THE FLORIST. 
161 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The first of the great annual exhibitions held under the auspices of 
the Society, in their Garden at Chiswick, took place on Saturday, 
May 20th. The exhibition, as a whole, was perhaps never equalled 
by any previous May-show held in these Gardens—an opinion in 
which we are sure those who had the good fortune to be present on 
the occasion will heartily concur. That British gardening, excellent 
as it already is, is advancing, there can be no doubt. Of this, ample 
proofs were afforded on the 20th of May; for each and all the plants 
produced on the occasion were perfect specimens of horticultural 
skill. Indeed, throughout the whole show, it would have perhaps 
been impossible to have pointed out a striking example of bad gar¬ 
dening. 
Stove and greenhouse plants were numerous and fine; the exhi¬ 
bition of Orchids too, with their fragrance and gay colours, de¬ 
servedly occupied a large share of attention. The large collection 
by Messrs. Veitch, which obtained the first prize, we have seldom 
seen rivalled, either in fine specimens, freshness, or beauty. The 
Azalea—our gayest spring ornament, although so poor at the Park—■ 
was produced here in abundance and beauty. Some of Mr. Green’s 
plants, which gained the first prize, were perhaps unrivalled of their 
kind. In illustration of this we may instance his Gladstanesii, which 
could not have been less than five feet high, and nearly as much 
through ; and seldom have we seen a finer or better-flowered plant 
than the old yellow (A. sinensis), which his collection contained. 
Messrs. Fraser’s group, which was second, comprised newer varieties, 
but, as a whole, not so well flowered. Two collections of tall Cacti 
were shewn by Messrs. Green and Bruce in good condition. 
The Roses in pots of Mr. Slowe, gardener t6 W. R. Baker, Esq. 
of Bayfordbury, were superb specimens of rose-growing; an epithet 
which indeed applies to all the collections produced, when we con¬ 
sider the unfavourable weather we have had for flowering this, the 
most esteemed of all flowers. On this occasion Mr. Francis, of 
Hertford, beat Messrs. Lane both in pot Roses and cut blooms, of 
which two exhibitions, of fifty bunches each, were shewn. The 
groups by Messrs. Dobson and Paul were also creditable specimens 
of good management. A considerable portion of the exhibition con¬ 
sisted of Cape Heaths—large and fine plants; and under this head 
W'e must not forget to mention some seedlings which were shewn by 
Messrs. Veitch, of Exeter, to which indeed we have formerly alluded. 
Among these perhaps the best were Victoria Regina, Dulciflora, and 
Perelegans; to which latter a certificate of merit was awarded. 
Among novelties, though hardly floricultural, was a plant of 
Napoleona imperialis in flower, from the gardens at Syon; and 
Messrs. Veitch shewed Mitraria coccinea, a hardy plant (with scarlet 
tubular flowers) of some promise; also a new hardy yellow Violet, 
which did not, however, appear to be sweet-scented. A curious and 
rather handsome Gloxinia, with red flowers streaked with bluish 
grey, was shewn by Messrs. Rollisson, of Tooting. This brief intro¬ 
duction to a glorious show, which was attended by nearly 4000 
