274 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
question the advantage of the latter; the flowers were finer, the foliage 
more healthy, and the plants altogether more vigorous. This unexpected 
success is probably due to the equability of the temperature at which the 
water is maintained, and other advantages which the earthenware has over 
the glass, favourable to the health and growth of the roots. Whatever may 
he the cause, the fact remains indisputable, and should lead to the uni¬ 
versal adoption of the Etruscan Vases for the in-door growth of Hyacinths.” 
Setting aside the supposed greater equability of temperature of water con¬ 
tained in these Vases, over those made of glass, we may safely suggest their 
use on grounds altogether apart from this question. Their sober tone of 
colouring—a kind of dull Venetian red with unobtrusive black figures and 
ornamentations—contrasts better with the plants growing in them, than 
the gayer tints common to glass vases, and .this is, we think, a sufficient 
recommendation. They are made of other colours, as black and blue, and 
with various kinds of ornamentation; but the Venetian red pattern is, in 
our opinion, much to be preferred. M. 
NOVELTIES, &c., AT FLOWER SHOWS. 
At this season of the year opportunities for seeing novelties are few, 
and the Meetings of the Floral Committee are held only once a-month 
during the two last and the two first months of the year. At the Meeting of 
the Committee on the 5th of November, a first-class certificate was awarded 
to Messrs. Veitch & Sons for Aphelandra Pioezlii, a small plant of which was 
shown, having a rich-looking spike of orange red flowers, very bright and 
striking. The leafstalks have a peculiar tendency to twist, and the leaves 
are covered with a kind of whitish glaze; but the flowers are good, though 
the plant itself was but small. The same award was made to Cattle y a 
maxima, the labellum of which is mottled with rosy lilac and white, the 
flowers very pretty and distinct; to Lodi a prastans, a very dwarf-growing 
and handsome flower of a rich reddish purple, the segments suffused with 
bright lilac; and to Dracaena Macleayii with shining foliage of a greenish 
dark bronzy hue, very distinct and striking. The same exhibitors had 
Dendrobium bigibbmn, a pretty Australian species, with finely formed purplish 
flowers ; Pandanus gramineus, a handsome ornamental-leaved plant; the fine 
Cattleya exoniensis, the labellum of which is very richly coloured; the 
curious Urceolina aurea, with several heads of bloom ; some fine varieties of 
Lycaste Skinneri, and a large plant of the red-foliaged Acalyphus tricolor 
from the South Sea Islands. 
Quite a bright feature of this small exhibition was a group of Variegated 
Zonal Pelargoniums from Messrs. F. & A. Smith, of Dulwich. The most 
noticeable were Sultan, a new and finely marked golden-edged variety, and 
Imperatrice Eugenie and Queen Victoria, two very fine silver-edged varieties 
with highly coloured bright rosy pink zones. The foliage of all these plants 
was well-coloured, though all the kinds will no^ colour so well as those 
shown on this occasion, From Messrs. F. & A. Smith also came a hand¬ 
some Tropaolum, named Mrs. Treadwell, with a dwarf climbing habit, the 
peculiar dark foliage of the King of Tom Thumbs, and rich-coloured crim¬ 
son flowers ; it promises to be a valuable acquisition, and was awarded a 
first-class certificate. A special certificate was awarded to a plant of the 
old Gentiana Fortunei, shown by Messrs. Osborn & Sons. As shown the 
plant had a somewhat spare habit, but it was covered with bright blue 
