THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
JiIly 
2 ft., a finely bloomed plant; Erica parmentieva, 2 ft. 
by 2£ ft., densely flowered ; Clerodendrum Ictcmpferi, 
with two large spikes of fine rich-coloured scarlet 
flowers. 
Collection 01' Fifteen Stove and Giieenhouse 
Plants were exhibited by three parties. First prize, 
gold Knightian medal, to Mr. Green, gardener to Sir 
E. Autrobus, Bart., of Cheam, Surrey. Mr. Green 
is well known to be one of the most skilful cultiva¬ 
tors of plants of the day, and he well sustained his 
reputation on this occasion. We have only space to 
mention a few of the best of the collection. 
Leschenaultia formosa, 2 ft. high by 3 ft. through, 
a plant completely covered with its pretty scarlet 
flowers ; Leschenaultia baxterii major, the same size 
and quality; Erica jasminiflora alba, 2bft. by 3bft ; 
Dipladenia atro purpurea,—this difficult plant to 
grow and flower was shown in excellent health and 
full of flower ; Allatnanda grandiflora, 5 ft. by 3b ft., 
an excellent species, with bright orange coloured 
flower; Splienotonia gracile, the Dracophyllum gra- 
cile of other days, a good specimen, 2-^ ft. by 3b- ft. 
Second prize, gold Banksian medal, to Air. Taylor, 
gardener to J. Costar, Esq., Streatham. This collec¬ 
tion was very little inferior to the last: the best 
plants in it were Polygala cordifolia, 3 ft. by 2 ft.; 
Polygala oppositifolia, 4 ft. by 3 ft.; Ixora crocata, 
a low bushy plant, with five heads of flowers; Dipla¬ 
denia crassinoda, with 24 blooms fully expanded ; 
and Allamanda cathartica, 5 ft. by 3b, in good flower. 
Collection of Six Stove and Greenhouse Plants. 
—Several collections of six were shown. Air. Jack, 
gardener to — Lorraine, Esq , of Wallingford, ob¬ 
tained the first prize, silver gilt medal. He had a 
good Kalosanthes coccinea, an Allamanda cathartica, 
and a well grown Clerodendrum. Second prize, cer¬ 
tificate of excellence, to Mr. Bruce, gardener to B. 
Aliller, Esq. He had a good Erica metulaiflora, 
Kalosanthes nitida, Steplianotes floribunda, and 
Sollya linearis. Third prize, large silver medal, to 
Air. Glendinning. A fine specimen of the new Hoya 
imperialis, with its chandalier-like blossom, was in 
this collection, and several nice low bushy heaths. 
Collections of Twenty-five Orchids. —First 
prize, large gold medal, to Air. Alylam, gardener to 
S. Rucker, Esq., Wandsworth. His collection, as 
usual, was exceedingly rich, well grown, and finely 
flowered. Our space forbids us to do more than just 
notice a few of the best. 
Saccolabium guttatum, four spikes. \ T anda Bate- 
maniana: this truly noble plant had this year but 
one spike of its magnificent flowers, with crimson 
spots upon a yellow ground, the back of the petals 
and sepals being of the finest rose-colour. Plialse- 
nopsis amabilis, fourteen fully expanded flowers on 
one spike. Aerides odorato, thirty-six spikes, a 
noble large plant. Calanthe masuca, a rare species, 
had twelve spikes. Aerides maculosum, a fine, 
well-flowered plant. 
Second prize, gold Knightian medal, to Air. Wil¬ 
liams. This collection was marked, as usual, by 
superior cultivation; as, for instance, the fine plant 
of Pliajus albus, bearing seventeen spikes of its 
beautiful white flowers. Aerides affine, with one 
spike with five branches, and four other spikes, seve¬ 
ral of which were branched likewise. Barkeria 
spectabilis, a large mass with five spikes; Saccola¬ 
bium guttatum, four spikes ; the rare Epidendrum 
verrucosum, with a spike of seven flowers. 
Collections of Ten Exotic Orchids. —These col¬ 
lections were numerous. First prize, gold Knightian 
203 
medal, was very deservedly awarded to Air. Plant, 
gardener to S. Schroder, Esq., Stratford Green. His 
best plant was Aerides maculosum, with two splen¬ 
did spikes; Aerides affine ; Cycnoches chlorochilum, 
with two long spikes of its bright, fragrant, and 
swan-like flowers. 
Second prize, gold Banksian medal, to Air. Dob¬ 
son. He had a good Cattleya crispa, with a spike of 
six flowers; the rare Epidendrum vitellinum, and 
Epidendrum Phoeniceum. 
Third prize, silver gilt medal, to Alessrs. Rollinson, 
of Tooting. This collection was chiefly remarkable 
for having in it an immense mass, scarcely in bloom, 
of Aliltonia spectabile. 
Fourth prize, large silver medal, to Alessrs. Hen¬ 
derson, of Pine-apple-place. This lot had a finely 
flowered Stanhopea quadricorna, with numerous 
flowers; also S. Tigrina, with six of its strange, 
monstrous looking blooms. 
Fifth prize, silver Knightian medal, to Air. Alay, 
gardener to Airs. Lawrence, of Ealing Park. A good 
Plialoenopsis grandiflora was in this collection; 
also a large mass of Sobralia macrantlia, the flowers 
of which were sadly spoiled by carriage. 
Having thus briefly noticed the collection so far, 
we have only space now to just glance at the 
remainder. 
Heaths were numerous and in good order, show¬ 
ing that care and skill can overcome adverse seasons. 
The hot weather, for instance, that we have had 
lately. 
Pelargoniums were evidently on the wane, there 
being fewer shown, but those few were in good con¬ 
dition. 
Cut Roses. —In this class of flowers there was 
plenty of competition, and the flowers were up to 
the mark, but the hot day and close tent soon took 
effect upon them, causing them to droop very early 
in the afternoon. 
Carnations and Picotees exhibited in excellent 
order, and kept fresh to the last moment. 
Tall Cacti were very much shortened both in 
quantity and height, yet some were neat flowered, 
well grown, plants. 
Fruit. —A large number of good pines were ex¬ 
hibited; some good black grapes also; but Aluscats, 
though fine fruit, were far from being ripe. Peaches 
and nectarines were scarce; strawberries and cher¬ 
ries excellent in quality and abundant in quantity ; 
melons were rather scarce and not first-rate, though 
the weather has been just the thing for ripening this 
fruit. 
Looking through the exhibition as a whole, we 
should say it was, on an average, equal to the former 
July meetings. There was certainly no decided im¬ 
provement. Let us hope that the council will in¬ 
crease their prizes, and the gardeners increase their 
exertions, so as to make those meetings what they 
ought to be—an example of the highest skill in horti¬ 
cultural matters. But we shall have more to say on 
this and other topics next week. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
N.B. A multitude of letters are unavoidably left unanswered until 
next week. 
Plants for the City (A Citizen ).—You will find full directions 
as to the best mode of growing these in windows, at page 282 of our 
first volume ; and a list of such as will best grow in town gardens at 
page 30 of the present volume. 
