April 11, 1S6J. ] 



JOUEN^AL OF HOETIGULTURE AXD COTTAGE GABPEMEE. 



2S3 



Pippin, as fresh and golden as ever they could have been in 

 the days of John Evelyn, and looking defiance at ilr. T. A. 

 Knight's theory of degeneration. In Kambour Kouge we 

 recognised Xorfolk Beefing. Zoete "Winter Pipling is of the 

 size and shape of Com-t-Pendu-Plat, but green, and with an 

 orange cheek; the flesh is tender and sweet, with somewhat 

 of the Newtown Pippin character about it ; this we observed 

 in the collection of H. J. de Greeve, of Amsterdam. 



BOIJQITETS. 



These were by far the most attractive feature of the 

 Exhibition, and we never looked upon anything more brilliant 

 or more tasteful. A table GO feet long and 9 feet wide, 

 covered with white, had a row of table bouquets down its 

 centre, and two rows of hand bouquets and wreaths on each 

 side, and there were not more than two or three which did 

 not display exquisit<; taste. 



Wedding Bouqiiets. — The first prize was given to W. A. 

 Zaline. Their outer row was white Camellias, second row 

 whit« Lilac, third white Azalea, fourth Orange blossom, 

 centre one white Camellia. A slight sprinkling of green 

 foliage was among the Lilac and Orange blossoms. A deep 

 lace encircled the whole. 



Centre Pieces for Dinner Table. — ^The first prize went to A. 

 Bernard. The centre piece was what we might call Miss 

 ilarch's design ; the dish at the base was filled with Pansies ; 

 the stem was wreathed with the Golden-veined Japan 

 Honeysuckle, and the top dish was filled with deep crimson 

 Eoses, well reUeved by their healthy green foliage. One of 

 the side pieces was a porcelain sarcophagus of an oblong 

 square form, beautifully ornamented, and filled with Eoses 

 paler than those in the centre piece, and equally well 

 relieved with foliage. The second side piece was a tureen- 

 shaped vase of porcelain of an oval form, filled with Orchids, 

 Cypripediums, and other rare plants, and with a fringe of 

 bright green moss. This was incongruous, both the side 

 pieces should have been aUte, and if both had been like the 

 first side piece the three would have been most efiectlTe 

 table bouquets. 



TcMe Bouquets. — We do not see the distinction between 

 this class and the preceding, and most certainly the three 

 bouquets to which were awarded the first prize in this class 

 were the most eifeetive exhibited, and only suited for the 

 centre of a dinner table. It was to G. Yan"den Berg. The 

 centre piece was a solid, cut glass shaft, 2 feet high, and the 

 dish at the top had a pyramidal-shaped bouquet, formed 

 of Amaryllis, Chinese Primulas, Abutilons, Eoses, Epacrises 

 iletrosideros. Azaleas, Camellias, and the summit was a plume 

 of Draesna leaves ; the whole relieved with fronds of various 

 Ferns. The two side pieces were of similar form to the 

 centre, but lower, and filled similarly. 



£d[l-rooyn Bouquets. — The first prize to 31. G. lloens, 

 Antwerp. These were of red and white Camellias, set, as it 

 were, among single flowers of a pale blue Hyacinth, and 

 fiMiged with fronds of Maiden-hair and otner Ferns. 



All the hand bouquets were fuUy 15 inches in diameter, 

 aiid we will take this opportunity of recording our depreca- 

 tion of such an excessive size. It is an inexcusable excess, 

 and a lady with such a sheaf of flowers seems encumbered 

 by it. 



We have some notes upon the wreaths, but must postpone 

 publishing them until a future opportunity. 



11IPI.EHENTS, ETC. 



In the galleries were arranged the implements, garden 

 chairs, books on botany and gardening, ornamental figures, 

 and fruits. 



The zinc work, bronzed, was very effective, and creditable 



to Mr. , of Amsterdam, the manufacturer. The 



flower-baskets, with stands within them on which to elevate 

 the pots to various heights, were very elegant. 



In iron work, il. Lebrun, of Brussels, and some other 

 mann&cturers, exhibited many articles deserving not only 

 praise, but purchase. Especially so were the garden chairs, 

 with seats and backs formed of arched iron laths, very soft 

 (if iron admits of such description) by being elastic, with 

 stools to match, to keep the feet of the sitter from resting 

 on the grotmd. The Swiss bird cages were also very light 

 and artistic, and, if anything, would tend to reconcile the 

 prisoner to his confinement. 



