blaze of colour or be captivated by a fragrant per- 

 fume, must not expect to be gratified just now ; but those 

 who want to know what new treasures skill and enterprise 

 are adding to our horticultural stores will here find much to 

 interest : especially is this the case with what are called 

 fine-foUaged and variegated plants, to which Mr. Bull is 

 continually making additions, and of which many interesting 

 examples are now in his establishment. 



As I some time since recorded my general impressions of 

 Mr. Bull's nursery, my notices now must be brief, and per- 

 tain simply to those things which strike me as likely to be 

 valuable additions to our abeady ample stores. Thus, for 

 example, we have heard a great deal lately of the Aucubas 

 from Japan, and probably no plant has had more distin- 

 guished honour conferred upon it than that fine plant of the 

 female Aucuba in full berry. Very interesting, therefore, 

 were some varieties of variegated Aucubas which Mr. Bull 

 has received fr-om the continent, the introduction of Von 

 Siebold. The golden variegation is not, as in the common 

 form, spotted Si over the surface of the leaf, but in large 

 blotches of gold colour ; and we can hai-dly conceive _ any- 

 thing more beautiful than would be one of these fine varieties 

 when grown into a large bush. There can be little doubt 

 that these Japanese introductions will make quite a revo- 

 lution in our gardens ere long. There was also a very beau- 

 tiful golden-variegated Elseagnus. Nor must I omit the 

 beautiful variegated Pampas Grass. Striking as is_ the 

 normal character of this plant, it will receive no inconsider- 

 able attraction by this beautiful and distinct variegation. 

 Then there were the very fine gold and silver variegated 

 Ehodeas 6-om Japan. Handsome, too, are some of the 

 Acers from the same country ; conspicuous amongst which 

 was A. pseudo-Platanus Leopoldi, green with crimson and 

 rose variegation. Then there was a very fine variegated 

 Verbena which is to be sent out in April, called Popular, in 

 which the leaves are clearly marked with a regular yellow 

 variegation, and having bright scarlet flowers ; and also a 

 silver-variegated Pompon Chrysanthemum called Sensation. 

 Both of these plants wfl], I think, be considered acquisitions 

 by those who are fond of such things. Nor must I omit 

 two plants not yet out — a variegated variety of Aubrietia 



