December 9, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
- Part iv. of the re-issue of Paxton’s Flower Garden 
contains two coloured plates ; one a very fair representation of 
the beautiful Orchid Odontoglossum vexillarium, and the other of 
Pseonia Moutan atro-sanguinea, rather too dull in colour, together 
with a continuation of the “Gleanings and Original Memoranda” 
which appeared in the first edition. 
- The following note respecting the Ancient Society op 
Iork Florists’ Autumn Show is abridged from the Yorkshire 
Gazette. —When the Ancient Society of York Florists was first 
instituted is a moot point, since the earlier records of its existence 
have been lost; but that its age is very great there can be no doubt, 
since an account of one of its meetings, in which it is termed 
“ Ancient,” is to be found in a file in the York Courant for 17C0. 
The Society had had a very long career of usefulness in a quiet 
and unpretentious manner, and good autumn shows were held. 
Some months ago it was determined that the autumn Exhibition 
of this year should possess a new feature by embracing a display 
of Chrysanthemums, which should hold the most prominent place, 
whilst Camellias, Ferns, Hyacinths, and fruits and vegetables 
should be ranked as secondary exhibits. The Show was held in 
the central and large halls of the Exhibition buildings, and it 
took place under the patronage of the Archbishop of York, the 
President of the Society, and other influential patrons. In every 
respect the Exhibition was successful. The principal part of the 
Show was in the large hall, on each side of which were eight 
large pyramidal groups of various colours of Chrysanthemum, 
interspersed with other winter plants and flowers, and the sides 
of the hall w r ere devoted exclusively to the Chrysanthemums for 
competition, and also for plants and fruits. The array of Chrys¬ 
anthemums was most extensive, and nothing had previously 
been seen in York approaching to it in numbers, whilst in quality 
the specimens staged were all of unexceptionable merit. Aid. 
Melrose sent some plants from his conservatory, and Messrs. 
Backhouse & Sons displayed near to the entrance a splendid 
group of Coniferae. The Judges were Mr. Clayton, gardener to 
Mr. J. Fielden, Grimston Park; and Mr. Link, gardener to Lord 
Herries, Everingham Park ; Beferee, Mr. J. Fielden, gardener to 
the Yorkshire Philosophical Society. The following were the 
principal prizetakers—Mr. J. H. Hingston, North Riding Asylum ; 
Messrs. Lazenby & Son; Mr. Key, Bootham ; Mr. I. Smith, 
Layerthorpe; Mr. H. Newton, Grove Lodge ; Miss Steward, 
Bishopsthorpe ; Capt. Darnell, and Messrs. Noble and Ridsdale. 
- The interesting notes on the hardiness of New 
Zealand plants, read by Mr. W. Gorrie before the Edinburgh 
Botanical Society in January and July of the present year, have 
been reprinted from the Transactions of that Society, and a 
copy is now before us. The notes take the form of a detailed 
description of the effects produced on a number of New Zealand 
plants at Eait Lodge, Edinburgh, by the winters from 1878 
to 1880. Not only is the respective hardiness of the plants 
indicated, but much useful and interesting information is em¬ 
bodied relative to their decorative value, their products, or their 
peculiarities. Among the plants that escaped injury were Fuchsia 
procumbens, on a rockery ; Discaria Toumatou ; Olearia Haastii; 
Veronica Traversii, V. pinquifolia ; Chrysobactron Hookeri, and 
Aciphylla Colensoi. Those injured but not killed constituted the 
majority, the principal being Plagianthus betulinus, P. divari- 
catus, Edwardsia pulchella, Corokia Cotoneaster, Phormium 
tenax, Griselinia littoralis, and Leptospermum scoparium. The 
following were killed—Rubus australis and var. cissoides, Veronica 
salicifolia, V. Hulkeana, Arundo conspicua, and Libertia grandi- 
flora major. 
- At the ordinary meeting of the Meteorological 
Society to be held at 25, Great George Street, Westminster, on 
the 15th inst., at 7 P.M., the following papers will be read :— 
529 
“ Report on the Phenological Observations for 1880,” by the 
Rev. T. A. Preston, M.A., F.M.S. ; “ On the Variations of Relative 
Humidity and Thermometric Dryness of the Air, with Changes 
of Barometric Pressure at the Kew Observatory,” by G. M. 
