14 



THE FLORAL MAGAZINE. 



Le Jardin du Hamma de la Societe Gene'rale Algerienne. 



This pamphlet has been called forth by some observa- 

 tions which seem to have been made against the present 

 direction of the garden, under the care of M. Riviere, 

 son of the accomplished director of the Garden of the 

 Luxembourg, at Paris, and is a successful vindication of 

 the management. It appears that the garden was in a 

 very bad condition when handed over to the Society in 

 1 868, that since then it has been completely remodelled, 

 and that the three objects which it was stipulated 

 should be carried out have been successfully achieved. 

 It has been made a public promenade, has cultivated 

 indigenous plants for distribution, and has also received 

 many exotics which have become acclimatized and also 

 distributed. Amongst other things we are glad to see 

 that the fine collection of Bromeliads which had perished 

 in the siege of Paris has been preserved in duplicate 

 here. 



G. W. HOYLE, ESQ., READING. 



There has lately passed away from amongst us, at 

 the age of seventy-one, a gentleman to whose skill 

 and perseverance as a hybridizer the pages of the 

 " Floral Magazine" have been indebted for many of its 

 most beautiful subjects, and to whom all lovers of the 

 pelargonium owe a great deal of enjoyment, for to 

 Mr. Hoyle, perhaps more than to any man, is the past 

 improvement that has been made in the pelargoniums 

 to be attributed. We say this, recollecting Mr. Foster, 

 of Clewes, and Mr. Garth, of Farnham; and the simplest 

 way to test this is by observing the varieties which 

 take the place of honour at our exhibitions. It will be 

 found that by far the greater portion are of Mr. Hoyle's 

 raising. Of late years Mr. Foster has got out of the 

 narrow-petaled varieties, and his flowers now assume the 

 round petals and form of Mr. Hoyle's flowers. We re- 

 member the enthusiasm with which our friend detailed, 

 on a visit we paid him, his various specimens and those 

 he hoped to obtain, and we were therefore much sur- 

 prised to hear that he had abandoned his favourite 

 pursuit; but so it was. Whether he considered that 

 improvement could no further go, or that increasing 

 age hindered him from following it out with his former 

 energy, at any rate he thoroughly gave it up, and 

 when we last saw him he was as enthusiastic over 

 fungi as he had been over his pelargoniums. 



Mr. Hoyle did not take up a public position as a 

 horticulturist ; he wrote but little, did not exhibit 



his own flowers, which always passed into Mr. Turner's 

 hands, and was another instance of the many we have 

 known who combined a real hearty piety with a zealous 

 love of flowers. His name will be gratefully re- 

 membered by many who love the flowers he did so 

 much for. 



GEORGE LIGHTBODY, OF FALKIRK. 



We had hardly penned our brief notice of Mr. Hoyle 

 when we received from his family a notification of the 

 death of an old and valued correspondent, Mr. Light- 

 body, of Falkirk, one of the last surviving members of 

 the old florists, who pursued with such untiring 

 energy and skill the cultivation of florists' flowers. He 

 was not only a successful cultivator of the Tulip, Pink, 

 Ranunculus, and Auricula, but the originator of many 

 fine new varieties, especially of the two latter. His 

 stock of Ranunculi comprised between three and four 

 hundred named varieties, all of his own raising, while 

 his Lord Clyde, Richard Headly, Star of Bethlehem, 

 and other Auriculas, will always bear witness to his skill 

 as a hybridizer. Latterly, owing to his infirm health, he 

 had abandoned all his cultures with the exception of the 

 Auricula. 



GARDEN ECONOMICS. 



LOOKER'S HOLLOW BRICK VENTILATOR. 



An ingenious contrivance for the admission of fresh 

 air into garden frames, ground vineries, forcing pits, 

 &c. The bricks are grooved and a sliding-board runs 

 on the grooves, consequently air can be admitted 

 partially; or the whole of the apertures can be closed, 

 as shown in the accompanying woodcuts. The price 

 is reasonable, and we believe they will be found most 

 useful in all such structures as Protectors, Acme 

 Frames, &c. It is not the fault of inventors if the 

 gardening world are not supplied with helps to carry on 

 their operations. 



potties to dorrespontontss. 



Messrs. Cutbush aud Son, Highgate.— The perpetual flowering dark 

 clove carnation is likely to be a valuable addition to this class. 



W. H. — The geranium, although pretty, is too flimsy in texture. 

 We have many superior to it. 



