304 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
[ April 13, 1832. 
planted a tree called l ' Madre de Cacao” (Mother of Cocoa), a species 
of Erythrina or Coral Tree. It sheds its leaves towards the end of the 
dry season, and during the wet season flames out into crimson flowers, 
resembling those of the Gladiolus, and in such numbers as to com¬ 
pletely cover the tree. It thus affords abundant shade during the 
whole year, and to give this shade to the Cacao trees is the object in 
planting it. On the plantation of the Lacayo family, “ Las Malaccas,” 
the “ mother trees,” are old, and more than 70 feet high, and in May, 
the first rainy month, are all in gorgeous blossom. When these trees 
are seen from an elevated position, mixed with the green of the Banana, 
a Cacao tree affords a sight, not merely of beauty, but of wealth. The 
flowers of the Cacao tree itself are borne in bunches, and are of a 
delicate pinkish white. The trees are very infertile, producing only 
from 25 to 30 ounces of seed in a year. The seeds are borne in a pod 
shaped very much like a Cucumber, and are embedded in a pulpy 
substance, which is very pleasant to eat, and this is known to 
the monkeys, which give the proprietor of an orchard much 
trouble to protect his trees from them. The Nicaragua Cacao is the 
best in the world. The French chocolate manufacturing firm of 
Menier acquired a large tract of land in that country for the 
purpose of producing it. The native method of preparing the cocoa 
is by putting it in Gourds 6 or 7 inches deep with some fine corn meal, 
and stirring it with a stick, when it rises above the mouth of the 
Gourd in a foam stiffer than that of strong ale. It is almost always 
drunk cold. 
.ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
April 11th. 
Though the weather was exceedingly fine the attendance of exhi¬ 
bitors or visitors at the Society’s second Promenade Show was not 
large. Several fine groups were staged in the conservatory, but the 
Council-room was comparatively bare. 
Fruit Committee. —John Lee, Esq., in the chair. The exhibits 
were few and not of great importance. Mr. C. Kershaw, Brighouse, 
sent samples of a seedling Rhubarb of good colour, and the Committee 
requested that roots be sent to Chiswick for trial. Mr. J. Douglas, 
The Gardens, Loxford Hall, Ilford, exhibited two good fruits of 
Directeur Alphand Pear grown in an orchard house. From the 
Society’s gardens fine dishes of Apples were sent, comprising Lane’s 
Prince Albert, Bother Eisen, Norfolk Bearer, Norfolk Coleman, and 
Norfolk Beautin, all in good condition, but the Committee considered 
that the three last names were synonymous. 
Floral Committee. —G. F. Wilson, Esq., in the chair. Messrs. H. 
Cannell & Sons, Swanley, had a pretty collection of cut flowers, includ¬ 
ing a box of very fine double Cinerarias, which were especially note¬ 
worthy. The varieties were Sophia, very full, rich rose-crimson ; 
Ada, deep purple, large ; Phoebe, pink and white ; Kate, white tinged 
with pink ; and Mr. T. Lloyd, deep blue purple, large. A good yellow 
Wallflower named Cannell’s Yellow, with the pink-and-white-striped 
Star-and-Stripes Verbena and the yellow Richardia hastata were also 
shown. A vote of thanks was accorded. Mr. B. S. Williams, Upper 
Holloway, contributed a group of new plants, comprising a fine spe¬ 
cimen of the large-flowered pink-tinted Crinurn Makoyanum, the 
orange-scarlet-coloured Imantophyllum aurantiacum, the white Ama¬ 
ryllis Mrs. B. S. Williams, the white-spathed Anthurium Lucien 
Linden, several Palms, Alocasias, and Aralias. 
Mr. C. Green, gardener to Sir George Macleay, Pendell Court, Blet- 
chingley, sent several interesting plants and flowers, among them being 
a flower head of a rare and handsome Proteaceous plant, Telopea spe- 
ciosissima, the Waratah of New Holland, for which a cultural commen¬ 
dation and vote of thanks were awarded. The flowers are very bright 
red, in a close globular head, with long dark red bracts at the base. 
