8 



THE FLORAL MAGAZINE. 



to Francis Whitborne, Esq., Loxford Hall, Ilford, was 

 first amongst amateurs with a remarkably fine collection. 

 There were some very good collections of plants in 

 flower : Chinese Primulas, and Cyclamens were exhi- 

 bited in large collections by Mr. Goddard, gardener to 

 H. Little, Esq., Twickenham ; Messrs. Dobson and Co. 

 of Isleworth, Mr. Wiggins, and Mr. James. Amongst the 

 novelties in these classes was a Cyclamen with fringed 

 edges, exhibited by Mr. Wiggins ; some new Hyacinths 

 from Mr. Wm. Paul, Waltham Cross ; while new Palms 

 and plants were exhibited by Messrs. Veitch, Rollison, 

 and Williams, amongst the most noticeable being 

 Veitchea Canteburyana, Kentia australis, and Kentia 

 Fosteriania, from Mr. Veitch ; Toxicophlsea Thunbergi, 

 from Mr. Williams ; and Martinezia erosa and 

 Calamus verticillaris, from Messrs. Rollison. Mr. 

 Ware had one of his charming collections of spring 

 plants; and Messrs. Carter a basket of a new scarlet 

 pelargonium, Velocipede, which seems likely to be an 

 acquisition. 



GARDEN ECONOMICS. 



CLIMAX LAWN-MOWER. 

 Without at all entering into the merits of the different 

 lawn-mowers, we can safely recommend this as an adjunct 

 to any now in use. Nothing is more usual now than to 

 have narrow grass borders, and for these even the 

 12-inch mower is too wide when the beds are filled. 

 The Climax Mower, the invention of Messrs. Fellows 

 and Bates, Manchester, answers admirably for all such 

 places, as well as for those small plots where the owner 

 would consider it not worth his while to go to the ex- 

 pence of a larger machine. We used it during the last 

 summer, and found it admirably adapted for the above- 

 mentioned purposes. That it was appreciated by the 

 public may be gathered from the fact that between five 

 and six thousand were sold last season. 



DINNER TABLE DECORATIONS. 

 It would seem that the rage for this use of flowers is 

 greater than ever, if we may argue anything from the 

 fact that the Royal Horticultural Society offers alto- 

 gether 84-/. in prizes for table decorations; its premier 

 prize of the whole year, 30/., being the first prize for a 

 din ner table laid completely for twenty ; while we 

 also observe that the proprietors of the " Gardener's 

 Magazine" offer prizes to the amount of 25/. for the 

 same object, making the very wise proviso that artificial 

 light must be used ; and yet notwithstanding these large 

 amounts, we are assured that a far more simple style of 

 ornamentation than that formerly used is now the only 

 one which is tolerated at the best tables. And we can 

 quite understand this : the tax upon both the garden 



and the time of those who undertake the arrange- 

 ment is very great. When first the fashion was intro- 

 duced, high stands, such as those invented by Mr. 

 Marsh, and called from him Marsh Stands, with two 

 receptacles for flowers, one about eighteen inches above 

 the other, with a glass rod as a support, were much 

 used. Various modifications of these were introduced, 

 and we have even seen the centre of a round table filled 

 with a pile of gorgeous orchids and other flowers four 

 feet high ; but these were seen to have the disadvantage 

 of hiding the guests of one side of the table from those 

 on the other. Small plants have also been much used. 

 Then shallow trays of flowers placed in the centre 

 of the table ; while more recently nothing higher than 

 a foot has been permitted, and small specimen glasses 

 holding a few flowers placed before each guest, or 

 round the central lamp, as the case may be. We 

 cannot but think this is by far the more sensible 

 method. We shall be curious to see what new com- 

 binations these liberal prizes may be the means of 

 bringing forward. Certain it is that those who are 

 to act as judges on the occasion ought to be persons 

 not only of good taste, but who are conversant with the 

 usages of modern society in its best phases ; we are too 

 apt to run into extravagances when copying the doings 

 of our neighbours. And so in this instance we make 

 ourselves ridiculous by the extremes to which we have 

 run in copying " diner a la Russe." It may be that we 

 shall see something of a more refined and purer taste 

 than those which have taken prizes of late years. 



CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



H. CannelFs Illustrated Floral Guide for 1872.— 

 This is something more than a mere catalogue. Mr. 

 Cannell professes in it not only to give the names 

 of new varieties of plants, but also his own observations 

 upon them, and as he confines himself exclusively to 

 what are ordinarily called soft-wooded plants, and is a 

 keen and sharp-witted observer, his recommendations 

 may safely be relied on ; moreover, there is much 

 pleasant and interesting information as to the various 

 classes and the raisers of the new flowers, and he adopts 

 the system of not only selling rooted plants, but also 

 cuttings and rooted-cuttings, so that for a small sum 

 lovers of these flowers may have the opportunity of 

 adding to their collection. 



3To ©orrcspon&tnts. 



T. S. — Disa pauciflora is no doubt given to capriciousness, as all who 

 have grown it can testify ; it has been tried during the past year as an 

 out-of-door plant by Dr. Moore, of Glasnevin, and it succeeded admi- 

 rably. But you would hardly like to try it thus until it was more abun- 

 dant with you. 



B. S. — We hope to give a group of the plants shortly. 



