THE FLORAL MAGAZINE 
NEW SERIES.] 
OCTOBER, 1877. 
[No. 70. 
HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 
At the meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on 
August 21st some new plants of considerable interest 
were staged. First-class certificates of merit were 
awarded to Lobelia Queen of the Whites (Messrs. 
Yeitch and Sons), a broad, smooth, pure white 
flowered variety of the tuberous-rooted section, and a 
valuable addition to this popular class of plants. To 
Oncidium preetexum (Messrs. Yeitch and Sons), a new 
species, remai-kably free flowering, the brown sepals 
and petals marked with yellow, the labellum yellow 
marked with brown. To Ixora formosa (Mr. John 
Fraser), a new and distinct garden hybrid bearing- 
large bold trusses of flowers of a bright Indian yellow 
hue. To Phaius Dodgsoni (Mr. B. S. Williams), a 
fine new addition to this genus obtained from the 
East Indies; having terminal spikes of pure white 
flowers, the upper surfaces of the lips pale cinnamon 
red. To a variety of Streptocarpus Greenii, named 
delicata (Mr. Green, Pendell Court Gardens, Bletch- 
ingley), the flowers white, faintly shaded with blue. 
To the following Gladioli, from the fine collection of 
Messrs. Kelway and Son, Langport, viz. :—Cymbeline, 
rosy pink with white throat, large in size, and of 
excellent quality. Prince George, rich deep vermilion 
red, with dark crimson centre, a noble spike; Oda¬ 
lisque, white, flaked, and marbled with rosy purple at 
the base of the segments, a charming variety of 
excellent quality; Charles Noble, scarlet, with a 
shaded white centre; and Baroness Burdett Coutts, 
pure white, suffused with purple on the lower segments, 
an exceedingly attractive variety of excellent quality. 
To Abies Menziesii Parryana (Mr. A. Waterer), a 
beautiful blue Spruce Fir from Colorado, the identity 
of which has not been clearly set forth, though it is 
supposed to be a perfectly distinct form. To Begonia 
Empress of India (Messrs. E. and J. Perkins, Leam¬ 
ington), a magnificent new form, with large and very 
fine flowers of a deep blood-red colour. A second- 
class certificate was awarded to Cselogyne corrugata 
(Mr. C. Green), a small white-flowered species with 
a yellow blotched lip ; and a Botanical commendation 
was voted for a species of Primula from J. A. Henry, 
Esq., obtained from the Sikkim Himalayas, in which 
the leaves are small and sharply serrated, and the 
powdered flowers of an ultramarine-blue shade of colour. 
At the meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society 
on September 4th first-class certificates were awarded 
to the following new plants. Zonal Pelargonium 
New Life (Mr. H. Cannell), bright pale scarlet flaked 
with white, a remarkable fine striped variety, greatly 
in advance of any of the continental forms produced 
of late years, the flowers large and of fine form and 
borne on bold trusses. To the following Dahlias from 
Mr. John Keynes, Salisbury: Henry Bond, bright 
lilac, with violet rose centre, a large well-formed flower 
of grand petal, outline, and centre. Louisa Neate, a 
singularly delicate and beautiful flower, colour apple- 
blossom-tinted mauve, large, full, and of fine form. 
The Countess, pale ground, tipped with purple, large, 
flat, and inclining to coarseness, and certainly not up 
to first-class mark. Bessie Ford, very soft lilac, 
deeper in colour towards the edge, a beautiful flower 
of the finest form, petal, and outline. Charles Wyatt, 
a fancy variety of great beauty, pale pinkish purple 
ground, striped and flaked scarlet and crimson, pro¬ 
nounced by Mr. Keynes to be the best fancy Dahlia he 
has ever raised, in form, petal, outline, and centre, as 
perfect as it can well be. It will also come as a Self¬ 
lilac and a Self-purple, and in both instances is very 
fine for exhibition purposes. 
On the occasion of the Exhibition at the Alexandra 
Palace, Muswell Hill, on Thursday, September 13th, 
Seedling Dahlias were also shown, and Mr. Keynes 
received First-Class Certificates for Bessie Ford, 
Louisa Neate, and Maid of Athens, an attractive fancy 
variety, the ground colour maroon tipped with red and 
white, distinct in character and likely to be very use¬ 
ful. Mr. C. Turner, Royal Nursery, Slough, received 
First-Class Certificates for Charles Lidgard, golden 
yellow, tipped with purplish lake, a fine and attractive 
flower of excellent build; and Lady Golightly, white, 
delicately tipped with soft lilac, a beautifully formed 
flower of a very attractive character. Messrs. Raw¬ 
lings Bros., Romford, had the same award for James 
Willing, a line Self-crimson tipped with magenta 
purple, very attractive and distinct in character. 
The present year has undoubtedly furnished some of 
the finest new Dahlias yet raised; and the good 
flowers are more abundant than usual. Particularly 
is this true of the flowers raised by Mr. John Keynes, 
some half-dozen at least of which are real acquisitions, 
and will be warmly welcomed by lovers of this fine 
summer and autumn flower. 
