J era? e. 



81 



THE METROPOLITAN EXHIBITIONS. 



Royal Botanic Society, Regent's Park, April 25th. — This was the last of a series of 

 these very successful Spring Shows — meetings that have wonderfully increased in extent 

 since I first attended one in 1859. If thus they enlarge themselves, another wing of the 

 large tent will have to he allotted to them. 



On this occasion Roses in pots, and in boxes of cut blooms, were the prime features. 

 With the former, Mr. W. Paul was first ; Messrs. Paul & Son, and C. Turner, were equal 

 second ; and Messrs. H. Lane & Son third. Fancy a prize of 40s. at a spring exhibition 

 bringing together all these great names in the annals of Ro;e-culture ! There were good 

 blooms of H.P.'s Beauty of Waltham, Senateur Yaisse, Victor Verdier, Madame Boll, 

 Empereur de Maroc, Anna Alexieff, &c, on the plants that were in pots ; while the panorama 

 of boxes of cut blooms were studded with, beautiful flowers of many favourite kinds. 



Mr. IT. Lamb, of Southall, was first with six Cinerarias in the Amateurs' Class, having 

 well-bloomed plants of Adam Bcde, Modestum, Duke of Cambridge, Lady Seymour, Brides' 

 maid, and Q.ueen Victoria. Second, Mr. Smith, of Syon House, with some seedlings. Mr. 

 Turner was the only exhibitor in the Nurserymen's Class for the same number of plants, 

 having good specimens of Reynolds Hole, Slough Rival, Maid of Astolat, Miss B. Coutts 

 Miss Franklin, and Great Western. 



Collections of six Pelargoniums were shown by Messrs. Turner, Wiggins, and Cross. 

 Mr. Turner, who was first, had Spotted Gem, Picturatum, and El Dorado, spotted varieties ■ 

 and Phoebe, Clarissa, Vestal, light kinds. 



Auriculas were present in great force, many amateurs of distinction sending groups. 

 Mr. Turner also had a choice collection that fully sustained the Slough reputation for 

 Auricula growth. 



Boxes of twenty-four blooms of Pansies came from Mr. James, of Islcworth, and Mr. 

 Bragg, of Slough, the former being placed first. 



Then there were groups of six miscellaneous plants, Messrs. J. & C. Lee, of Hammersmith 

 being first ; Messrs. A. Henderson & Co., and Mr. B. S. Williams, being second ; and Mr' 

 Smith, of Syon House, third. 



One feature in this Show was the exhibition of ornamental vases for in-doors filled 

 with flowering plants. Of these pretty and tasteful designs were furnished by Mr. W. Bull, 

 of Chelsea, who was placed first ; and Messrs. A. Henderson & Co., Edgware Road second' 

 Some contained Caladiums, Perns, Gloxinias, and other stove plants under bell-glasses • while 

 the occupants of the other vases were hardier plants without covering. One of these 'had in 

 the centre a flowering plant of the pretty drooping white Cytisus filipes, coVcd with the 

 grassy bright green Isolepis gracilis. 



In the Miscellaneous Class, Mr. Turner had some fine Azaleas, and Messrs. H. Lane and 

 Son the same. Mr. James, of Isleworth, had a group of his fine strain of dwarf herbaceous 

 Calceolarias, and Pansies in pots ; Mr. Turner, a group of sixty Auriculas ; Messrs. Bidl and 



B. S. Williams, new and rare plants ; Mr. W. Paul, Roses in pots ; and Mr. Trcen of Ru "In- 

 cut Verbenas of fine quality, amongst which were Firefly, Foxhrmter, and La Gloire three 

 very bright flowers, the latter having a conspicuous lemon eye; Nemesis, a glo win" orange 

 scarlet ; and Cato, a pretty striped variety. First-class Certificates were awardecf to Mr 



C. Turner for flowering plants of Bougainvillaea speciosa in pots ; to Mr. W. Braa-o- of" 

 Slough, for Fancy Pansy Vesuvius, clear yellow with fiery bronze border, and narrow edkn«- 

 of yellow, but related to the English flower by having only a small dark eye instead of 

 those dense blotches that generally distinguish the Fancy flowers ; it was a laro- e well- 

 formed, and showy variety. The same award to Mr. Holland, of Hounslow for Auricula 

 Rev. George J eans ; and to Mr. Bull for the curiously-marked Pogonia discolor ha vino- onlv 

 one leaf issuing from the soil into whicb it is planted. Second-class Certificates 0 were 

 awarded to Mr. Bull for Serissa foetida marginata ; to Mr. B. S. Williams for Pterido 

 phyllum filicifolium; to Mr. G. Baker, of Bagshot, for Azalea Fascination; to Messrs 

 Dobson & Son for Cinerarias Snowflake, a white self with dark disk ; and Princess Dao-niar' 

 a narrow rosy-purple-edged variety; to Mr. C. Turner for a basketful of Strawberry Presi- 

 dent, a very early-forcing variety very like Sir C. Napier ; and to Messrs. F. & A Smith for 

 a bright rosy purple Azalea named Lord Palmerston, a flower of good form. Messrs. Perkins 

 and Son, of Coventry, had examples of their new scarlet Verbena Lord Lei°b. a very bright 

 flower, and said to be well adapted both for pot-culture and for bedding purposes. 



Royal Botanic Society, Regent's Pabk, May nth.— This was the first of the three 

 great Summer Exhibitions annually held here ; and as they are the best shows to which the 

 residents of the metropolis are periodically summoned, it was only fitting that the Royal 

 Botanic Society should lead the van in the yearly procession of the same. I can hardly 

 describe my own feelings when I first passed under the canvas that leads me into the interior 



