10G 
very nice thing, Schizanthus violaceus, which looks 
almost too dark in summer, but is now of a lighter and 
far better colour. All the tribe come in useful, when 
sown in the autumn, and wintered in pots and shelter. 
Dielytra spectabilis ; the double white Primus sinensis, 
quite hardy, but an excellent pot-plant to force thus 
early, and much earlier; Rhododendron formosum, with 
large, white, waxy flowers, which look like those of the 
white Azalea indica; Rhododendron Thccefora, a mottled 
thing of no,great “ account Calceolaria violacea, a real 
curiosity in its way; not at all like our Calceolarias, but ! 
a different shape altogether; a profuse bloomer, and 
lasts a long time; Salvia gesnerifiora, as big as a mode¬ 
rate Laurustinus; the finest thing among all the crimson 
Salvias; Acacia grandis, six feet high ; a fine plant; 
Clematis bicolor monstrosa, and a large plant of Forsythia 
viridissima, which they winter in a cold pit, to save the 
beauty of the flowers. 
ORCHIDS. 
The Messrs. Hollison sent a new Dendrobium, or, at 
least, very scarce one, a very dwarf plant, with short 
spikes of pale yellow flowers, called cymbidioides ; a 
strong Iiuntleyana cerina, equally rare, with large 
primrose-coloured flowers, and with a dark streaked 
eye; a fine large Cattleya Mossice, from Mr. Maher, 
gardener to J. M. Strachan, Esq., of Teddington Grove, 
who was chairman of the meeting. A rare Cattleya 
inathina , from the Messrs. Backhouse; this has pale 
flowers with a lilac fringe on the lip. Mrs. Lawrence 
sent a magnificent Dendrobium nobile ; a fine large 
Phaius Wallichii, Chysis bratcescens, Phalccnopsis grandi- 
flora, Aerules virescens, and Epidendrum macrochilum. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Mrs. Lawrence sent a collection of greenhouse plants, 
of which Eriostemon intermedium is perhaps the finest 
in the country; Clwrozema Lawrenciana , Boronia ser- 
rulata, Oxylobium Pultenccce, and the Hovea Celsii men¬ 
tioned above ; all very good plants. A little plant ot 
Tetratheca ericoides, which one seldom sees, from the 
Messrs. Eollison, was much admired by the ladies for 
its profusion of rosy-lilac blossoms on a heath-like plant. 
Mr. Chandler, of Vauxhall, sent a collection of three 
Azaleas, Rhynchospermum jasminoides, Deutzia gracilis, 
Oxylobium Pultenccce, with large heads of yellow pea- 
flowers. There was a large specimen of Erica ventricosa, 
from Mr. Todman; a very large Statice Holdforili, from 
Mr. Cutbush, of Highgate; a white and striped Camellia, 
from Mr. Gaines, of Battersea; three beautiful cross¬ 
seedling Cactus (Epiphyllum ), from Mr. Robbins, gar¬ 
dener to AV. Beach, Esq., Akly Hall, Basingstoke; a 
fine spotted Belgian Rhododendron called Prince de 
Rohan, from Mr. Yeitch; a Rhododendron Edgeworthii, 
from C. B. Warner,Esq., Stratford Green; three Azaleas, 
from Mr. Gaines; and a specimen plant, with some 
little ones, of Weinmannia tricosperma, from Messrs. 
Standish and Noble; this is the finest of our fine “ five¬ 
leaved plants,” and is described in my notes of last 
summer. They also sent Rhododendron glaucum, which 
is not much, the flowers being nearly of the colour of a 
pale Weigelia rosea. 
Mr. Henderson, of Pine-Apple Place sent a full col¬ 
lection of Eriostemons, and, really, to see them all in bloom 
together, and in such flue order, was a fine sight. They 
stood thus, liniarifolium, neriifolium, scabrum, buxifolium, 
intermedium, and rnyoporoides ; with these were Oxy¬ 
lobium Pultenccce, six little Tremandra erioioides, alias 
Tetratheca erioioides, in a mossed basket, and an Elio- 
on rpus reticulata, with numerous spikes of little, white, 
bell-like flowers, much fringed on the drooping edges; 
a nice plant; all in the old Pine-Apple Place style of 
growth, and very healthy. 
