May 4, 1S71. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOIiTIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



319 



and aak for full information as to the manner in whicli they had been 

 kept. 



Mr. Stevens, of Trentham, sent a dish of each Black Eagle and 

 Bigarreau Cherries, remarkable for size and beauty, to which a special 

 certificate was awarded. Mr. Elcome, The Garden, Ehug, near Cor- 

 wen, sent four dishes of Apples, consisting of Sturmer Pippin (named 

 erroneously Yorkshire Greening), Scarlet Nonpareil (marked No. 3). 

 The flavour was entirely spoiled. Mr. Ford, gardener to W. E. Hubbard, 

 Esq., Leonardslee, sent ten dishes of Apples and three of Pears, re- 

 markable for the care with which they had been preserved, and the 

 beauty of colour attained in the ripening. They were awarded a 

 special certificate. Mr. Douglas, of Losford Hall, brought branches 

 of Peaches and Nectarines laden with fruit, taken from trees in pots 

 ■wintered out of doors from October till the second week in January for 

 the last eight or nine years, to show that the trees do not suffer from 

 the exposure. 



Floral Committee. — Dr. Denny in the chair. Mr. Green, gar- 

 dener to W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., Hillfield, Reigate. sent a very in- 

 teresting collection of plants, of which Elisena longipetala, a Peruvian 

 bulb, with heads of white tiowers, had a first-class certificate, a similar 

 award being made to Dycliia brevifolia, a Piue-Apple-like plant with 

 dark green foliage. Other interesting plants in this collection were 

 Leucocoryne ixiodes with pretty pale lilac flowers, and Streptocarpus 

 Saundersii with small Gloxinia-like white and blue flowers. A special 

 certificate was given for the collection. Mr. Parker, Tooting, sent 

 Iris nudicaulis, on account of its rarity. Mr. Williams, Holloway, 

 exhibited a species of Sobralia with a large flower of a delicate purplish 

 lilac. It received a first-class cert.ficate, as also Amaryllis marginata 

 perfecta. A special certificate was given to Mr. Williams for a group of 

 XJlauts, likewise one for his fine example of Cochiostema Jacobianum 

 with six beautiful panicles. Mr. Nelson, St. Michael's Hill Nursery, 

 fishibited Ehododeudron Princess Louise of Lorne, noticed in another 

 column, and Mr. Woodward, gardener to Mrs. Torr, had a special cer- 

 tificate for a very fine specimen of Eria leucostachya with twelve 

 racemes of flowers. Though f^w of the genus are of much value for 

 ornamental purposes, the specimen shown was very effective and much 

 admired. 



Messrs. Yeitch had first-class certificates for Agave festiva and 

 Croton Johannis, a narrow drooping-leaved kind with rich golden varie- 

 gation. They likewise sent a species of Asparagus with elegant feathery 

 white flower heads, also a few other plants, of which the beautiful 

 Filmy Fern, Leptopteris Wilkesiana, bad a first-class certificate. A 

 like award was made to Messrs. RoUisson for Gloxinia Rev- H. H. 

 Dombrain, with drooping rich crimson violet-tinged flowers, very bril- 

 liant in colour. The same firm also sent several other varieties, 

 some promising Azaleas, and Telopea speciosissima, the Waratah, for 

 which a special certificate was awarded. 



Mr. Bull sent Primula japonica and its variety lilacina, each of 

 which had a first-class certificate. These very beautiful Primroses, 

 very like a Phlox, were introduced from Japan by Mr. Fortune, and 

 proved perfectly hardy out of doors at South Kensington last winter. 

 It is noticed in the previous report, and it may here be added it was 

 snuch admired by all who saw it. 



Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Co. sent Epigynium acuminatum, with 

 coral-like flowers, White Tom Thumb Ageratum, and several other 

 plants ; and Mr. Noble new Clematises — Mrs. Lister, white, tinged 

 with purple at the base of the segments, was vary pretty. Messrs. 

