1371. ] 
GARDEN GOSSIP. 
95 
shorn of some of its former proportions, some grand flowers were brought together. 
It was quite a surprise to many to see the Messrs. Veitch and Sons taking such a 
decided lead as cultivators of the Hyacinth. At this Show there were to be seen 
some of the most finished spikes of Hyacinths ever produced. The new Hyacinths 
did not impress one very strongly by their superiority ; rather, as is usually the 
case, the new flowers were in many instances much inferior to those already in 
cultivation. There must, however, be deductions made on the score of want of 
development. The Floral Committee took a very generous view of them, and 
actually awarded four First-Class Certificates as follows :—To Marquis of Lome , 
a single reddish-mauve flower, each segment of the bell having a stripe of pale 
purplish-mauve running along it, the edges much paler; this was novel in 
character, but not well developed. To George Peabody , glowing deep carmine- 
red, with a slight stripe of a deeper colour along the centre of each segment; 
spike small and spare. To W. M. Thackeray , claret-crimson, with darker stripes, 
spike also thin and spare. To Princess Louise , rosy pink, striped with carmine, a 
fair, close, and symmetrical spike, the flower semi-double like Koh-i-noor, and 
therefore classed with the double reds. The three first named came from Messrs. 
W. Cutbush and Son ; the last from Mr. William Paul. The same award was 
made to one of the best of the pure white forms yet seen of Cyclamen persicum , 
named Snowflake , pure in colour, the flowers large and of fine form ; this came 
from Mr. Henry Little, Cambridge Park, Twickenham, who has succeeded in 
getting together one of the finest collections of this useful winter-flowering plant 
yet seen. A similar award was made to Messrs. Veitch and Sons for Amaryllis 
Chelsoni , a grand flower, of fine form, immense size, and of a vivid crimson hue. 
A Second-Class Certificate was awarded to Primula Boveana, one of the yellow- 
flowered species from Abyssinia, also shown by Messrs. Veitch and Sons.—R. D. 
In addition to these, First-Class Certificates were awarded as follows, at the two 
March meetings :—To Mr. Denning, gardener to Lord Londesborough, for Cheil - 
anthes Matliewsii , a very elegant warm greenhouse fern, with narrow fronds, and 
triangular pinnatifid pinnae ; to Messrs. Rollisson and Sons, of Tooting, for 
Davallia clavata , an elegant West Indian fern in the way of D. tenuifolia ; to 
Messrs. E. G. Henderson and Son, of St. John’s Wood, for Asplenium schizodon , 
an evergreen greenhouse fern, with singularly lacerate bifid-toothed pinnae ; to 
Mr. Pilcher, gardener to S. Rucker, Esq., for a form of the remarkable Masdevallia 
coccinea ; and to Mr. Bull, for Areca regalis, a fine pinnate-leaved palm, with 
bold broad pinnae. 
GARDEN GOSSIP. 
YACINTHS and Roses have been the prominent features at the Metropolitan 
March Shows , and the former at least have never been shown finer than 
has been the case this year. The Messrs. Veitch and Sons have entered 
the lists as Hyacinth-growers, and carried all the first prizes. Their 
miscellaneous group of Hyacinths, with that from Mr. W. Paul, made up quite a gorgeous show. 
