CALEDONIAN HOKTICULTURAL SOCIETY — REVIEW. 
I 
CALEDONIAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The Winter Anmial Meeting was lield on December 
6tli, in the Experimental Gardens, Invcrluith, ^vllcn tlie 
oflicc-bearers for 1850 were elected, and varions prizes 
were awarded, as follows: — For Dessert Pears, exclusive 
of Marie Louise, prizes were awarded to Mr. J. Morri- 
son, gardener to Robert Ainslio, Esq., of Elvingston, for 
Chaiunontelle, Gausell's Bergamot, and Crassamie ; and 
to Mr. Baxter, gardener to Sir J. Gibson Craig, Bart., 
Eiocarton, for Benrre Eance, Easter Bevm-e, and "Winter 
Nelis. Fine Marie Louise Pears were exhibited by Mr. 
Monison. For Table Apples, prizes were voted to Mr. 
A. Calder, gardener to Lady Harris, Soacliif, for Seaclifif 
Apple, Gravenstein, Borsdorft'er, Eibston Pippin, King 
of Pii)i>ins, and Old I^^onpai-eil ; and to Mr. Morrison for 
Scarlet Nonpareil, Gellini, Paradise Pippin, Eibston 
Pippin, MeMlle Pippin, and Cepbalonia. Mr. M'Intosh, 
of Dalliieith, sent a fine collection of fruit, including two 
Pine Apples, and fifty varieties of Apples proved and 
named at Dalkeith. Mr. Baxter, of Riccarton, sent four 
fine bunches of retarded Grapes, one of wliich, named 
Abercairney Seedling, was pai-tieidarly pointed out as a 
good Winter Grape. German Greens, of Alder's fine 
dwarf -s'aiiety, were sent by Mr. MitcbeD, gardener to 
Lady Keith, Ravelston; the Scotch Flag Leek, large 
and well blanched, by Mr. Blair, gardener to J. C. Ben- 
ton, Esq. ; and Celery — Seymom-'s matchless red and su- 
perb white, from Mr. Sinclair, gardener, TiUechewau Cas- 
tle, Dumbarton — and Sutton's superb white, and Cole's 
dwarf red, from Mr. Henderson, gardener to C. K. Sieve- 
wi-ight, Esq., Cargilfield. Wyatt's variety of Eed Beet 
from Mr. King, gardener to A. Campbell, Esq., of Dud- 
dingston Lodge, was selected for reward. For Onions, 
prizes were given to Mr. Morrison for Deptford, James' 
Keeping, and Blood red ; and to Mr. Allan, gardener, 
Seaparck, Forres, for Eeading, James' Keeping, and 
Strasburg. Mr. Blair, of MordingtonHouse, exhibited six 
varieties of seedling Potatoes raised fi-om American seeds, 
which were ordered to be tried in the Society's garden. 
Chrysanthemums were the principal flowers exhibited. 
The prizes for single clusters of twelve varieties were 
awarded to Mr. Yormg, gardener to Mrs. H. N. Fergu- 
son, of Arcberfield, who had Minerva, Due de Nemours, 
General Morceau, Salter's Annie, Queen of YeUows, 
Princess Maria, Clustered Yellow, Queen Victoria, 
Comte de Eantzau, Bicolor, Queen, and Marquis ; and 
to Mr. Mitchell, for Temple of Solomon, Princess Marie, 
Antoinette, Celestial, Queen, Salter's Annie, and others. 
For the most dwarf and finest-flowered plants, the prize 
was awarded to Mr. A. Sleigh, gardener to the Lord 
Advocate, Lam-iston Castle, the lands being Bicolor, 
Queen, Mii-abile, and Da^dd. Mr. Addison, of Gosford, 
sent thi-ee fine seedling Chinese Prinn'oses, for one of 
which, a cross between the rose and white varieties, a 
certificate of merit was granted. Messrs. P. Lawson 
and Son ofl'ered a prize of Tsvo Guineas for the best 
collection of dried specimens of Hardy Perennial Herba- 
ceous Plants, which was awarded to Mr. J. Jefii-ey, 
joiu'neymau, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Ediubm-gh, 
whose eoLLection contained 1,692 species and varieties. 
The Silver Medal of the Society was given, as second 
prize, to Mr. A. Jaffirey, jom-neyman. Experimental 
Gardens, whose collection consisted of 2,045 species and 
varieties, and also contained several sheets of carefully 
executed dissections of the parts of the flower. Both 
collections were arranged according to the Natm-al Sys- 
tem. The Silver Medal, oifered by the Society for the 
best collection of British plants, including FUices, was 
awarded to Mr. G. M'Hattie, journeyman. Royal Botanic 
Garden, whose Hortus Siccus included 570 species, cor- 
rectly named and arranged according to the Natm'al 
System. A second prize, with certificate of merit, was 
voted to Mr. J. Pender, joiu'neyman, Barnton, for a col- 
lection containing 363 species, arranged according to the 
.system of Linnojus. An additional award, with certifi- 
cate of merit, was granted to Mr, W. Syme, jom-neyman, 
BlairhiU, Stu'ling, who produced a coUeotion, consisting 
of 102 species, con-eetly named. These various collec- 
tions of dried plants had been carefidly examined by the 
Professor of Botany and two other distingiushed bo- 
tanists, who reported that they were so extensive, and 
the nomenclature so accmate, as to do credit to the com- 
petitors, not merely as higldy intelligent practical gar- 
deners, but as advanced students in botany. 
REVIEW. 
Gardening for Children. Edited by the Eev. C. A. 
Johns, B.A., F.L.S. Second Edition. London : 
C. Cox, King WiUiam Street, Strand. 
The idea of this little book is excellent ; and it is 
well executed. A series of instructions on all the lead- 
ing operations of gardening are strung together in a 
narrative which just serves to carry on the attention 
from one fact to another ; and in this way the little 
gardeners ai'e taught, in plain and simple language, 
how to manage the plots which "Papa" has given them 
to cultiv.ate. Although it is professedly a mere skim- 
ming of the sm-face of the subject, — diving too deeply 
for the comprehension of the ehUd being stucUously 
avoided, — yet there are, in some parts, important facts 
and lessons of which children of a larger growth some- 
times need to be reminded ; such are a set of gar- 
dening maxims that appropriately close the little vo- 
lume, which is, moreover, prettdy got up — small square 
pages, about five inches by four, numbering up to 182, 
well printed, interspersed with many pious reflections, 
and illustrated by upwards of sixty neat wood-engrav- 
ings of garden tools, choice flowers, weeds, and such 
lite. 
"Little Willy's" fu-st gardening scheme is so quaint, 
that we cannot refrain ti'om qiioting it, as an illustra- 
tion of the reverend author's style : — " One evening, in 
October, a little boy was sitting, with his father and 
mother, busily occupied in picking caraway seeds out of 
some biscuits which had been given him for his even- 
ing's meal. Presently he looked up, \vith an air of 
great satisfaction, and said, ' Look, mamma, what a lot 
of seeds I have got ! ' ' Well, Wdly, and what are you 
going to do with them ? ' ' Oh, papa has given me a 
little garden for my own, and when the right time 
comes, I shall sow them in the groimd ; and then they 
A\dll grow up into plants, and I shall be able to pick 
from them as many caraway biscuits as ever I like ! 
