JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
142 
[ August 12, 1880. 
Mr. Harrison Weir, Weirleigb, sent bunches of Champion Muscat, 
Venn’s Muscat, and Madresfield Court Muscat Grapes, remarkably 
well grown, the bunches and berries large and finely coloured. A 
silver medal was awarded. Mr. C. Turner, Slough, contributed 
examples of Potato Early Bird, a handsome variety that is to be sent 
to Chiswick for trial. Messrs. Carter & Co., High Holborn, exhibited 
a collection of Tomatoes in pots. About fifteen varieties were repre¬ 
sented, including the small-fruited varieties such as Red Currant and 
Cherry, as well as the large forms. A bronze medal was awarded for 
this very interesting group. Mr. Mclndoe, The Gardens, Hutton 
Hall, Guisborough, sent a fruit of Melon Marcellus, not of first-rate 
flavour but handsome. Mr. John Crossling, The Gardens, St. Fagan’s 
Castle, Cardiff, also exhibited a Melon that was rather deficient in 
flavour. Messrs. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, sent a number of plants of 
Seakale of the varieties Chiswick White and Lily White for com¬ 
parison with the common form. 
Floral Committee. —James McIntosh, Esq., in the chair. Mr. 
H. Canned of Swanley, Kent, was accorded a vote of thanks for 
large collections of plants of considerable merit. Cockscombs were 
represented by a number of handsome plants, very dwarf, with large 
finely arched heads. The colours were various and extremely rich, 
the shades of crimson and pink being especially noticeable. “ Can¬ 
ned's Perfection Balsams ” were also bearing large flowers of good 
form and of many different shades. A number of Coleuses were 
shown, including several fine varieties. Mr. W. Bud, King’s Road, 
Chelsea, contributed a group of new and handsome plants, among 
which the most noteworthy were Dieffenbachia Leopoldi, a distinct 
form with velvety deep green elliptical leaves, each with a promi¬ 
nent white midrib ; the habit was compact. Geonoma princeps, an 
elegant pinnate-leaved Palm ; Brunsvigia Josephinae, an Amaryllid 
with a tad umbellate scape, bearing red flowers on long pedicels ; 
Astrocaryum Malybo, a Palm with pinnate shining green leaves and 
broad pinnae ; Odontoglossum vexillarium rubrum, a deeply coloured 
form of that beautiful Orchid; Selaginellainvolvens variegata, a form 
of this tufted Selaginella with a few white branches ; and Agapan- 
thus umbellatus albus. 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, had a group of Liliums, including 
several beautiful forms of L. auratum, were especially notable. L. 
speciosum verum was very beautiful, the rosy crimson tint being very 
clear. L. tigrinum flore pleno had neatly formed flowers, and Lilium 
longiflorum albo-marginatum had large pure white flowers and leaves 
edged with white. The neat little Angrmcum Scottianum had 
several flowers. The pretty shrub Eucryphia pinnatifolia was also 
represented by flowering sprays. Mr. J. Walker, Thame, Oxon, sent 
a number of flowers of Dahlias, large, of excellent form, and com¬ 
prising some distinct and handsome varieties. A vote of thanks was 
accorded. Mr. Charles Turner, Slough, exhibited about eight dozen 
blooms of Carnations and Picotees in very fine condition, and in¬ 
cluding a large number of handsome varieties. A pale primrose- 
coloured self variety named Lady Rosebery was very attractive. 
From the Society’s garden at Chiswick were sent a collection of 
plants of Begonia ascotensis, some of which had been grown indoors 
and the others outside. The flowers of the latter were rather darker 
in colour, and the leaves were smaller than the others, but the plants 
were nearly equally floriferous. A large group of handsome Tuberous 
Begonias was also contributed, the flowers being very large and the 
colours bright; also double Pelargoniums and Pentstemons. Messrs. 
Daniells, Bros., Norwich, sent flowers of Godetia Flag of Truce and 
Lady Albemarle, the latter of a bright rosy crimson tinge, and the 
former white. The General Horticultural Company sent a collection 
of handsome Zinnia blooms, very bright in colour and symmetrical 
in form. A vote of thanks was accorded. Mr. R. Gray, gardener to 
the Earl of Stanhope, Chevening Park, Kent, was accorded a vote of 
thanks for blooms of seedling Begonias, very bright in colour. Mr. 
J. King, gardener to G. Simpson, Esq., Wray Park, Reigate; and 
Mr. A. Eckford, gardener to Dr. Sankey, Sandywell Park, Chelten¬ 
ham, contributed a number of Begonias and Coleuses. Mr. Solloway, 
Beaconsfield, Davenport, Stockport, sent flowers of a rich purplish 
blue seedling Viola. Robert Warner, Esq., Broomfield, Chelmsford, 
exhibited a plant of Cypripedium Warneri, a cross between C. 
Schlimii and C. Sedeni; the flower was of moderate size of a rosy 
colour. 
Some extraordinarily fine flowers of Lapageria rosea and alba were 
exhibited by Titus Salt, Esq., Milner Field, Bingley, Yorkshire (gar¬ 
dener, Mr. C. Anderson). Not only were the individual blooms 
of great size and excellent form, but they were borne in unusually 
large numbers ; in some instances as many as a dozen flowers were 
produced at one node. These superb examples were greatly admired, 
and the Committee accorded a vote of thanks and a cultural com¬ 
mendation. Messrs. F. & A. Smith, Dulwich, exhibited a collection 
of Balsams that were bearing remarkably well-formed flowers. The 
strain was commended. First-class certificates were awarded for the 
following plants :— 
Eucryphia pinnatifolia (Veitch).—An attractive Chilian shrub with 
shining pinnate leaves and serrate margin. The flowers are borne in 
the axils of the leaves, usually two at the apex of the shoot. Tbe 
petals are broad, roundish, and white, the centre of the flower being 
occupied with numerous stamens somewhat in the style of the Hyperi¬ 
cums. The flowers possess an agreeable fragrance and bear some 
resemblance to the Mock Orange. It is quite hardy in the Coombe 
Wood Nurseries, where it thrives freely. 
