MAY 1, 1850. 



153 



It is hoped that before another anniversary the Council may 

 have to report the arrival of valuable coniferous seeds from 

 California and Oregon, the Society having taken four shares 

 in the expedition to those countries, now preparing in Edin- 

 burgh. 



The lapse of another year also enables the Council to mention 

 a few more interesting plants obtained from Mr. Hartweg's 

 Californian collections, concerning which no sufficient informa- 

 tion was before in the possession of the Society, viz. : — 



Scutellaria splendens. A greenhouse or stove perennial. 



Calboa globosa. A large, bright, orange-flowered stove-plant. From 



the eastern declivity of Orizaba. 

 Echeveria farinosa. On rocks near Carmel Bay. 

 Echeveria laxa. From woods near Monterey. 

 Quercus agrifolia. A new evergreen oak. 



Rhododendron californicum. An evergreen, 5 feet high. In a shady 

 dell in the woods near Monterey. 



Arctostaphylos. A shrub, 6-8 feet high. In dry, rocky ground. Sacra- 

 mento mountains and the Cuesta of San Antonio. 



Fraxinus. A shrub, 12 feet high. On the flanks of hills near San 

 Antonio. 



Pseonia californica. Perennial. In dry places on the Cuesta of San 



Antonio ; also in Bear-valley, Sacramento. 

 Azalea californica. A shrub, 5-8 feet high. In swampy places, 



Santa Cruz Mountains. 



Concerning the Reading-room, the Council have again to 

 report their entire satisfaction as to the advantages to the young 

 men at the Garden. Their attendance is diligent, and their 

 conduct praiseworthy. At the annual examination in August 

 two of them, viz. William Baxter and Henry Williams, passed 

 a satisfactory examination, and have since been recommended to 

 places. Prizes have been given by the Vice-Secretary for plans 

 of flower-gardens, for writing and spelling, and for questions in 

 vegetable physiology in its relation to horticulture. The sum 

 of 16s., received from Mr. J. F. Wood, has been also given in 

 prizes for an examination in arithmetic. 



The following sums have been placed in Dr. Lindley's hands, 

 to be applied by him to the purposes of the Reading-room, 

 viz.: — By Mr. Wood of Nottingham, 16s. ; by R. H. Solly, 

 Esq. 11. ; by W. H. Pepys, Esq., 1/. 



Seven lectures have been delivered by Dr. Lindley upon 

 subjects relating to Horticulture and the Studies of Young 

 Gardeners; and four by Mr. N. Lindley, of which three were 

 upon the nature of Mechanical Forces, and one upon the Ther- 

 mometer. Mr. Rauch also gave five lectures on the Art of 

 making Ground Plans. 