 Downie & Co. had a first-class certificate for Tropjeolum Mrs. Bow- 

 man, a very bright orauge scarlet, seemingly of tolerably dwarf habit; 

 also for Iberis gibraltarica (?}. Mr. B. Wood, gardener to W. Kelloch, 

 Esq., Stamford Hill, received a first-class certificate for Gasteria 

 nigricans, said to be the identical plant figured by Haworth. A second- 

 class certificate was given to Mr. Turner for Auricula Alderman 

 Wisbey, and a similar award was made Mr. Masters, gardener to the 

 Earl of Macclesfield, for Perpetual Clove Miss JolifEe. Mr. Masters 

 also exhibited a box of Bougainvillea speciosa variegata, having yellow 

 variegated foliage, and forming wreaths covered with splendid coloured 

 tracts. This was surrounded with Buscus androgynus, which had an 

 excellent effect. A first-class certificate was given. 



Mr. William Paul had a first- class certificate for Rose Princess 

 Beatrice, and Messrs. Paul & Son one for Rose Earl of Eldon. A 

 ■special certificate was awarded to Mr. Petch, gardener to Sam Mendel, 

 Esq., for magnificent cut flowers of Phaltenopsis grandiflora and other 

 Orchids. Messrs. Barr & Sugden sent a remarkably fine collection 

 of Narcissus, and Mr. Richards, Earl's Court Road, a number of 

 plants of the ornamental little Begonia named after him. 



Gkneeal Meeting.— J. Bateman, Esq., F.R S., in the chair. After 

 the usual preliminary business, including the election of eleven new 

 Fellows, a list of donations was read, and the Chairman expressed his 

 regret that there were not more of books, and invited a distinguished 

 foreign horticulturist who was present (M. Cannaart) to use his influ- 

 ence in Belgium. 



Mr. Wilson Saunders, having been requested by the Chaii-man to 

 make some remarks on the plants he had exhibited, said he had lately 

 employed collectors in Chili and Pern collecting bulbs, and those ex- 

 iiibited were some of the results. He then briefly commented on some 

 of them, remarking that one was deliciously scented, and appears quite 

 hardy. The Dyckia brevifolia was dwarf, elegant, and seemed likely 

 "to be useful as a decorative plant. 



The Rev. M. J. Berkeley said, he ought to have said on the last 

 occasion that the plant sold in the Bath markets for Asparagus was 

 Ornithogalum pyreuaicum, not nutans. He then passed a high en- 

 comium on Messrs. Barr & Sugden's collection of cut Narcissus, all of 

 which, as far as possible, were correctly named, and many of them rare 

 and curious. The Vine disease at Melbourne, and the disease which 

 had manifested itself in the Coffee in Ceylon, were ascribed to pecu- 

 liar climatic conditions, these in the latter case having apparently 

 entirely arrested development, especially as regards the albumen of 

 the seeds, which was not one-half nor one-quarter developed. The 

 Ceylon Coffee generally had two grains in the capsule, the true 

 Mocha usually only one, though much of that sold as Mocha was not so. 



The Chairman, after pointing out some of the most remarkable of 

 the Orchids, took occasion to notice a case of these plants which had 

 been sent borne, and said they were not worth the expenses of car- 

 riage. It was perfectly useless to import from well-known localities, 

 unknown countries must be ransacked, and those rich in bulbs were 

 generally rich in Orchids. The star of the day was Mr. Fortune's 

 Primula japonica, which Mr. Fortune first saw at a temple where he 

 slept, but after trying in vain to import living plants and seeds he at 

 last succeeded in ISGl in introducing it. The speaker gave an inter- 

 esting account of Mr. Fortune's feelings on first meeting with the 

 plant, and his troubles in securing its i\itroduction, and concluded by 

 stating that the plant had proved hardy near London. 



This was essentially, as far as florists' flowers were concerned, a 

 show of pot Roses. It was too late for Auriculas ; and Azaleas, al- 

 though presenting as numerous a variety as any collection of strictly 

 florists* flowers, can hardly be designated as such. The pot Roses 

 were as usual good, but to my judgment not up to the usual lead, 

 while the collection of new varieties did not present any very remark- 

 able novelties. This must of necessity for some time not present Its 

 usual features of interest, unless, indeed, our English raisers come to 

 the front, and a fine seedling yellow Rose exhibited by Messrs. George 

 Paul & Son seemed to indicate that such would be the case. 



