MARCH. 



87 



Institution had not been established sooner, so that he might have been enabled to be a 

 subscriber with the money he had spent in books which were now of no use to him. I hope 

 I may not be thought guilty of saying anything disrespectful to his memory if I state what 

 I think Avas the cause of his saving nothing for a rainy day on purpose to be a beacon for 

 others. Poor Mearns was not a drinking man, nor given to vice of any kind ; but he was 

 fond of company, and kept an open house to all callers, He held an excellent situation for 

 nearly twenty years, and never had a large family to be a drain upon his resources, yet he 

 never saved money ; and men of his temperament rarely ever do, when they have the chance. 

 Being a near neighbour, and brought up at the feet of the great horticultural " Gamaliel," 

 the late Mr. Knight, of Downton Castle, he was, like him, full of experiments on hybridising, 

 coiling Vines in pots, grafting fruit trees, and so on, and delighted in gardeners calling and 

 seeing them. Peace to his manes ! A more enthusiastic gardener or a kinder-hearted man 

 never existed. 



I have never been able to understand bow it is that in the generality of places gardeners 

 are paid lower salaries than the coachman or butler. Is it because there is greater mind 

 required in the driving of horses or the drawing of corks, or is it for show p If for the latter, 

 gardeners had better go back to the days of Mawo and Abercrombie, and wear cocked hats 

 and get bedizened with gold or silver lace on their coats. I am not alluding to gardeners of 

 the cow and gig class, but those who have been well educated and have served a regular 

 apprenticeship by roughing it out in bothies at the cost of much comfort and self- denial. 

 They are expected to know almost "Pecs' Encyclopaedia" by heart on purpose to have a 

 general knowledge of botany, landscape-gardening, and natural history. 



William Tillery. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



FLORAL COMMITTEE AWARDS, &C. 

 {Continued from page 21.) 



Petunia Guido.— Mr. Bull : Second-class Certificate, July 2. — A variety with mul- 

 berry-crimson veined flowers of medium size and good form, and very freely produced. 



Petunia Madame Rendatler.— Messrs. Veitch & Son : Second-class Certificate, May 6. 

 —A double purple rose, here and there margined with white. The flowers full and double. 



Petunia Mrs. Ferguson— Mr. Ferguson, Stowe, Bucks : First-class Certificate, May 6. 

 — A remarkably beautiful single Petunia. The flowers white, marked with almost perfect 

 uniformity by a stripe of magenta rose on each of the five divisions of the corolla. 



Petunia Ruby.— Mr. Bull: Second-class Certificate, May 21. — Dark purplish-crimson, 

 with dark throat j fine form, and good habit. 



Petunia Venus.— Mr. Bull: Second-class Certificate, June 26. — A fine bold flower of 

 good form, distinctly and deeply veined. 



Phyllagathts rotundieolia.— Messrs. Veitch & Son : First-class Certificate, March 19. 

 — A dwarf stove plant from Java, having ornamental foliage, moderately large, broadly 

 cordate, longitudinally ribbed, dark green, with a metallic tinge, and sprinkled with hairs. 



Physurus fimbuillaeis. — The Society: First-class Certificate, April 22. — A dwarf 

 stove Orchid, with ovate leaves beautifully veined with silver on a green ground colour. It 

 was considered to be the best among the dwarf silver-variegated Orchids. 



Pink Bertram. — Mr. Turner : First-class Certificate, June 26.— Large and well filled ; 

 the very heavy lacing and blotch of a reddish-purple. 



Pink Blondin. — Mr. Turner : Second-clas3 Certificate, June 26.— Showy, with deep 

 rosy purple lacing and blotch ; the colour rather speckled. 



Pink Bridesmaid.— Mr. Turner: First-class Certificate, June 26. — Groundcolour very- 

 pure, with a medium lacing of bright crimson purple ; the base of the lamina marked by a 

 deeper-coloured blotch. 



Pink Device (Maclean).— Mr. Turner : First-class Certificate, June 26— Large, with 

 broad lacing and blotch of deep rose purple. 



Pink Exquisite. — Mr. Turner- : First-class Certificate, June 26. — Large, with a heavy 

 even lacing of light rose purple. Very distinct and pleasing. 



Pink Marion.— Mr. Turner : First-class Certificate, June 26. — Full and well formed, 

 with a medium lacing of deep rose purple, and blotched with a deeper shade of the same at 

 the base ; the white remarkably fine. 



Pink Mr. F. Coaefe.— Mr. Hooper, Vine Nursery, Widcombo Hill, Bath : First-class 

 Certificate, July 2.— A medium-sized rose-leaf flower, heavily laced with deep crimson. 



Planera acuminata. — Messrs. Veitch & Son: Bronze Medal, May 21. — A valuable 

 timber tree, growing from 99 to 100 feet high. Introduced from Japan, allied to the Elms, 

 and bearing ovate, acuminate, sharply-serrated leaves. 