The leaves are leathery, like those of many other allied genera, and 
coarsely serrated. Flowers of Canna iridiflora Ehemanni, and Orchis 
tephrosanthes were also shown, the former highly coloured, the latter 
neat, purple and mauve. Mr. Fagg, gardener to Lieut.-Col. Deare, 
Englefield Green, Egham, showed a plant of Dendrobium macro- 
phyllum Dearei, which has large flowers similar to the species, but 
pure white ; they also possess the peculiar powerful odour of the type. 
Mr. Lloyd, Brookwood Asylum, sent plants of a new Coleus named 
Progress, which has neat deeply crenated leaves curiously spotted, 
streaked, and splashed with crimson, maroon, green, and yellow on a 
light ground. Mr. A. Chapman, gardener to R. S. Holford, Esq., 
Westonbirt, sent blooms of a sport from Rose Marie Van Houtte, dis¬ 
tinct, rather loose, but very fragrant, and with a fine reddish tint in 
the petals. 
Mr. R. Parker, Tooting, sent two baskets of Megaseas—one, M. cordi- 
folia, with neat rich purple flowers in close heads, and the other, 
M. crassifolia media, with drooping pink flowers in loose panicles. 
The former is of very vigorous habit. Mr. R. Dean, Ealing, had a 
pretty group of Primroses and Polyanthuses, including amongst the 
former Royal Purple, rich purple ; and Brilliant, deep maroon. 
Amongst the latter Mont Blanc, white, with orange eye, and Premier, 
pale yellow with orange eye. Mr.. Howard, Southgate, sent plants of 
two Tree Carnations—Mr. Dickson, salmon streaked with red, and 
Mrs. Buck, similar but lighter and with fewer streaks. Mr. Henry 
Hooper, Bath, exhibited a fine collection of Pansy blooms, for which a 
vote of thanks was accorded. Mr. Lyon, gardener to Sir E. H. Scott, 
Bart., Sundridge Park, Bromley, sent a fine basket of Miles’ Hybrid 
Spiral Mignonette, the plants being in excellent health and bearing 
long spikes of flowers. A cultural commendation was awarded. Mr. 
G. F. Wilson, Weybridge, sent flowers of Ranunculus Heldreichii, a 
species having very large shining yellow flowers. 
In the conservatory there was a pretty but a small display of 
plants and flowers, the groups being confined to one side of the 
central walk. Captain Patton, Alpha Road, Regent’s Park, exhibited 
a large collection of Tulip and Narcissus blooms, the former in¬ 
cluding more than a hundred very distinct varieties. The flower 
stalks were placed in small glasses filled with damp sand and moss, 
but the flowers had faded considerably. A silver medal was awarded. 
Messrs. H. Lane & Son, Great Berkhampstead, staged a handsome 
group of Rhododendrons, mostly of moderate size, but flowering 
profusely. One of the most telling varieties was Auguste Van Geert, 
with very large loose head of rosy crimson flowers. A group of 
Roses in pots was also contributed by the same firm, all very healthy, 
and several, especially Anna Alexiefl: and Abel Grand, being well 
flowered. A silver medal was awarded for each contribution. A 
similar award was also granted to Messrs. Barr & Sugden for an ex¬ 
tensive collection of Daffodils and hardy plants. Mr. B. S. Williams, 
Upper Holloway, was awarded a silver medal for a large and brilliant 
group of Orchids and Amaryllises, the latter including some excel¬ 
lent varieties, and all were very tastefully arranged. The Cranston 
Nursery and Seed Company, Hereford, sent five boxes of Rose blooms, 
Niphetos, Mareclial Niel, and Madame Emile Bupuy being largely 
represented, with many other good varieties, especially Teas, the 
Red Safrano being especially noteworthy ; plants and flowers of 
Hoya globulosa were also sent. A bronze medal was awarded. 
