223 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 11, 1801 
obstacles prove insurmountable, and absolutely prevent their spread 
toward the west. It would seem also that other plants whose centre of 
distribution lies toward the western confines of this belt are prevented 
by the same difficulties from making any progress toward the east. At 
another time it may be of interest to give instances of this restriction 
of different species to given limits, instances which cannot but excite 
interest in the problem of plant distribution throughout a region in 
which the same climate, soil, and topographical features prevail. 
Among the forest trees which one would observe in connection with 
this distribution of plants, Pinus clausa, the Florida Spruce Pine or 
Sand Pine, would occupy a prominent place. Among the Pines of the 
Southern United States this species is confined to the narrowest limits. 
It is found from the western boundary of Florida to Key West, where 
it was observed by Professor Sargent, and along the eastern coast of 
the peninsula, on the rolling uplands to their termination in the lower 
part of Volusia County, in the flatwoods and swamps of the further 
south. This Pine is strictly confined to an arid sandy soil ; it flourishes 
on the dunes of pure white drifting sands which fringe the shore, where 
its roots often fail to obtain a firm hold, so that it often succumbs to 
the force of storms, and it is seen bent low in the direction of the pre¬ 
vailing wind, and sometimes is entirely prostrate. On these sterile 
wastes the tree is rarely more than 20 or 25 feet high, while on 
the dry ridges with a more solid soil, as near Pensacola, it at¬ 
tains the dimensions of a medium-sized tree, and on uplands of the 
best quality, where the apparently barren ground is underlaid by a sub¬ 
soil of the fertile tertiary marls, it arrives at the dimensions of a stately 
forest tree, associated with mighty Magnolias, large upland Hickories 
(Hicoria glabra and H. tomentosa), Live Oaks, Laurel Oaks and Post 
Oaks. 
On these fertile upland hammock-lands, as found prevailing back of 
Halifax Bay, the Sand Pine arrives at its best development. Trees over 
75 feet in height and fully 25 inches in diameter are frequently seen 
here. In this best state of its growth the tree somewhat resembles the 
Spruce Pine, Pinus glabra, with which it is frequently confounded by 
the settlers. 
By the structure of the wood, as well as by morphological characters, 
this species forms, with Pinus glabra and P. echinata, a natural group 
of southern distribution. The leaves are in twos, with a short, decidu¬ 
ous sheath from half an inch to 2 inches or more in length, a half line 
wide, slender, flexible concave, and slightly keeled on the upper side. 
The cones are subsessile, horizontally inserted during the first year, and 
strongly reflexed as they reach maturity during the second year. They 
are from 2J to nearly 3 inches long, and from If to 2 inches when open. 
The exposed portion of their scales, with a slightly prominent umbo, is 
crowned by an erect, short, and blunt prickle ; they remain on the tree 
closed for several years. The bark of the young trees is rather smooth, 
roughish in those of fuller growth, furrowed and divided in square 
scales. The young shoots are tender. At all seasons and stages of 
growth this Pine is readily distinguished from the Scrub Pine (P. inops) 
by the less rigid, more slender foliage of dark green, and from its allies 
by the ashy grey, reflexed, rigidly closed cones. It produces its fruit 
abundantly, and almost without failure, season after season. 
The wood of this Pine is of a yellowish colour, the broad sap-wood 
of a lighter tint. It is soft, easily worked, but wanting in strength and 
elasticity, and is not durable. Hence as a timber tree it is regarded as 
of no importance. The old trees of stunted growth from the sand- 
dunes along the seashore, with a wood of close grain and of greater 
toughness, are used for masts for the boats of fishermen and other small 
craft. As pointed out by Professor Mayr, this tree will in future be 
undoubtedly of importance in the forestry of the States of the lower 
south, when the reforestation of the denuded sandy Pine barrens, 
immense in their extent, is demanded by necessity.— Gael Mohk (in 
American Garden and Forest'). 
