148 



THE FLORIST AND POM.OLOGIST. 



dish for flavour, Mr. Mortimore, of Carahalton, was first ; second, Mr. J. Gale, Hammersmith ; 

 third, Mr. G. Grover, Hammersmith. Bon Chretien seemed to be the best in this Class. 



With three dishes of Plums, Mr. Thomas Bailey, of Shardeloes, was first with fine 

 fruits of the following -.—Sir. C. Napier, Washington, and Prince of Wales. Second, Mr. 

 J. Pomfritt, Eton College, who had Denyers' Victoria, Washington, and Victoria. Third, 

 Mr. R. Webb, of Reading, with Magnum Bonum, Washington, and Goliath. 



A few things were shown in the Miscellaneous Classes, among them was a horseshoe 

 Geranium from Messrs. F. & A. Smith, of Dulwich, named Excellent, having fine trusses 

 of large orange scarlet flowers. Some new Cucumbers were also staged, whose appearance 

 was all that could be wished for. They comprised two sorts from Mr. R. Halls, of 

 Colchester, one being Telegraph, a Black-spined fruit; the other Volunteer, a White-spined 

 variety, both about 26 inches in length. Prom Mr. Aylott, gardener to J. S. Tanqueray, 

 Esq., of Hendon, came fine fruit of a Black-spined kind, named Empress. Mr. Westcott, of 

 Singleton Abbey Gardens, Swansea, had a handsome Black spined-variety unnamed, about 

 26 inches in length. Some dishes of fruits were also staged; and lastly, there was a 

 collection of fruiting orchard-house trees in pots, from Messrs. H. Lane & Son, 

 Berkhamstead. 



- * -Quo, 



AWARDS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 

 FLORAL COMMITTEE. 



June 17th, 1863. 



Abies canadensis var. brevifolia. — Messrs. Fisher, Holmes, & Co. [C. and B.].— A 

 North American Conifer of slender pyramidal habit, remarkable for the dumpy, plump- 

 looking, blunt-ended leaves, which clothe its small twiggy branches, and which from their 

 brevity and plumpness give it some peculiarity of aspect. Mr. Murray, however, reports 

 that he does not find in it any distinctive character ; " the number of rows of stomata and 

 their disposition is the same ; the leaf is a little darker and dumpier. I should say it was 

 a variety of canadensis." 



Alsophtla tcenitis var. denticulata.— Messrs. Veitch & Son [S.C.C. and S.B.].— A 

 young vigorous plant of a handsome tree Fern, having large bipinnate fronds, thinnish form 

 but not thick in texture, shining on the surface ; the pinnules oblong, acuminate ; and the 

 stipes dark-coloured, aculeate at the base. 



Amaryllis pereecta marginata.— Mr. Williams [F. CO.].— One of the pale red varie- 

 ties with light edges, but of better form than the varieties of this character generally grown. 



Andromeda sp.— Messrs. Veitch & Son [C. and B.].— A showy dwarf' evergreen bush, 

 foot high, clothed with ovate or elliptic-oblong leaves, and in the axils of the uppermost 

 of these several linear spikes of decurved flowers, the corollas of which are pitcher-shaped 

 and pure white. It had been introduced from California. 



Athypium Filix-ecemina var. geomeratum {Moore).— Messrs. Ivery & Son, Dorking 

 [C. and B.].— A very handsome dwarf tasselled variety of Lady-Fern, obtained as a sport 

 from corymbiferum, from which, however, it is wholly dissimilar. It is, in fact, intermediate 

 in character between multiceps and coronatum, having, like these, the lower part of the 

 frond narrowish, and not greatly developed ; the tasselled ends of the pinna? being also fur- 

 nished with small, broadish, flat crests, but the apex being developed into a large, ball-like, 

 compactly cristate, spreading head. It is a very desirable new form to be added to the many 

 already known. 



Blechnum nitidum var. contractum.— Messrs. Veitch & Son [C. and B.].— A Lomaria- 

 like Fern from the Philippine Islands, but, judging from some semi-fertile fronds which it 

 had produced, rather to be identified with the contracted form of Blechnum nitidum than 

 with any known Lomaria. It had bold pinnate fronds with crowded, linear-oblong, 

 acuminate pinnae, spinosely serrulate at the margin. The fertile fronds are sometimes very 

 much contracted, sometimes only partially so. 



Bromelia sceptkiim.— Messrs. Veitch & Son [S.C.C. and S.B.]. — A noble-looking plant 

 with the general aspect of a Pine Apple, to which it is closely related. The leaves were 

 long and widely spreading, dark green ; the upper ones acquiring a reddish tinge, and the 

 margins armed with strong, distant, spiny teeth. In the centre of the tuft of leaves just 

 lifted out of the heart, was the large closely pyramidal panicle of flowers, the base of which 

 was decorated with rich scarlet bracts or small leaves, the upper bracts amongst the flowers 

 being white. The whole panicle was whitish with a kind of mealiness, and the blossoms 

 were white tipped with purple. It was a regal-looking plant. 



Calceolaria Bijou.— Mr. Watson, St. Albans [S.C.C.].— A shrubby variety, with deep 

 chocolate crimson flowers. It was rewarded for its merit as a bedding variety. 