May 15. 
The Messrs. Henderson, of the Wellington Nursery, 
sent a collection, in which was conspicuous Rhododendron 
Dalhousiana, a noble, or rather a most noble, creamy- 
white flower, like some Lily; there were six flowers 
open in one bead, and two more coming; in the damp 
woods of Sikkim this magnificent plant grows on trees, 
like an air plant; but in our, comparatively, very dry 
climate, it grows in peat, like the rest of them ; the 
leaves are more after those of the old tree Rhododendron 
than are most of these Sikkim ones; Rhododendron 
Edgeworthii making the third of it at this meeting, and 
none of them well grown; but then, the novelty of 
seeing such magnificent flowers as no one ever dreamed 
of, in the genus, till Dr. J. Hooker’s work on them 
appeared, put all the arts of good cultivation out of the 
question, in forcing the seedlings into premature flower¬ 
ing. Many shook their heads at the drawings in Dr. 
Plooker’s book, who may now shake hands with him on 
his grand discovery of such noble flowers, in a part of 
the world which none of them ever heard about till they 
read of it in his book. A fine crimson seedling Azalea; 
two cross seedling Heaths; a half-red half-white mottled 
Azalea, called Beauty of Europe ; a Begoniapicta, under 
a bell-glass; a Oenetyllis maerostegra, with drooping 
dark-red flowers, and some others. 
By way of anticipation, or “ letting the cat out of the 
bag,” there will be a display of Rhododendrons at the first 
May meeting of the Society, at Gore House ; an Edge¬ 
worthii, with twenty heads of bloom, and a Dalhousiana, 
with six heads, at least—what a sight! There were six 
kinds of Mimuluses, in twenty-four pots, from Mr. 
Cutbush, but not very distinct sorts. 
PANSIES. 
Mr. Turner had twelve kinds of Pansies in pots, and, 
better than ever,they were seen in open borders. I could 
run away with Opldr and Sovereign to plant a yellow 
bed—they are splendid yellows. Duke of Perth struck 
me as the best dark, and Comet as the best “fancy;” 
but, in truth, I know very little about them. 
Mr. Dobson had another dozen in pots, nearly as 
good; and Mr. Bragg, of Slow, had another dozen pots 
as good as that. What a change from the halfpenny 
flips we used to see pasted on something to keep them 
from shrivelling up by the sun, and to make believe 
they were “ round ” flowers ; now, the highest ladies in 
the land find pleasure and interest in scanning them. 
AURICULAS. 
Mr. Turner sent a still greater variety—twelve pots of 
best florist Auriculas. Here I was still farther from home, 
■ but I could not help admiring them; the green-edged 
ones were more numerous than others, and there was a 
black one, with a large white eye, called Oxonian; 
Ringleader, green; Lovely Ann, green; Lady Jane Grey, 
purple and white ; Duke of Cambridge, purple and green; 
Ne plus Ultra, green; Ijancasldre Hero, green; Superb, 
green; Attraction, dark; Smiling Beauty, light-edged; 
Lady A. Wilbraham and Prince of Wales, both green. 
CINERARIAS. 
Mr. Turner’s Cinerarias were nearly the same sorts as 
he had at the last meeting. Lady Paxton, white, with a 
lilac edge, and Etoile deVaise, white eye and purple edge, 
being the only additions. 
Mr. Wiggins, gardener to E. Beck, Esq., Isleworth, 
had six beautiful kinds of Cinerarias; one called Prince 
of Blues is the finest light blue Cineraria that ever was 
j exhibited. It was noticed by every lady; but whether or 
| not it is up in the “ points,” 1 did not hear ; Eugenie 
I is a purplish-blue; Amy Robsart, a favourite; Exquisite, 
a fine crimson and white; and Lady Cliamoys, white 
I with blue edge. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