First-class certificates were awarded for the following plants : 
Anthurium Schertzerianum Woodbridgei (Woodbridge). A very 
handsome variety from the Syon House Gardens, remarkable both 
for the colour and size of the spathes. These were 5J to 6 inches 
long and 3J inches broad, of an extremely rich tint. 
Rhododendron Forsterianum (Veitch).—One of the R. Veitchianum 
type, a beautiful form, with large white open fragrant flowers about 
6 inches in diameter, with a slight yellow blotch in the centre, Lhey 
are borne in neat heads, three or four in each. The habit of the 
plant is compact, the leaves being elliptical in form, 4 inches long by 
2 broad. 
Cattleya Mendeli Jamesianum (James).—A superb variety with ex¬ 
tremely richly coloured flowers, the sepals and petals broad, of a soft 
purplish hue, the lip deeply bordered with rich crimson, a yellow 
centre, fading to nearly white. 
Verbena Stars and Stripes (Cannell).—A most distinct variety, with 
large flowers about an inch in diameter, and regularly striped with 
rose and white. 
Crinum Makoyanum (Williams).— One of the most handsome 
Crinums, having large open blush-tinted nearly white flowers, borne 
on a scape 3 feet in height. Six or more flowers are produced on 
each head, and the plant has a very noble appearance. 
Primula lalifolia (Dean).—In the habit and form of the flowers this 
is rather suggestive of P. nivalis, though otherwise very distinct. 
The leaves are coarsely serrated and have a plain smooth surface ; 
the flowers being rosy purple with a pale yellow eye, and are borne 
in loose umbels. . . 
Dendrobium macrophyllum Dearei (Fagg).—A beautiful variety with 
pure white flowers, similar in shape and size to the species. It was 
collected in South Manila by Lieut.-Col. Deare, who imported the 
plant shown. 
Carnation Alice Duffield. —Mr. G. Duffield, gardener to K. Meyei, 
Esq., Winchmore Hill, N., obtained a second-class certificate for this 
very distinct and pretty variety of Tree Carnation, the flowers are 
large, full, of good form, white streaked with rosy pink. 
Scientific Committee. —Dr. M. T. Masters in the chair. Rhodo¬ 
dendrons. — Mr. Mangles exhibited a beautiful series of hybrid 
Rhododendrons as follows— R. Forsterianum, between R. Edgewoithn 
(male) and Veitchianum (female), raised hy Mr. Otto Forstei ot 
Lehenhof, Austria, who was the first to bloom R. Nuttalln m Luiope. 
It is a beautiful combination of both parent forms, being very lai^e 
and fragrant. The hybrid appears to be quite barren. Hybnd 
between R. campylocarpum (yellow), and a crimson hybrid as the 
female : the flowers are pendulous ; the yellow tint of the male 
parent being nearly lost, but the characters of the flowers are re¬ 
tained. It is pink when first opening, but almost white finally, this 
hybrid bears seed and has good pollen. Hybrid between R. Ihom- 
soni and R. Fortunei; it is peculiar in having far more flowers in the 
truss than either parent. It is apparently fertile and has an abun¬ 
dance of good pollen. Hybrid between R. argenteum and R. ponticum ; 
the flowers very inferior to the male parent, tubular, pink, and with 
aborted anthers, the colour of ponticum being prepotent. R. niveum, 
a true species from Sikkim, with peculiar lavender-coloured flowers. 
The flowers when young are snowy white below, hence the specific 
name. R. virgatum, a dwarf Himalayan species, with the flower buds 
in the axils of the leaves. He also exhibited seedlings and hybrids 
of R. ponticum and R. arboreum. In the latter the colour of 
arboreum is prepotent over that of ponticum. _ Azalea linearifolia 
from Japan. A vote of thanks was unanimously given to Mr. Mangles. 
Another collection was sent by Hon. and Rev. Mr. Boscawen from 
Cornwall, including the true species mentioned above, R. niveum 
and R. arboreum, and many seedlings, amongst which may be noticed 
the white Hon. Mrs. Townsend Boscawen. A vote of thanks was 
given to Mr. Boscawen for his collection of Rhododendrons. 
