NOVEMBER. 
255 
and attracted much attention. They had symmetrical heads of bloom, and 
there was a profusion of flowers. To V. purpurea violacea a first-class cer¬ 
tificate was awarded; the individual spikes of flower in this variety were 
nearly 4 inches in length, and the colour a rather bright hue of violet 
purple. The other varieties were :— azurea superba , bluish violet; Madame 
Boucharlet, pale rosy lilac ; meldensis, bright lilac; Delfossiana, pale rose. 
The leaves of the latter variety were much smaller and narrower than is 
usually seen, and the masses of bloom had quite a bright appearance for 
this generally sober-looking plant. 
Mr. Standish produced some fine seedling Gladioli , to three of which 
first-class certificates were awarded—viz., Lady Alice Hill, rosy lilac, pen¬ 
cilled with white, and streaked along the throat with crimson ; Lord Kenlis, 
bright orange red, with lemon throat; and William Menzies, rosy carmine, 
with a faint flake of white ; all forming fine and showy spikes. In addition, 
Mr. Standish had a large collection of named kinds, mainly of his own 
raising. A first-class certificate was awarded to Dahlia Vedette, from Mr. 
Turner, which had improved considerably since last seen. The same award 
was made to what appears to be a capital white bedding Dahlia, named 
Raidings's White Bedder, from Mr. George Bawlings, Bomford. The flowers 
are pure white in colour, and as good as those of an ordinary show kind 
they are also freely produced. Pelargonium Achievement, a bright and hand¬ 
somely marked golden variegated Zonal, really one of the very best that 
this season has produced, was shown by Mr. J. Stevens, Ealing, and awarded 
a first-class certificate. Ealing Rival and Mrs. Stevens, two other kinds of 
the same class, promised to be fine when well developed. 
At the Meeting of the Floral Committee on 15th October the subjects 
staged were not quite so numerous as is generally the case. A collection 
of very fine cut Orchids, from Mr. James Anderson, gardener to Thomas 
Dawson, Esq., Meadow Bank, Glasgow, was a fine feature on this occasion. 
The season has been unusually productive of good bedding Lobelias, and 
at this Meeting a fine addition came from Mr. Bowie, Chillingham Castle. 
It was called Little Gem, and appeared to be a dwarf and compact-growing 
form of L. Paxtoniana, the flower being wdiite, broadly edged with blue. 
It w T as awarded a first-class certificate. Mr. Stevens, Ealing, again pro¬ 
duced his golden variegated Zonal Pelargoniums—Ealing Rival and Mrs. Stevens , 
and received a first-class certificate for the former. It has a zone of rich 
carmine and dark bronze, the leaf margin bright gold; it is a finely marked 
variety. Some very fine and promising yearlings came from Mr. Walch, 
Hillingdon, which will, no doubt, be seen again. Mr. J. Aldred, Iiilburn, 
also had some promising yearlings. 
Ferns were in strong force, Mr. Bull showing some fine kinds. First- 
class certificates were awarded to Polystichum angulare lineare and cristato- 
gracile, Lastrea Filix-mas crispa gracilis, Athyrium Filix-fcemina pulcherrimum , 
and Jissidente-excurrens Lyelli. Mr. Bull also received the same award for a 
Zamia-like plant— EncepJxalartos lanuginosa, a distinct and handsome species, 
from South Africa, with greyish woolly fronds having narrow pinnae; and 
for Aucuha japonica mascula marmorata, a very handsome variety, with 
brightly coloured golden-blotclied leaves. A vigorous-growing variety with 
very large coarsely-toothed green leaves, called A. japonica fcemina grandis, 
was considered valuable as a female plant, though not differing materially 
in foliage from some others, chiefly males, previously seen. 
Some capital plants of Odontoglossum grande came from the gardens of 