Whipple, B.Sc., F.R.A.S., F.M.S.; “ On the Relative Frequency of 
Given Heights of the Barometer Readings at the Kew Observatory 
during the Ten Years, 1870-79 ” by G. M. Whipple, B.Sc., F.R.A.S., 
F.M.S. As the list of Officers and Council for the year 1881 will 
be prepared at the next Council Meeting, it is requested that 
those Fellows who wish to suggest names for the new Council 
will send them in before the 15th inst. 
- Our correspondent “W. J. M.” refers to Pelargonium 
Margaret Fonton as follows :—“ Of all the Zonals for winter 
blooming I know of none to compare with Bertrand’s Margaret 
Ponton. Though generally classed as salmon-coloured the eye is 
more of a bright scarlet pink; there is a large pure white margin, 
and when grown in a comparatively small pot and with rich 
sandy soil, and given an occasional supply of liquid manure, it 
will bloom profusely during the winter months. It has been 
blooming with me since July, and promises to continue for 
months to come, with only ordinary care.” 
- New Roses. —The Rose referred to by “ J. B.” on page 512 
as “ Madame Levette,” is no doubt Madame Etienne Levet, a Hybrid 
Tea sent out by the English Rose-growers in the spring of 1879. 
The following new Roses may, I think, be safely added to your 
list of good varieties—viz., Claude Bernard, Jules Chretien, Louis 
Dorfi, Pierre Carot, Souvenir de Madame Robert, Rosy Morn, Lord 
Beaconsfield, Paul Jamain, Souvenir de Victor Verdier, Egeria, 
Madame Eugene Verdier, Catherine Soupert; and Bennett’s 
Pedigree SeedliDg Roses, notably Beauty of Stapleford, Hon. 
George Bancroft, and Viscountess Falmouth.— Wm. Walters, 
Burton-on-Trent, 
PORTRAITS OF NEW AND NOTABLE PLANTS. 
Dracontium Carderi. —“The genus Dracontium, as restricted 
by Engler in his recent Monograph of the Aroideae, includes the 
wonderful Godwinia Gigas of Nicaragua, and consists of this and 
two other species, natives of N. Brazil and Guiana ; to these must 
be added D. Carderi, which extends the geographical range of 
the genus to the United States of Columbia, and which differs 
from its congeners in the smooth petiole and very long peduncle. 
It was discovered by the traveller whose name it bears, and was 
imported by Mr. Bull, who flowered it at his establishment in 
Chelsea in April, 1879.”—( Bot. Mag., t. 6523.) 
Hibiscus schizopetalus. —'“This singular and beautiful plant 
has attracted much attention, on account both of its horticultural 
and botanical interest; differing as it does from all other species 
in the remarkable character of its petals, and yet presenting so 
many points of resemblance to a world-wide garden favourite 
whose native country is unknown (the H. rosa sinensis), as to have 
suggested its specific identity with that plant. The differences, 
however, between this and H. rosa sinensis are a great deal too 
many and too important to render the idea of this being a sport 
or variety of that plant tenable. They are, firstly, the petals, 
which, however, might have originated as a sport ; then the pen¬ 
dulous flower, the suppression of the epicalyx, the longer tubular- 
calyx with obtuse lobes ; above all, the long fruit with small 
smooth seeds. For the discovery of this fine plant we are indebted 
to our indefatigable correspondent, Dr. Kirk, H.B.M. Consul at 
Zanzibar, who found it first in 1874 on the coast hills at Mombasa, 
in lat. 4° S. ; in 1877 at Kilwa, in 7° 40' S. ; and, lastly, at Lindi, 
in 10° S. It grows both in dry rocky slopes and in damp moun¬ 
tain glens, in dense shade, amongst Bignonias, Balsams, and 
Ferns.”— (llul., t. 6524.) 
Crinum purpurascens. —“This is a very distinct Crinum 
of the star-flowered set from West Tropical Africa, remarkable 
for its dwarf slender habit and very numerous spreading narrow 
undulated leaves. Its alliance is with the Himalayan C. amce- 
num and pratense, and the New World C. americanum and 
erubescens. It was introduced in the time of Dean Herbert, and 
is carefully described in his classical work on the Amaryllidacem, 
but has never been previously figured. It grows at a low level by 
the side of streams about Fernando Po and in Old Calabar, and, 
