IV 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
itself, when it is no longer “ a strange thing,” we 
think its want of fragrance, thin petals, and gawky 
habit, will not preserve for it a prominent place 
among our flowers. 
Since we commenced writing, we have received 
letters similarly commenting upon the striking ab¬ 
sence of specimens of new or rare plants. Such a 
deficiency has not been noticed for some years past; 
but we know that there are, in different nurseries, 
some good ornamental new plants which will make 
their appearance in due time. 
It will be seen how little expectation of rain was 
entertained by the authorities at Chiswick, when we 
state that the whole of the south side of the large 
Conservatory was covered with thick canvass, both for 
the benefit of the plants, by excluding the glowing 
sun of that morning, after so many weeks of cloudy 
weather, and for the comfort of the visitors; but in 
the afternoon the house was found to be very com¬ 
fortable in another sense. However, be that as it 
may, we had an opportunity of seeing that all the 
plants, without exception, were in very good health : 
we never saw such large specimens of tea-scented 
roses as were there ; but our space will not allow of a 
descriptive account of even those huge specimens, 
flourishing as if in their native wilds. The great fir- 
tree of New Zealand, Araucaria excelsa, is well nigh 
at the top of the house, as are many others, and their 
heads must be cut back annually, to keep them clear 
from the glass. 
Among many very interesting plants in pots placed 
on the stages next the glass, as temporary ornaments, 
we must notice a well-grown plant of that beautiful 
hardy annual called the Spotted Nemophylla ( N. Ma- 
culata), which the Society received through one of 
their foreign collectors from California; the flowers 
are bluish white, with a dark spot on each division of 
the flower. 
The finest feature of the exhibition was undoubtedly 
the Azaleas. These, for good growth, fine florescence, 
rich colours, and large numbers, were never sur¬ 
passed, if ever equalled, at any previous exhibition. 
The Orchids were also very fine, and shown in good 
condition. As might be expected, the specimens 
belonging to the great growers had grown larger, and 
were flowering finer than on former occasions. In 
the Heaths a very evident improvement was visible. 
Instead of large bushes, trained among bundles of 
sticks into stiff and inelegant forms, the generality of 
those exhibited at this meeting were dwarf, neat 
shrubs, and in the form best suited to show off' their 
lovely flowers. This form had evidently been ob¬ 
tained not by props of sticks, but by stopping the 
shoots in the very earliest stage of preparation for a 
specimen to exhibit for competition. The next fea¬ 
ture in point of merit were the collections of stove and 
greenhouse plants. With the exception of the col¬ 
lections of “Thirties,” they were more numerous than 
at any former meeting. All of them contained more 
or less of specimens of great excellence, both as to 
culture, form, and the number of flowers on each. 
The Roses in pots were produced thus early in excel¬ 
lent condition, and did great credit to the exhibition. 
The Pelargoniums were rather deficient in quantity—■ 
caused, no doubt, by the backwardness of the season, 
and the earlier period than usual fixed for the show. 
Tall Cacti were also wanting in numbers and bloom, 
and for the same reason. Single specimens of plants in 
pots were exhibited for competition in great numbers, 
and very various shades of merit. Some undoubtedly 
were of first-rate excellence; but there were others, 
and a good many too, that had better have been left 
at home. Cultivation has now arrived at such per¬ 
fection that either inferior or even moderately excel¬ 
lent plants have, very properly, no chance of obtaining 
prizes at the metropolitan shows. The power of with- 
ho ding prizes vested in the judges is an excellent 
rule; for, otherwise, bad ill-grown plants might 
obtain first prizes merely because there were no better 
there. This would be a great error, and would tend 
to prevent exhibitors from exerting their skill and 
industry to produce specimens really good. It is 
lamentable that men of good judgment in other re¬ 
spects should close their eyes to the demerits of their 
own productions, and fancy the censors have not done 
them justice by either withholding or lessening their 
prizes. 
Of florists’ flowers, there were of Calceolarias only 
one collection from Mr. Gaines, of Battersea; but 
these were produced in his usual style of excellence. 
Of Pansies, there were also only one pan of twenty- 
four unnamed varieties exhibited. 
The lovers of florists’ flowers would be sadly disap¬ 
pointed that there was such a paucity of their favour¬ 
ites exhibited. The Society, however, does not, we 
believe, wish to encourage the production of this class 
of flowers at their exhibition, or they would offer 
more prizes and of larger amount than they have 
hitherto done. We think this a pity, and a great 
mistake, because no class of flowers are more admired 
by the visitors. 
We have thus far given a general, brief, and rapid 
glance at the various and beautiful objects placed on 
the stages at this exhibition. As a whole, the ex¬ 
hibition was a fair average one; but, with one or two 
exceptions, it was not better than the show last May. 
For this there may be two reasons given: first, that 
the season has been an unfavourable one. The 
average quantity of sunshine having been below par, 
thus preventing the expansion of flowers, especially 
those of geraniums. Secondly, the cold ungenial 
weather which has prevailed so generally through 
the last month, has been a check to all vigorous 
growth. 
We shall now proceed to particularize more fully 
the plants in the same order we have noticed them 
generally. 
AZALEAS. 
Azaleas. —The Chinese azaleas were not nearly so 
numerous as we have seen them on former occasions, 
but they were extremely gorgeous, particularly those 
exhibited by Mr. Green, gardener to Sir E. Antrobus. 
It would be almost invidious, or even impossible, to 
point out which were the best in this lot. One 
feature we could not help noticing in them, viz., 
that the Chinese have excelled our English florists in 
stamping on their seedling azaleas a better form; 
that is, premising that such plants as variegata, la- 
teritia, Danieleiana, and a few others, are seedlings, 
and not genuine wild sorts. They have also suc¬ 
ceeded in China in raising a perfectly double variety, 
a dull red one, of which the finest plant in England 
was in Mr. Green’s collection, and the latest of the 
group. The purest white is one called Alba superba; 
but its shape is not nearly so good as that of the old 
white, or else it does not stand heat so well; for the 
morning of the show, and the two previous days, were 
hot and sultry; besides, it is currently reported that, 
Mr. Green is in the habit of giving his China azaleas 
a smart forcing heat for a few days previously to the 
exhibition, in order to get all the flowers opened 
