70 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST, 
[ May, 
THE GHENT QUINQUENNIAL HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION. 
« HE Socie'te Boyale d’Agriculture et de 
Botanique de Gaud has just held its 
tenth quinquennial International Horti¬ 
cultural Exhibition, which has to be re¬ 
corded as one of the successes of 1878. It 
was held in the buildings and grounds of the 
Casino, a well-known place of public resort. 
The weather was unfortunately unpropitious 
at the commencement, but changed for the 
better towards the close. Notwithstanding 
stormy winds, drenching rains, and biting 
frosts, the great central hall of the Casino, 
with an annexe, and a large three-aisle build¬ 
ing in the grounds, together with a suite of 
smaller rooms devoted to new plants and 
specialities, were filled to overflowing ; while 
the various horticultural buildings erected for 
exhibition were themselves utilised, and con¬ 
tained a wonderfully fine display of Hyacinths 
and Amaryllids. 
The jury met at 10 a.m. on March 30th, 
and having been drafted off into eighteen 
sections (the Due de Cazes, President of the 
Botanical Society of France, being chosen 
President-General, and Mr. Thomas Moore, of 
the Chelsea Botanic Garden, Secretary-General), 
proceeded in due course to make their awards. 
The most noticeable objects amongst the 
numerous plants collected together in the Great 
Hall were the groups of Azalea indica amongst 
flowering plants, and the Palms, Ferns, Cycads, 
Dracaenas, &c., amongst foliage plants. The 
Azaleas, inimitable examples of horticultural 
skill, were usually grown on short clean stems, 
with dome-shaped heads of 3 ft. to 5 ft. across, 
and were literally masses of glowing colours in 
almost endless variety. Those shown by M. 
Ghellinck de Walle, who won the King’s gold 
medal for 50 specimens, by the Comte de Ker- 
cliove de Denterghem, by M. Jean Vervaene, 
and by M. Louis Van Houtte, were especially 
good. Palms are always a great feature at these 
shows, the fortunate possessors not being so 
chary as our own aristocracy in permitting them 
to be brought into public. Here M. Ghellinck 
de Walle took the gold medal for 40, with a 
group of noble plants ; and M. Van Houtte, M. 
D’Haene, M. A. Verschaffelt, M. J. Nuyttens- 
Verschaffelt, and others contributed freely. The 
leading prizes for Cycads were won by M. 
Ghellinck de Walle, Comte de Kerchove de Den¬ 
terghem, M. G. Nuyttens-Verschaffelt, M. Van- 
den Wouwer, M. A. Van Geert, and M. Van 
Houtte. For Pandanads, M. Van Houtte took 
first prize in all three classes. For 12 Tree- 
Ferns, the Queen’s gold medal fell to the Comte 
de Kerchove, and the prize for the most beauti¬ 
ful example to M. Vanden Wouwer, probably 
one of the handsomest Tree-Ferns ever shown, 
a Dicksonia antarctica, with a stout trunk 6 ft. 
to 8 ft. high, and a dense symmetrical head in 
perfect health and freshness, with a spread of 
at least 12 ft.—really a model Tree-Fern. A 
splendid group of 40 mixed tree and herba¬ 
ceous Ferns from M. Ghellinck de Walle, and 
another of 40 grand herbaceous Ferns from the 
Comte de Kerchove, were first in their respect¬ 
ive classes, as was a group of 20 well-grown 
Adiantums from the latter, a most effective class, 
Mr. J. Wills took the first prize in the three 
classes of Dracaenas, with collections of his 
famous hybrids. 
In another large building the more hardy 
kinds of plants, as Rhododendrons, Camellias, 
choice Conifers, Japanese Maples, cool-house 
Ferns, &c., were arranged. Here were some 
splendid groups of Azalea mollis, a race of plants 
destined to take a foremost place amongst the 
hardy shrubs grown for forcing into flower in 
early spring, being remarkable for their tints of 
yellow, salmon, and rose, and extremely florif- 
erous. Several of the plant-houses erected for 
exhibition were utilised. Thus one which was 
kept heated accommodated a choice set of 
Orchids from Messrs. W. Rollisson and Sons, 
a good miscellaneous group from Messrs. 
Veitch and Sons and Mr. B. S. Williams, 
and many other interesting minor exhibits; 
another accommodated a grand lot of 100 
Hyacinths, the best that have been seen this 
season, shown by Messrs. Veitch and Sons ; 
another was devoted to several competing sets 
of Hyacinths, of which M. Van Iloutte’s were 
the best; and in yet another were some grand 
lots of 75 Hippeastrums, M. Van Houtte’s and 
the Comte de Iverchove’s, which respectively 
took the leading prizes in the Amateurs’ and 
Nurserymen’s classes, being far in advance of 
the rest. 
In the open grounds was a grand display of 
subjects much more used abroad than with us, 
namely, splendid examples of standard Bays, 