The glorious seed-ripening summer of H r Majesty’s Jubilee must 
surely have had much to do with the fact that three gold medals of the 
National Rose Society were awarded for seedling Roses this year. To 
the wonderful advance recently made in light Roses let Her Majesty, 
Mrs. John Laing, Susanne Rodocanachi, and Madame Joseph Debois 
bear witness. Is there a grander quartette for robustness of habit, 
depth of petal, and symmetry of form to be found anywhere 1 And now 
we await a corresponding advance in the darker varieties for the back 
row of the exhibitor’s stand. Is one such to be found in Mr. W. Paul’s 
strong growing Salamander, with his fiery crimson centre and regular 
form ? This was without hesitation rightly voted a gold medal. Follow¬ 
ing the king comes the queen medallist of the year, Margaret Dickson, 
raised by Messrs. Dickson of Belfast, a pure white Hybrid Perpetual, 
quite distinct from anything yet sent out, with high centre, perfect 
form, and such thick foliage, bidding fair to rival William Warden in 
his mildew-resisting capacities. The blooms at the early Show (the 
Crystal Palace) were a trifle thin, but later on in the height of the 
season, both at Wirral and Birmingham, it was well staged. I should 
imagine it to prefer a cool season and a good Rose soil. 
The third gold medallist was Mrs. Paul, a pink Bourbon of a most 
distinct shade. Having seen it at home at Cheshunt, I can bear witness 
to its being a free flowering variety, and will, like its parent, Madame 
Isaac Pereire, prove a good garden Rose, but I fear it lacks form, an 
indispensable quality with exhibitors. There was among the new Roses 
of Messrs. Paul & Son a dark red Hybrid Perpetual which took my 
fancy as destined for a high position, if not a gold medal, when sent 
out. Of comparatively new Roses seen at Cheshunt was Scipion Cochet, 
a dark red H.P. something after the style of Prince Camille de Rohan ; 
Madame H. Pereire, a fine Duke of Wellington ; Bruce Findlay, a good 
red; Monsieur Trievoz, of the Comtesse d’Oxford group, and Ernest 
Metz, a promising Tea. Other varieties seen at the shows that are 
worth mentioning are Jeannie Dickson (a dark G. Luizet), Comte Henri 
Rignon, Cleopatra, Maid of the Mist, and Lady Arthur Hill. The last- 
named I have grown, and consider it to be an acquisition to the exhi¬ 
bition list, being vigorous, free-flowering, and distinct in colour, though 
not over-large. For this, as for Jeannie Dickson, we are indebted to the 
brothers Dickson of Belfast. 
* Before I finish these brief notes there is yet one more new Rose to 
notice, Captain Hayward, exhibited at the Cystal Palace, a bright red 
H.P., a la Gloire de Margottin, with strong wood and good foliage, 
.which will, if not too single, be found useful. This is the last exhi¬ 
bited by one who was of great eminence as a Rose raiser, and to whom 
exhibitors are indebted for some of the finest Roses in their stands. 
Princess of Wales, Heinrich Schultheis, and Lady Mary Fitzwilliam 
(1S82), Grace Darling (1881), Her Majesty, and Viscountess Folkestone 
(1880), Mrs. John Laing (1887), Maid of the Mist and Cleopatra (1889), 
and several others. By these Roses the name of the late Mr. H, Bennett 
will long be had in remembrance, and in whose death the Rose world has 
sustained a grievous loss.—J. H. P. 
THE NATIONAL DAHLIA SOCIETY. 
The annual exhibition of Dahlias by this Society must be pronounced 
a distinct success, for despite the somewhat untoward character of the 
season, and the fact that sharp frosts were experienced in several locali¬ 
ties, some very fine blooms were staged, many of them, indeed, being of 
exceptional quality. At the same time, there were evidences of rough¬ 
ness and coarseness. No exhibitor appeared to have come farther north 
than Ipswich, and it is extremely probable the northern growers are 
reserving their forces for Manchester on the 12th. In a few of the 
classes open to amateur cultivators the absurd and needless distinction 
between “Show” and “Fancy” Dahlias is maintained ; but in all the 
nurserymen’s classes these two types are shown together, to the manifest 
added attractiveness of the stands. 