In the class for twelve new Roses of 1S6S, 1869, and 1870 Messrs. 

 Paul & Son were first. The most noticeable of their plants were Earl 

 of Eldon, the yellow already referred to, a seedling from Cloth of Gold, 

 very bright and large, and promising well ; Duke of Edinburgh — I 

 think of all our high-coloured Roses none for pot culture at any rate 

 can equal this ; there is a brilliancy about it which none others possess 

 to an equal degree ; Reine d'Or, a very beautiful Noisette, which I 

 was glad to see so good, as I have thought well and spoken hopefully 

 of it ; Edouard Morren, like many Roses this has improved since it 

 was first brought out, and, while very large, does not seem so much to 

 show the tendency to exhibit a green eye, which spoiled its appearance ; 

 Mdlle. Eugenie Yerdier, very pretty and useful ; and Marquise de 

 Castellane, bearing out fully the high position accorded to it. Mr. 

 Tamer, of Slough, was second. Amongst the best of his flowers were 

 Jules Chretien, light pink; Adrienne Chrietophle, Edouard Morren, 

 Dupuy Jamain, Marquise de Mortemart, Nardy Freres, Duke of 

 Edinburgh. There were others whose only novelty was their names — 

 Marquise de Ligueiies, Louisa Wood, Baron Chaurand, and Comtesse 

 de Hainault. 



Auriculas, as I have said, were late, and the flowers generally wanted 

 freshness. In the class for twelve, open, Mr. Charles Turner was first. 

 His flowers were Read's Miss Giddings, a good useful grey edge, which 

 I also saw well exhibited in Dublin ; Leigh's Colonel Taylor, fine ; 

 Turner's Mrs. Fletcher ; Lightbody's Robert Traill, grey-edged seed- 

 ling, too much colour ; Headly's Arabella, white edge ; Turner's 

 Jessica; Heap's Smiling Beauty ; Headly's Richard Headly ; Light- 

 body's Richard Headly ; and Alderman Wisbey (Headly). There is a 

 peculiar interest attached to some of these flowers. That veteran 

 grower to whom we owe the beat Auricula in growth, Headly's George 

 Lightbody, has given up growing, and his collection, including his 

 seedlings, has passed into the hands of Mr. Charles Turner, of Slough ; 

 among them are some fine grey edges. The best of those exhibited 

 to-day was Richard Headly, but I hope Mr. Headly may be induced 

 to allow this name to be altered. We are already confused with 

 Hedge's Britannia and Smith's Britannia, Hogg's Waterloo and 

 Smith's Waterloo, and when the varieties are really so few it is a great 

 pity that the confusion should be made worse. We have a remem- 

 brance of our good old friend both in Lightbody's flowers and his own 

 George Lightbody, which wiU ever make him dear to Auricula growers, 

 let us be content with that. Mr. James was second ; his flowers were 

 Smiling Beauty, John Bright, Richard Headly, James's Model, Smith's 

 Mrs. Smith, Countess of Wilton, Conqueror of Europe, Oliver's Lovely 

 Anne, Hepworth's True Briton, Campbell's Lord Palmerston, and 

 Warris's Union. In the class for six Mr. James was also first with 

 Lancashire Hero, Richard Headly, George Lightbody, Lord Palmers- 

 ton, and Smiling Beauty. The Rev. H. H. Dombrain was second 

 with Robert Burns, Mary Anne, Chapman's Maria, Headly's George 

 Lightbody, Lancashire Hero, and Fletcher's Ne Plus Ultra. There 

 was also a nice collection of Alpines exhibited by Mr. Turner, includ- 

 ing Queen Victoria, Fascination, Gladiator, Cygnet, Mercury, Fire 

 King, and some unnamed seedlings ; and by Mr. James, vrho had 

 The Pet, Magnet, Phcebus, Black Prince, and JubUee. 



Mr. Hooper, of Bath, exhibited some fine Pansies, among which hia 

 Sunshine took the pre-eminence, good as a bedder and in a stand. 

 He had besides Charles Felton, Mrs. Felton, Queen of Beauties, Sun- 



