cxl 



EOTAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



hope that, by following some of them up, a partial success may be 

 obtained. And, singular as it may seem, I entertain more hope 

 in drafting the Primula into the Dodecatheon than I have of any 

 of the other crosses just enumerated as failures. The reason of 

 this hope arises mainly from the experiment I have yet to give. 



On 13th May last I obtained from a neighbouring nursery a 

 plant of Dodecatheon Meadia for experiment. It was taken up 

 from the open border and potted. Observing it to flag, I put it, 

 pot and all, into a basin of soapy water, which wonderfully re- 

 stored it. I put it in a cool place under glass, and then opened 

 and emasculated every bloom left on the plant, first divesting it 

 of every open flower. On 23rd May the stigmas appearing in 

 condition, I crossed them principally with P. Polyanthi. 



Having shortly thereafter to go to Perthshire, I left the plant, 

 still in the soapy water, under charge of my gardener. "When I 

 returned on 12th June, I found every crossed pod, at least most 

 of them, swollen to the normal size of ripened seed-pods. But 

 the plant, which was then sickly, went off soon after, and I found 

 the seeds, though swollen, pulpy and immature, and nothing came 

 of them. 



I fear I have detained you too long with these, at best, but un- 

 satisfactory results. I am again in the thick of further experi- 

 ments on this tribe, but, being obliged to go abroad, I shall not 

 have much time to pursue them. I have heard that your able co- 

 adjutor, Major Clarke, was at work among this genus. I hope, if 

 so, he will not withhold his experiments, which must be instructive 

 at least, but lay them fairly before you, as I have endeavoured to 

 do. In the belief that he has been more successful than I have 

 been, I am, 



Bev. Dear Sir, 



Tours very faithfully, 



J. Anderson Henry. 



FLORAL COMMITTEE. 

 May 21, 1869. 



A Second-class Certificate was awarded to Messrs. Standish 

 and Co. for a seedling Rhododendron {Beauty), with a delicate 

 apple-blossom tint, but with indifferent foliage. 



A Second-class Certificate was also awarded to Mr. Parnell of 

 Plumstead, for Saccolabium curvatum. 



