180 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. { August 25, mi. 
this step, the Directors are confident of having the support of the 
shareholders, subscribers, and the general public. By the system 
at present carried on the garden is continuously deprived of its 
choicest flowers and finest plants to meet the demands of pur¬ 
chasers, and the hiring-out of decorative plants leads to very 
serious injury to the specimens. The Directors believe that the 
announcement of this resolution will materially benefit the 
garden, and they anticipate that it will lead to increased libe¬ 
rality in the way of donations of plants and seeds from those 
interested in the institution. Moreover, as the institution will 
now cease to compete in the market with nurserymen and florists, 
the Directors trust that the characteristic generosity of these gen¬ 
tlemen towards public gardens will be extended to this institution, 
and that it will receive from them specimens not only of known 
and familiar plants, but also of novelties, as they are from time 
to time introduced. Contributions of plants and seeds are at all 
times gratefully acknowledged by the Directors, but at the pre¬ 
sent juncture will be especially welcomed, and the Directors 
earnestly solicit donations from those who have it in their power 
to give. So far as practicable, the Directors are prepared to make 
exchanges of plants and seeds, and they confidently look for 
increased support from the public in their endeavours to make 
their grounds a botanic garden worthy of the city. 
SINGLE v. DOUBLE FLOWERS. 
If “ Single-handed ” has been misunderstood he has himself 
to blame. The tone of his communications has been to exalt 
single forms at the expense of those that are double, the normal 
types of flowers as opposed to those which have been improved 
under culture. When a man affirms that in ninety-nine cases out 
of every hundred the addition of more petals to a perfectly formed 
flower has been to destroy beauty—when he unhesitatingly says 
that “the simple wild flowers are more lovely by far than even 
our favourite garden varieties”—when he writes an article in 
praise of a bouquet of weeds, and winds up by saying that 
“altogether it would be difficult to match our bouquet with all 
the wealth of the garden from which to choose”—has he a right 
to say that his “ observations have been misunderstood ?” With 
regard to Hollyhocks, though I would not say the individual 
flowers are beautiful singly, yet the Hollyhock is as a decorative 
plant unique in the effect it produces, double varieties being more 
showy than single ones. Now, might I ask why your correspon¬ 
dent prefers the double forms of Pinks, Picotees, and Carnations 
to those that are single ? and why are double Primulas and 
Azaleas inferior to single forms ? 
Is not the answer to the query “What is a cultivated and what 
a wild flower ?” rather puzzling 1 I grow a great many native 
plants in our border ; they are doubtless wild flowers, and as 
certainly cultivated. I do not object to their being called wild 
flowers even in that position ; but it is rather strange to place 
cultivated exotics in the same category. The term “wild flowers” 
has certainly a meaning, and embraces a defined number of 
plants, but few apply that term to Eucharis, Pancratium, Odonto- 
glossum, Epidendrum, or Aquilegia chrysantha. The reference 
to the cost of collecting and cultivating these and other tender 
exotics is quite beside the mark, and does not affect the question 
of beauty in any way. Either these are more beautiful—as your 
correspondent in his last communication allows they are—than 
the native flowers of which the bouquet was composed, on their 
own intrinsic merits, or they are not. As to selecting Odonto- 
glossums on the same lines as myself, if he does he will go con¬ 
trary to his previously expressed ideas on this matter, as at page 
392 of last vol. the practice of selecting Odontoglossum Alexandra) 
in the forms which approach nearest to the circular is condemned 
as being “false ” and “ bad in taste.” I decidedly prefer a broad- 
petalled variety.—R. P. Bkotherston. 
At page 158 of your much-respected Journal a writer signing 
“ Single-handed” mentions my name in an improper manner. 
He says, “ I never yet proposed the banishment of a single 
garden flower, yet Mr. Shirley Hibberd, in his lecture on the 
Carnation, goes out of his way to say that it has been proposed 
to abolish them all. It is certain either that that gentleman has 
not read my paper or has done me injustice in misrepresenting 
me. Others have honestly differed from me, or rather from what 
they have fancied my ideas to be.” It may be matter of opinion 
whether I went in my way or out of my way in vindicating the 
theory of floriculture in a lecture on the Carnation ; but as a 
matter of fact, your correspondent was not in my mind when I 
deplored the folly of those who profess to regard florists’ flowers 
as ugly lumps. Your correspondent may be sufficiently conscious 
of his own importance to suppose it impossible for anyone to 
discourse on the subject without referring to him. I really did 
not refer to any existing individual of any size or shape, but only 
to a mythical Caliban, the child of Nature, who loves water wi’ 
berries in’t. For me and my purpose he is an abstraction, and I 
deny the right of your correspondent to appropriate to himself 
the .characterisation.— Shirley Hibberd. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
August 23rd. 