In the class for seventy-two blooms, not less than forty-eight varie¬ 
ties, and not more than two blooms of a sort, Messrs. Keynes, Williams, 
and Co., nurserymen, Salisbury, were placed first with a lot of very fine 
and clean blooms, including Mr. Spofforth, Miss Cannell, Maud Fel- 
lowes, a charming light variety ; J. F. West, James O’Brien (Fancy), 
Rev. J. B. M. Camm (F.), Imperial, Mrs. Langtry, William Rawlings, 
Duchess of Albany (F.), Majestic (Keynes) a new variety, white ground, 
edged with purple ; Hope, W. Keith, Harry Turner, Mrs. Foreman, 
Prince of Denmark, a very fine shaded dark variety ; Royal Queen, 
Nellie Cramond, Prince Henry (F.), a very bright and attractive flower ; 
Mrs. Kendal, Flora Wyatt (F.), Gaiety (F.), Madame Soubeyre, Henry 
Bond, Lady Gladys Herbert, Prince Bismarck, James Vick, very fine 
shape; Henry Walton, Seraph, Countess of Ravensworth, cream 
coloured ; Richard Dean, a fine purple self ; Mrs. Gladstone, the most 
beautiful light Dahlia grown, and so very constant; King of the 
Purples, &c. Mr. M. V. Seale, Vine Nursery, Sevenoaks, was a very 
good second indeed, as might be imagined when the flowers from the 
Royal Nursery, Slough, had to take second place, having excellent 
blooms of Henry Walton. Vice-President, James Cocker, Henry Eckford, 
Mrs. S. Hibberd, J. B. Service, a fine yellow self ; Mr. Dodds, James 
O’Brien (F.), Harrison Weir, James Vick, Purple Prince, W. H. Williams, 
Henry Eckford (F.), Mrs. S. Hibberd, Willie Garratt, a flower of beau¬ 
tiful form, and very bright ; Parrot (F.), Mrs. W. Slack, Mrs. Gladstone, 
Sunbeam, Peacock (F.), Senator, R. T. Rawlings, a very fine yellow self; 
Fanny Sturt (F.), General Gordon, J. N. Keynes, &c. Third, Mr. 
Charles Turner, Royal Nursery, Slough. 
In theclass of forty-eight-varieties, distinct, Mr. C. Turner was placed 
first with a superb lot of blooms, having evidently reserved his full 
strength for this class. He had William Rawlings, Agnes, a new yellow 
self of fine form ; Harry Keith, Maud Fellowes, John Standish, an old 
but still very useful bright crimson self ; Perfection (Fellowes), Royal 
Queen, Clara, Mrs. Hodgson, Robina, Glowworm, very bright orange 
scarlet ; Mrs. Langtry, one of the finest of the tipped flowers ; Harry 
Turner, Flag of Truce, Sunbeam, Richard Dean, J. B. Service, Diadem, 
John Bennett, Emperor, Constancy, Lustrous, a very bright scarlet 
crimson flower ; James Vick, Mrs. Saunders (F.), James Cocker, Prince 
Bismarck, R. T. Rawlings, J. B. Service, Goldfinder, Perfection, Agnes, 
Nellie Tranter, &c. Second, Messrs. Keynes & Co., with John Hickling 
(Keynes) a new bright yellow self ; Illuminator, Mrs. Gladstone, William 
Keith, Agnes, Miss Fox (Keynes) new, bluish ground heavily edged with 
lake ; J. N. Keynes, Mrs. Foreman, Mrs. Langtry, Miss Cannell, 
Triumphant, Wm. Rawlings, Eclipse, Flora Wyatt (F.), Parrot (F.), 
Prince Bismarck, Richard Dean, Majestic (Keynes) new, white ground 