LiUum speciosum gloriosoides (Veitch).—Flower of moderate size; 
divisions narrow, reflexed, half white, the lower portion near the 
centre of the flower spotted with red. Very distinct and pretty. 
Lilium auratum virginale (Veitch).—A lovely variety of this hand¬ 
some Lily with large flowers, white, with a clear yellow band down 
the centre of each division. 
LiUum auratum platyphyllum (Veitch).—A variety with enormous 
flowers, 9 or 10 inches in diameter, the divisions about 4 inches across, 
slightly spotted, and marked with yellow in the centre. 
Begonia Mrs. Sheppard (Veitch).—A tuberous variety with large 
white flowers, and moderately compact in habit. 
Picotee Alice (Turner).—A pale yellow ground variety, slightly 
streaked with reddish crimson ; the blooms of good form and substance. 
Picotee Ne Plus Ultra (Turner).—Also a yellow ground form, with a 
reddish streaked edge. 
Coleus Pompadour (King).—A very distinct and peculiar variety 
with deeply crenated leaves, marbled, spotted and streaked with 
crimson, pink, green, and yellow. 
Hypolepis millefolium (G. F. Wilson, F.R.S.).—A second-class cer¬ 
tificate was awarded for this elegant New Zealand Fern, which 
Mr. Wilson has found quite hardy atWeybridge. It has been out 
in the rockery for the last two or three years, and not protected in 
any way. Its finely divided foliage renders it particularly attractive. 
Lectures. —During the afternoon Professor G. Henslow delivered 
a short lecture upon the plants exhibited. He commenced by refer¬ 
ring to a fine group of Lilies introduced by Mr. C. Maries, collector 
for Messrs. Veitch in Japan. It included a Lilium auratum var. 
platyphyllum, with a very large blossom but with the foliage of 
L. speciosum, from which L. auratum is usually very distinct in 
having narrow leaves. Several fine plants of L. auratum var. virginale 
(considered the same as var. Witteiby Mr. Elwes), and a new variety 
of L. speciosum named gloriosoides by Mr. Baker, having strongly 
incurved petals, were also noticed. The lecturer referred to Mr. 
Tillery’s experience in the difficulty of raising intermediate hybrids— 
the seedlings of L. speciosum crossed by L. auratum or vice versa —in 
either case being almost the same as the female parent. The great 
development of the tubercular epidermal processes in some species 
afforded an illustration of a method of hindering crawling insects 
from extracting honey, which would not be of service to the plant in 
not pollinating it. Eucryphia pinnatifolia, of which some fine blossoms 
were exhibited by Messrs. Veitch, is one of four species, two being 
natives of Chili and two of Tasmania. This diversity of habitat, like the 
Fuchsias of New Zealand and South America, appears to indicate a 
former union between South America and those islands long since 
severed, but still retaining certain species, which indicates their former 
continuity. A fine series of Coleuses sent by Mr. Cannell, and a varie¬ 
gated Croton from Mr. Bull, furnished material for remarks on variega¬ 
tion, and the lecturer suggested that possibly variegation may be re¬ 
ferred to two distinct conditions. In tbe case of white or yellowish 
foliage it was found to be by Prof. Church an arrested state resembling 
almost colourless seedlings, and even a similar state to colourless para¬ 
sites, so that every uncoloured cell might be almost regarded as 
parasitically attached to its neighbouring green cell. Brightly coloured 
foliage, however, was a different state, for the colouring matter was 
(not like green chlorophyl) in the epidermis, as it is in petals, so 
that the Coleus had, as it were, a transposition of colour from its 
proper locality into the leaves. Moreover, green chlorophyl was 
often present, but concealed below the purple. 
A group of Celosia cristata or Cockscombs called for the remark 
that it was often impossible to distinguish between a “ monster ” and 
a “variety.” This plant was in a fasciated condition, usually 
regarded as a fusion of several stems into one, as may be often seen 
in Asparagus and in boughs of the Ash tree. A certain group of 
plants from South America (Podostemonacese) have species where the 
stem seems to be normally fasciated. 
Mr. Frank R. Cheshire folio wed Prof. Henslow with a most instruc¬ 
tive and entertaining lecture upon the structure of the bee in relation 
to gathering honey and pollen from blooms. By the aid of a number 
of clear and elaborate diagrams he demonstrated the general structure 
of the insect in a concise and intelligible manner, the mouth and 
tongue being carefully explained. The eye was also fully discussed 
and illustrated. The importance of the markings and colours of the 
corollas as guides and attractions to the bee in its search for honey 
was referred to at length, and many other interesting facts were dis¬ 
cussed. A unanimous vote of thanks to the lecturer concluded the 
meeting. 
MARICA (CYPELLA) CLERULEA. 
The lovely Iridaceous plant represented in the annexed en¬ 
graving is worthy of cultivation by all who possess a stove, its 
charming lavender and orange-tinted flowers being freely pro¬ 
duced, and the fugacious character of the individual flowers is 
amply compensated by a long succession. If the flowers are 
picked and placed in a shallow glass dish with a few blooms of 
the pure white Tabernsemontana coronaria fl.-pl., with or without 
an edging of Adiantum gracillimum, they are fit to grace the 
boudoir of a princess. 
Marica cicrulea, like its congener M. gracilis, is easily pro¬ 
pagated by division of the rhizome, each node very quickly 