I There was also a pagoda-shaped pigeonry with a pheasantry 



] beneath, painted to imitate cane, and suitable for placing 



j in, and moving to, any part of pleasure grounds. 



I One maker bad what he termed "a revolving shovel." 



I It is really nine broad hoes fixed on a revolving axis, and 



I pushed or dragged by means of a stout five-feet handle. 



We should call it " a revolving surface-stirrer," and, in light 



soils, or garden soil of ordinary loam, we have no doubt it 



is .in effective and rapid-doing implement. 



The flower-pots of one manufactm'er were very ornamental. 



The earth bakes of a dark olive colour, and the raised 



] trophies on their sides were bold and artistic. The edges of 



I the pots, instead of the usual monotonous sausage-form, 



[ were cut in large half-diamonds. Some were circular, others 



were of angled forms. 



t An apple and pear gatherer exhibited for tall standard 



) trees is much more effective and less liable to be out of 



I order than the usual averruncators, as they are sometimes 



called. It is a pole with a wire cup fixed by a socket to its 



top, and the edges of the cup toothed like the daisy-rake, 



which readily divides the stalk of the fruit to be gathered. 



Several kinds of garden labels were exhibited, but none 

 novel, and we know that of the old ones none excel zinc, 

 written upon by a proper ink. Bat there was a little 

 machine exhibited by Ernst Metz, of Erfurt, for the stamping 

 figures on thin leaden tallies, which was a novel application 

 of one of the machines for stamping 'on paper. The figures 

 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, S, 9, 0, are in a row iixed in the foot of the 

 little machine ; the strip of lead to bo stamped is placed over 

 the desired figure, and a slight blow on an iron handle, the 

 surface of which extends along the row of figures, gives the 

 required impression. 



The Exhibition was opened on the 7th to the public, and 

 was well thronged by gentlemen, but the ladies were very 

 few, and, to our English notions, singularly deficient in 

 handsome costume. Our floral fetes are celebrated for their 

 attendance of beautiful, gracefully-dressed women ; but the 

 Ifetherlands' ladies, perhaps exercising a sound discretion, 

 avoid being compared with the flowers. 



EOYAL HOETIGlJLTUEAL SOCIETr. 



Flokai. CojESItttee, A^ril ith. — An increasing interest 

 seems to be taken in these meetings. Associated as they now 

 are with the scientific purposes of the Society, we may look 

 forward to the enjoyment of many agreeable and profitably- 

 spent hours on the days on which these meetings are held. 

 Few, if any, of the older Fellows of the Society can remem- 

 ber a more beautiful exhibition, even in the most prosperous 

 days of the Eegent Street gatherings, than was to be seen 

 on Tuesday last, at the Gardens at South Kensington. It 

 is most gratifying to find that the spirit of horticulture 

 stOl exists, and that its late ominous symptoms of decay 

 have vanished ; and we earnestly hope that every Fellow will 

 do the best in his or her power to impart fresh and con- 

 tinued vigour to all the proceedings of the Society. 



The following plants received certificates, Mr. Yeitch 

 exhibiting a large collection of plants. A iirst-class certifi- 

 cate was awarded to Maranta Yeitchii, a plant with beauti- 

 ful foliage, the leaves marbled, shaded green. A special cer- 

 tificate was awarded to a group of Anthurium Schertzeri- 

 anum, neatly arranged in a basket, as being a specimen of 

 high cultivation ; and a special certificate was also awarded 

 for the general collection ia which there were many valuable 

 and well-grown specimens ; a basket of young plants of 

 Azalea SteUa was very conspicuous ; Azalea Mercm-y, a rosy 

 lilac flower of good form, a very promising variety, which 

 was requested to be seen again ; of Hoteia japonica, once 

 known as Spirzea japonica, four well-grown plants were 

 exhibited in fuU flower. This plant was sent to prove its 

 value as an early-forcing flower most useful for table-decora- 

 tion, or for cutting for bouquets ; Dendrobium macrophyl- 

 lum, emitting the most powerful scent of Ehubarb — this 

 plant when it produces more vigorous spikes of flowers will 

 be a first-rate Orchid. Several other Orchids of great beauty 

 were to be seen in this collection. We aUo noticed a Pe- 

 peromia species, Ehododendron Princess Helena, ic. lilr. 

 Teitch also exhibited for Mr. Maxwell, two small plants of a 

 variegated Cineraria maritima. The sombre grey tint of 



