COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
77 
| April 29. 
as at present it makes a nice front-shelf greenhouse 
spring bloomer, which is easily increased, and more 
easily kept over a long winter. 
There was a little annual plant, from California, 
which was called Nemesia floribumla; but this new one 
has no resemblance to it. Also, from tho Garden of the 
Society, some very good kinds of Begonia, such as acu¬ 
minata, and newer ones, as Tngramii, a rich rosy one, 
and the newest of all, which was picked out of a lump 
of Orchids which was sent to the Garden from abroad. 
This is called Uotata; it has a short, stumpy root-stock, 
or soft stem, from which rise a few large leaves and very 
long llower-stalks, carrying a great number of pinkish 
flowers, a truss, as one might say; a large potful of 
Cochlearia acauUs, or Tom Thumb Violet, one of the 
prettiest pot-plants in tho Garden, when done as they 
do it at Chiswick. The new Sikkim Rhododendron glau- 
cum in full bloom, and the newly re-introduced, Lache- 
nalia aurea; also, a beautiful bulb of the African breed; 
four kinds of red Indian Azaleas, of which coronata was 
the best colour; two forms of Epacris miniata, of which 
splendida was the best; the very curious Columnea 
Scheediana and the bright-looking Columnea splendens, 
whose flowers and form of flowering put you in mind of 
Nematanthus longipes; good specimens of Frostrantliera 
violacea, Acacia grandis, Boronia tetandria, Chorozema 
elegans, Polygala cordata, and Rhyncospermum jastninoi- 
des, on a round trellis, better than I ever saw it before; 
also, Boronia polygalcefolia, which I never saw exhibited 
before; Calceolaria violacea, four feet high, and a yard 
in diameter, a really good-looking spring plant, which 
no one could take to bo a Calceolaria from the looks; 
Erica Albertus, the yellowish Heath named after Prince 
Albert; and Boronia Drummondia, the liveliest of this 
lively-looking family, and tho easiest of them to keep 
and manage, therefore the best kind for an amateur to buy 
for representing this pretty genus of greenhouse plants. 
Mr. Veitch exhibited a new variegated Carex, from 
the East Indies; Rhododendron jasminiftorum, with 
nine full heads of its white, jasmine-like flowers, which 
are of good substance, and the plant is of excellent close 
habit. A most beautiful new Dodccatheon, called viti- 
f'olia, from California. It has a fine dark eye to the 
flower, a purple beak, with a yellow ring round it; the 
rest of the flower is lilac and pink, and seems a free 
bloomer. This plant deserves extensive cultivation, as 
it is, probably, quite hardy, making a thorough good 
addition to our spring flowors; also, a purplish-crimson- 
flowered Fuchsia, which hunches like the old Fuchsia 
arborescens ; and a new kind of Primula called mollis, 
with long, upright flower-stalks, and the flowers are 
arranged in several whorls round each stalk; the colour 
of the flowors, and the whole plant, puts one in mind of 
the old Cortusa Matlnoli. 
The Messrs. Lee, of Hammersmith, sent several kinds 
of Variegated Geraniums, such as Lee's Scarlet, with a very 
marked white on the leaves, and a good scarlet flower; 
Flower of the Day, and others with the green varieties 
from which such variegations are supposed to liavo 
sported. We are left in the dark as to the real origin of 
our best Variegated Geraniums, so that we may not run 
in the same raco with those who are lucky enough to 
win the day; but it lias always appeared to me that the 
Flower of the Day is a sport from Compactum. Also 
Begonia splendida, with large, purplish leaves, and light 
pink flowers, with a species of Gastrolobium, and a cut 
brauch of Ribes Gordoni, wrongfully called Ribes Bea- 
toni on the tally. This is the only cross from Ribes 
sanguineum with another distinct species, which I got in 
I 1833 or 1834; but, although I could tell a sad tale about 
it, yet it was never called after me. It is a desirable 
| plant, however; and if that cross had been followed out, 
I as I once intended, we might now exhibit Ribeses to vie 
in colours with the “ Ghent Azaleas.” 
