214 
THE FLORIST AND FOMOLOGIST. 
ness it is, should not be able to produce fruit trees which by careful lifting and 
transplanting would commence bearing at once; such trees would be well 
worth double and treble the money which they now ask for trees of the same 
age, but which have been constantly headed back to keep them within bounds, 
making fine heads it is true, but giving a very knotty starting point for the 
future development of the tree, which is often shown by a peculiar enlarge¬ 
ment of the stem at that point, caused by the endeavours of the tree to case 
the knots over with new wood, in which, indeed, it is often successful; but the 
germ of decay must be left in the interior. Trees in a state of nature are never 
headed back except by mischance, and although we subject them to an artificial 
management, and bend them as it were to our will, there are certain laws which 
we cannot ignore, and to which we in our turn are compelled to submit; and 
amongst these laws is that to which I have before referred, of the reciprocal 
action between the roots and branches, which, to my thinking, very clearly 
points to the great mistake of constantly heading back young shoots, by which 
utility and productiveness are sacrificed to an arborescent growth for the crotchet 
of symmetry. 
John Cox. 
NOTES OF THE FLORAL AND FRUIT COMMITTEES. 
A meeting of these was held at South Kensington on the 19th of 
September, and though the entries were not numerous, several objects of 
interest were staged. A first-class certificate was awarded to Mr. Shortt, of 
Fulham, for Lomaria Bellii, a new and beautiful variety ; and also a label of 
commendation for Litobrochia tripartita, a very handsome variety. A first- 
class certificate was given to Mr. Earley, gardener to F. Pryor, Esq., of 
Digswell, for Polystichum angulare var., a very handsome and robust Fern. 
A special certificate was awarded to Mr. W. Howard, gardener to J. Brande, 
Esq., Balliam, for Dendrobium formosum giganteum, having large and very 
showy white flowers, with orange and yellow' throat. Mr. How'ard also had a 
flowering specimen of the beautiful Ionopsis paniculata, which looks like a very 
delicate Oncidium ; and Cattleya bicolor, also in flower. Mr. Wills, of Oulton 
Park, Tarporley, had a cut specimen of a handsome Oncidium, and also Cattleya 
species (Weir). Second-class certificates were awarded to Mr. H. Legge, 
Marsh Side, Edmonton, for seedling Dahlias, Golden Emperor, bright yellow, 
a finely-shaped flower of good substance, though a little low in the centre as 
shown ; and Lilac Perfection, a small-sized, but well-shaped flower, in colour 
bright lilac shaded with crimson, good substance, and close high centre. The 
same raiser also had Mr. Gibson, a small, but well-formed bright scarlet; and 
Lizzy, a delicate-ground flower, shaded and slightly tipped in the centre with 
lilac. Mr. Pope, of Chelsea, had a seedling fancy Dahlia of great promise, 
named Fanny Sturt, bright crimson, tipped with white; a flower of good 
substance and outline, and one certain to be very useful to the exhibitor. It 
has been purchased by Mr. Turner, of Slough, a circumstance suggestive of 
high character on the part of the flower. Mr. Turner had the following seed¬ 
lings :—Bullion, golden yellow, with great depth of substance, close centre, and 
fine outline ; Freemason, rosy purple, a flower of fine substance and outline, and 
close high centre ; Princess Alice, a deep-purple-edged, light ground flower, of 
good form and outline, and close centre; Sportsman, orange scarlet, with crimson 
centre and shading, small, but very promising; Le Domino Noir (fancy), crimson, 
heavily tipped with white, a finely-formed medium-sized flower ; Fair Imogene, 
bright ground, tipped with lilac, very distinct and full, a beautiful flower; Epau- 
