DECEMBEE. 275 
flowers, which, were imperfectly expanded, owing to the absence of sun¬ 
light. A nicely bloomed plant of Vanda cccrulca, from Mr. J. Burt, gar¬ 
dener to H. B. Mildmay, Esq., Sevenoaks, received the same distinction. 
It had a fine spike of large and well-coloured flowers. Mr. G. Curd, gar¬ 
dener to M. Gr. Tlioyts, Esq., Reading, sent a variegated form of the com¬ 
mon Violet, that looked very dull and insignificant, by the side of Messrs. 
Smith's bright-looking and even gaudy Variegated Zonal Pelargoniums. 
Abutilon vexillarimn, from Mr. Macintosh, Hammersmith, is, no doubt, a 
very interesting plant to the botanist, but as a decorative plant it can claim 
to have but few attractions. 
Some extraordinary specimens of double wdiite and purple Brompton 
Stocks came from Mr. D. Thomson, of Archerfield. They were wondrously 
fine, and must look magnificent growing in the open ground. Very interest¬ 
ing, also, were a quantity of blooms of seedling Primroses, contributed by 
Major Trevor Clarkq. It w T as singular what a progeny had sprung from 
the crossing of the common field Primrose with a like flower slightly 
coloured ; and it was also noticeable that the higher order of cultivation to 
which they had been subjected had induced many of the plants to throw up 
a stalk surmounted with an umbel of flowers like the Polyanthus, instead 
of having but one flower only at the top; some of the blooms were also 
double, and many were furnished with stout and smooth petals. 
R. I). 
THE DWARF COCOA-NUT PALM AT SYON. 
One of the most remarkable gardening incidents of the last few years 
has been the flowering and fruiting of the Cocoa-nut Palm in the ducal 
gardens at Syon House. The history of this achievement, which is due 
to the skill of Mr. Smith, and that of his successor, Mr. Fairbairn, is 
written in the volumes of the Gardeners' Chronicle for 1862, 1863, and 1864, 
and we are indebted to the editors of that periodical for the opportunity of 
introducing the accompanying representation of the plant as it appeared 
in 1862, shortly after the flowers were first produced.' 
The plant had been in an unhealthy state when, in May, 1860, Mr. 
Smith took in hand to recover it. It was disrooted, part of the old soil 
removed, and a new compost of “three-quarters old turfy loam from a pasture, 
and one-quarter rotted cowdung and leaf mould, w T ith just sufficient river 
sand to keep the whole in an open ” condition, w T as given to it. Water, 
containing a little salt was used, and when new leaves appeared copious 
weekly waterings were given as follows :—Two weeks pure rain water ; the 
next liquid manure from a cowhouse tank, in the proportion of one gallon 
to four gallons of rain water; the following w r eek a weak application of 
common, salt and water, and so on successively.” The plant grew fast, 
and in the spring of 1861 received a good top-dressing of the above 
compost. On the 26th of October in that year, the flower spathe 
appeared, and on the 23rd of January, 1862, the flowers opened. The 
temperature maintained was 70° in the morning, with a range of Rom 
25° to 30° higher at noon during summer, and of 10° during winter ; the 
bottom heat in summer, 85 Q to 95 Q , and in winter, from 95° to 105°. The 
plant wms closely shaded in sunny weather, and a very moist atmosphere 
kept up. 
These first flow T ers fell off without producing fruit, probably from their 
not being fertilised. The next year, however, the plant flowered again and 