The Messrs. Standish and Noble exhibited a tall 
standard plant of Rhododendron campilocarpum, from 
Sikkim, and now for the first time in profuse bloom of 
greenish-white bell-flowers, of about the same size as 
those of the Canterbury Bells; and a now upright 
Gaultheria, called furens, from the south of Chili, which 
reminds ono of Andromeda axillaris. 
There wore two seedling Chinese Azaleas, from M. 
Miellez, the well-known florist at Lisle, in Erance; one 
of them was a white, with pink blotches—very common 
in English seedlings; the other, a real florist kind, of 
good rosy tint. 
Mr. Glendinning sent a most beautiful continental 
hybrid Gesnera, called Donckliiri, with a mass, or up¬ 
right spike, of tubular crimson flowers, in the shape of 
Pcntstemon gentianoides, but much larger, and as waxy 
and shining as if they were made to order. This is by 
far the handsomest Gesnera I ever saw; and, from the 
large, dark purple leaves, I should say that Discolor was 
the pollen parent of it; who the mother was, goodness 
knows, perhaps Polyantha —not unlikely, at any rate. 
If there is to be a conservatory to the Pavilion at 
Aldershot, this is the first plant for it. I understand 
that an extensive pleasure-ground is to be “ laid out” 
round the Pavilion in Mr. Lovel’s best style, just as it 
ought to be. 
The Messrs. Henderson, of the Wellington Road 
Nursery, sent a collection of Sikkim and Bhotan Rho¬ 
dodendrons, somo in flower, some for the beauty of the 
foliage, and others for the distinct habit of tho plants; 
on this wise, two plants in flower of Rhododendron 
Edgeworthii, one of them with very sweet flowers; R. 
Nuttali, with large, hoary leaves—a large plant of it 
must look much like the Loquat, from China ( Erio- 
botrya japonied). R. Ilookeri is of the same section 
as Campanulatum; R. Boothii is very distinct from any 
we know, in its present stage, and so with others of 
them. They also included R. javanicum, in full bloom. 
Mr. Veitch exhibited a fine cross from Javanicum, in 
June or July, at Chiswick, which may be seen in my 
notes in answer to a friend in Devonshire; and in 
further answer to him, Mr. Standish told me, at this 
meeting, that the new Bhotan seedlings I mentioned, 1 
at Clapton, are quite distinct from all we know from I 
that quarter. So you see how liberal we gardeners all ! 
are. One English nurseryman will never disparage new 
plants because he does not possess them himself, as 
Mr. Rivers tells us the French rose-growers do, who 
never see any beauty but in their own flowers. I was 
glad of this, as those seedlings appeared to me very 
distinct, without being a good judge, at that stage. 
The Rev. F. Beadon, North Stoneham, near South 
ampton, sent a large box full of beautiful Camellia 
blossoms, from tho open air; tho plants are against a 
south-east wall. 
Messrs. Henderson, of the Pine apple Place Nursery, 
sent a collection of specimens of New Holland plants, 
in the best style of that celebrated nursery. Erioslemon 
liniarifolia, Aotus intermedia, Boronia tetrandra, alias 
microphylla, not macrophylla, as some erroneously spell 
the name—the first means very small leaves, and the 
latter, very large leaves; Dillwynia pungens, Boronia 
pinnata, and Tetrathcea ericifolia, the finest and largest 
plant of it ever seen in public, and the most lady-like 
flower of all from New or from old Holland. 
Now for the florists. I shall certainly be a florist 
against my will if they go on at this rate much longer. 
I had been just looking over Sweet’s “Florists’ Guide,” 
in the library, the minuto before, and when I saw the 
Cinerarias, I said, there was nought of “ love’s labour 
lost” iu the old quaint florists’ books after all. Lid- j 
yard's Brilliant is the most complete circle you ever j 
saw in a flower. I would square the circle if I could | 
but run away with that Cineraria. A large white flower, 