Falling on the eve of the Great International Show at Man¬ 
chester, thi 3 could not be expected to be a large meeting ; never¬ 
theless, though comparatively small it was a very interesting 
gathering, both fruit and flowers being well represented, and the 
prizes offered by Messrs. Ewing & Co. of Norwich for collections of 
twenty-four varieties of sprays of hardy trees and shrubs were 
competed for. 
Fruit Committee. —Harry J. Veitch, Esq., in the chair. Three 
very handsome bunches of white Grapes of a new variety were sent 
by Mr. Ollerhead, gardener to Sir H. W. Peek, Bart., "Wimbledon 
House, named Ollerhead’s White; the bunches were massive in size 
and the berries fairly large. In appearance the bunch is not unlike 
Foster’s Seedling, but with Muscat-shaped berries. The Committee 
considered it a very promising Grape, and desired to see it again 
later in the season to test its keeping qualities. We are informed 
that the Vine that these Grapes were cut from carried a crop of 
fourteen similar bunches. Mr. Woodbridge, The Gardens, Syon 
House, sent a dish of Cherries named St. Margaret, an intensely 
black fruit, and particularly sweet, for which a letter of thanks was 
awarded. Southwood Gem Melon was exhibited by Mr. R. Roper, 
gardener to W. Hughes, Esq., Southwood House, Highgate, but the 
Committee passed it as unripe. Mr. Wilkinson, gardener to Viscount 
Gage, Firle Place, Sussex, sent several Melons, which were also passed. 
From Mr. Thos. Rivers, Sawbridgeworth, came a dish of Pears named 
The Beacon, of the Windsor type, but wanting in flavour. Potato 
Multum in Parvo was sent by Mr. Nesbit, gardener to Sir Thos. 
Whichcote, Bart., Aswarby Park, Sleaford, which the Committee 
recommended for a trial at Chiswick. A very fine box of Ecklinville 
Seedling and Duchess of Oldenburgh Apples, also some Tomatoes, 
were exhibited from the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens, 
Chiswick. 
Floral Committee. —James McIntosh, Esq., in the chair. Mr. 
T. Riches, The Grove Nursery, Tooting, staged about fifty varieties 
of hardy herbaceous plants, including Statice latifolia, Artemisia 
procera Fisheriana, Stenactis speciosa, Dactylis glomerata elegant- 
issima aurea, Rudbeckia Newmanni, Centranthus rubra and Cen- 
tranthus rosea, Campanula ranunculiflora flore-pleno, Campanula car- 
patica and carpatica pelviformis, Helianthus multiflorus, Dracoce- 
phalum Ruprechtii and D. peregrinum, Asperula hirta, Gypsophila 
paniculata, and Castillega indivisa, &c., for which collection a vote 
of thanks was deservedly awarded. Two pots of a new white Lobelia 
named compacta Bella came from Mr. James McKenzie, Wensley 
Rectory, Bedale, York, to which a vote of thanks was awarded. A 
cultural commendation was awarded to Mr. Balchin, Hassocks Gate 
Nursery, Keymer, Sussex, for Reseda odorata prolifera alba, previously 
certificated — a white-flowering Mignonette bearing innumerable 
panicles of flowers. Mr. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, 
sent a single Dahlia White Queen, which is very valuable for border 
decoration and for affording cut flowers. Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., 
Clapton Nursery, sent two plants of Odontoglossum Alexandra) to 
show the branching character of the spikes, which were produced in 
the cases in transit as imported from abroad. A vote of thanks was 
awarded. From Messrs. Veitch & Son came Lrelia Sedeni, the result 
of a cross between Cattleya superba and C. Devoniensis, with six 
flowers ; Ixora Chelsoni, a garden hybrid of a salmon buff colour ; 
also Ixora Westii hybrida odorata amboynensis, almost white when 
the flowers first open, but changing to pink; good habit and very 
distinct. From the Society’s gardens came a large collection of 
Dahlias principally of the Pompon type, a collection of Ceanothus, 
and Begonias ascotensis and Martiana. 
Certificates were awarded for the following plants— 
MascarenhaisiaCurnowiana (Lowe).—A Rhynchospermum-like plant 
with rosy pink star-shaped flowers, and apparently a free grower. 
Monnodes armenaicuni (Bull).—In colour a salmon orange, and 
carrying twenty-four flowers. 
Liliutn auratum cruentuni (Bull).—A very fine form, having the shape 
of the flowers of L. auratum, with the markings of L. lancifolium. 
Centaurea ragusina Russell i (Russell). — A compact form of the 
ragusina type, but less divided in the foliage. 
Coleus Edith Sentance (King).—A most striking variety, with dark 
velvety serrated edges and bright maroon centre. 
A second-class certificate was awarded to Gloxinia Mrs. Rapley 
(Rapley).—Rich crimson, of velvety texture. 
