C PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
January 14th, 1879. 
ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING. 
H. J. Elwes, Esq., in tlie Chair. 
Notwithstanding the very unfavourable weather, there was a 
most interesting collection of plants exhibited. Two important 
groups of more than ordinary interest were displayed. That 
which had completely filled the entrance vestibule since the 
middle of December, contributed by Messrs. Charles Lee and Son, 
of Hammersmith, had apparently not suffered in the least from 
the severe frost and sudden thaw, showed how much may be 
done in the way of conservatory decoration with handsome 
evergreen foliage plants only, which require no artificial heat 
at all. Messrs. Lee’s collection consisted of varieties of Cupressus, 
Juniperus, Abies, Thuja, Biota, Taxus, Retinospora, Euony- 
mus, Ligustrum, Osmanthus, &c., &c., amongst the more 
striking of which may he named Taxodium alba spica, with 
graceful branches, each of which is tipped with white; Taxus 
fastigiata aurea (Standish), with bright golden foliage ; Retinospora 
obtusa aurea and R. pisifera aurea , both with graceful habit and 
golden foliage, and quite hardy ; some plants of Osmanthus ilici- 
folia, grown as standards grafted on the common privet, and 
of Euonymus, and variegated Ligustrums, as standards, were 
much noticed. The object of Messrs. Yeitch and Son’s group, on 
the other hand, was to show how much beauty and fragrance 
might he afforded by forcing some of our well known hardy 
flowering shrubs, the White Lilac for example. Staphylea 
colchica, a well known hardy shrub, was now made to appear in 
a new, interesting, and highly satisfactory character as a forced 
plant covered with bloom. There were also in this collection 
some fine specimens of Daphne indica in flower, Primula sinensis 
and Lily of the Valley. Messrs. Osborn and Sons exhibited a 
group of Aucuhas, in very fine berry. Mr. Cannell, of Swanley, 
showed some cut blooms of Pelargoniums, almost superior in 
colour, size and form to anything that had been seen during 
the summer ; Mr. Cannell’s success in flowering Pelargoniums 
in the winter is remarkable. Mr. Williams showed a few 
Orchids, one of which, Cymbidium affine, is quite new; it has 
the habit of C. Parishii, which indeed it was taken to he before 
