APKIL. 



49 



THE METROPOLITAN EXHIBITIONS. 



Royal Horticultural Society, February 25th, — Tho meetings for 1863 have commenced, 

 and the " Great Society" has led the way. In one of the refreshment-rooms situate on the 

 corridor of the great Exhibition building, overlooking the grounds of the Horticultural, was 

 the Show held. A glimpse of the interior of the building lately so full of life and the 

 creatures of skill and genius could be had here— now as quiet and still as a catacomb. " Our 

 revels now are ended," and the whole length of the "dazzling colonnade" that anon 

 gleamed 



" With cross and fountain, bell and vase, 

 In vistas bright," 



was as an empty stage from which a mighty exodus had taken place. 



Hyacinths and spring flowers were the objects of interest on this occasion. The former 

 were not so good as last year ; still some grand spikes were staged. "With twelve varieties 

 Messrs. W. Outbush & Son, Highgate, were first, having of shades of Blue, Baron Von Tuyll,' 

 Garriclf, General Havelock, and Grand Lilas; of Reds— Macaulay (a splendid flower), Princess' 

 Olothilde, and Von Schiller; of Whites— Mirandoline, Snowball, and Mont Blanc (pure 

 white) ; Blush White — Grandeur a Merveille ; and Ida, canary yellow, but not so well coloured 

 as last year. Second, Mr. William Paul, "Walthain Cross, with Mimosa, General Havelock 

 (very rich, much deeper in colour than the same variety in Messrs. Cutbush's stand), Charles 

 Dickens, Marie (deep purple-blue, streaked and suffused with white), Grand Lilas, and 

 Baron Von Tuyll— all shades of Blue. Of Reds there were Howard, Princess Clothilde', and 

 Solfaterre (a magnificent spike) ; and Queen of the Netherlands (pure), and Lord Welling- 

 ton (double), Blush Whites. The collections grown by amateurs were staged for prizes 

 offered by Mr. James Cuthush, of Highgate. Mr. A. Carr, gardener to B. Noakes, Esq,, of 

 Highgate, was first, with good spikes of Charles Dickens, Grand Lilas, Baron Von Tuyll, and 

 Garrick — shades of Blue ; Von Schiller, La Dame du Lac, Princess Clothilde, Howard, and 

 Madame Hod^on — Reds ; Alba Maxima, Mont Blanc, and. Grandeur a Merveille — Whites. 

 Second, Mr. G. Taylor, gardener to C. A. Hanbury, Esq., East Barnct, with Garrick, Van 

 Speyk, Orondates, Mimosa, Laurens Roster, and Couronne de Celle — Blue ; Macaulay, La 

 Dame du Lac, and Cosmos — Red ; Lord Wellington, Mont Blanc, and Grandeur a Merveille— 

 White. 



Messrs. Cutbush & Son were also first with twelve pots of Tulips in six varieties, admirably 

 grown and flowered. They consisted of Couleur Cardinal, and Vermilion Brilliant, both 

 fiery reds ; Kouge Luisante, Proserpine, Fabiola, and Keizerkroon. Second, Mr. W. Paul, 

 with Coligny, Keizerkroon, Le Matelas, Couleur de Cramois, Picter d'Hooge, and Bakhuizen. 

 In the Amateurs' Class for twelve pots in four kinds, Mr. Young, gardener to R. Barclay, 

 Esq., Highgate, was first with Tournesol, Scarlet Van Thol, Royal Standard, and White 

 Pottebakker. Second, Mr. A. Carr; and third, Mr. Blogg, gardener to J. P. Gassiot, Esq., 

 Clapham Common. 



A large collection of Crocuses were staged hy Messrs. Cutbush & Son, that appeared as 

 if they had been lifted from the earth that morning, as globules of dew were observed on the 

 petals of many of the flowers. The roots were also covered with green moss, which set off 

 the groups to the best possible advantage. The leading varieties in this collection may he 

 thus classed : — Yellows— New Golden, and Sulphureus ; Blue — Agrippa, Lord Byron, Harold, 

 Prince Albert, and David Rizzio ; Dark-striped — Keizer Alexander, Pourpre Superbe, Brunei' 

 Bleu Azure, Lilaceus Superbus, Martinet, JN e Plus Ultra, and Grande Vidette ; Light-striped, 

 Albion, La Majesteuse, Versicolor, Elfrida, Margaretta, Thalia and Matilda (two very pretty 

 kinds, the latter the darker of the two), and Sir Walter Scott (the best of all the striped 

 kinds) ; of "Whites there were Calypso (cream-coloured), Cceur de Leon (a heautiful variety 

 suffused, with blush), Lina, Malvina, Queen Victoria, and Hebe. Second, Mr. W. Paul, with 

 a group in pots, consisting of Cloth of Cold and Large Yellow, David Rizzio, Sir J. Pra'nklin 



and Prince Albert — Blue or Purple kinds ; Albion, Argus, Sir W. Scott, and Amazon Striped 



kinds ; and Marie d'Ecosse, a beautiful White variety). A collection also came from Mr. Blogg, 

 consisting of David Rizzio and Prince Albert, Purple ; Sir Walter Scott, Lord Palmcrston' 

 and Ne Plus Ultra, Striped ; Albion and Mammoth, White varieties. 



Mr. James Veitch, of Chelsea, was first with a collection of forced flowers, anion" 

 which were Azaleas Etandre de Flandres, white with carmine stripes ; Rubens, rich fiery 

 scarlet; and Pelargoniflora ; Amaryllis; Lily of the Valley; Rhododendrons ; Ribes sanguineum 

 album ; a double-flowering Chinese Peach ; a standard Wistaria sinensis ; and two large 

 panfuls of Grand Vainqueur and Charles Dickens Hyacinths; and some gay masses of 

 Dielytra spectabilis. Messrs. Cutbush & Son were second with Azaleas Striata and Exquisita 

 Polygonatum multiflorum, having numerous drooping spikes of greenish-white flowers • 

 Rhododendrons, Kalmia latifolia, Tulips, Narcissus, &c. 



Lilies of the Valley were shown by Messrs. Veitch and Salter, of Hammersmith • the 

 latter having the gold-striped foliaged variety. 



