80 
THE FLOBIST ANB POMOLOGIST. 
[ may, 
variety of the rosa-sinensis group, with the petals of 
the single orange-scarlet flowers, cut up into narrow 
segments—very curious, from Messrs. Veitch; 
AmaryUis Duchess of Connaught and A. Queen 
Victoria, the former shown by Messrs. Veitch, the 
latter by Mr. Williams, two of the best pure white 
varieties we have yet obtained ; Amaryllis Duhe of 
Connaught, a smooth dark-crimson, with white star, 
from Messrs. Veitch. 
— the Spring show of the Newcastle- 
upon-Tyne Horticultural Society, on April 9th 
and 10th, there was a fair display of Aueiculas 
and Polyanthuses. The principal exhibitors of 
Auriculas were Mr. E. Adams, of Smallwell, and 
Mr. Thos. E. Hay, Killingworth, and considering 
the very early date at which the show was held, 
their plants were very creditable indeed. Mr. Hay 
had a superb example of Blackbird (Spalclingl, 
Glory (Taylor), and other fine sorts. Mr. Adams 
gained the 1st prize for any edged Auricula with 
Col. Champneys (Turner), and also in the class for 
the best self, with Charles J. Perry (Turner). The 
best Polyanthuses were sent from the gardens of 
Colonel Cowen, Blaydon Burn (Mr. W. Henderson, 
gr.) ; and by Mr. E. Adams. The best varieties 
shown were George IV. (Buck), William IV. (San¬ 
derson), and a variety named Black and Gold. 
Spurious border flowers were shown under the names 
of Alexander (Pearson) and Kingfisher. 
— ®HE Society of Apothecaries again this 
year offer Peizes in Botany to young women 
students under 20 years of age. The examina¬ 
tion will be in general botany, and will consist of 
questions, both written and oral, in—1. Structural 
Botany. 2. Vegetable Physiology. 3. Description 
of Living Plants. 4. Systematic Botany, so far as 
those subjects are contained in Sir Joseph Hooker’s 
Science Primer, and Botany, and in Professor Oliver’s 
Lessons in Elementary Botany. The examinations 
will commence in London on the third Wednesday 
and conclude on the fourth Monday in June, 1879. 
— ®>HE Royal National Tulip Society 
has resolved to abandon the method of 
Judging which has been adopted during the 
last few years, and elect Judges who are not exhi¬ 
bitors, as was done formerly; and also in futm’e to 
fix the day of exhibition on the first Saturday in 
May. The Making-up Meeting will in consequence 
be held on May 3rd, at the Bull’s Head Inn, oS 
Market Place, Manchester, at 3 o’clock in the after¬ 
noon. The object will be to fix the day of exhibi¬ 
tion, to appoint judges, to revise the Schedule if 
necessary, and to transact any other business that 
may be brought forward, and the Committee hope 
that as many members will attend as can possibly do 
so. The Schedule of prizes will be issued a few 
days after this meeting has taken place. Members 
who cannot attend are invited to -write to the Hon. 
Secretary, stating the day they would prefer for 
holding the Exhibition, and the Committee hope that 
every Member will do his utmost to increase the 
number of subscribers and exhibitors. The Hon. 
Secretary, Mr. S. Barlow, Stakehill House, Chadder- 
ton, near Manchester, will give all necessary infor¬ 
mation. 
— Some of tbe new double-flowered Indian 
Azaleas deserves especial notice. One, called 
Empeess of India (or Imperatrice des hides), 
which was awarded a First-class Certificate by the 
Floral Committee of the Eoyal Horticultural Society 
on March Ilth, ranks amongst the finest of recent 
acquisitions. In its compact-growing habit and 
dark green foliage, it is all that can be desired, 
while its flowers are remarkable alike for size, sub¬ 
stance, and symmetry ; they are fully four inches in 
diameter, perfect in form, the outer segments of the 
corolla well expanded, and slightly undulated, though 
smooth on the edge, and thus fully displaying the 
tuft of numerous smaller jietaloid segments which 
fill up the centre. The colour is a pleasing tint of 
rosy-salmon, feathering out towards the distinct but 
narrow white band which borders each lobe ; while 
the central petals are of the same hue, and are also 
edged with white, the upper petal being, in addition, 
blotched with a dense mass of deep crimson dots. 
This variety, which will shortly be sent out by M. 
Auguste Van Geert, of Ghent, took the first prize at 
the Ghent Show in April, 1878, under the pro-visional 
name of Heros des Flanclres. Being a free bloomer, 
it will be valuable both for decorative and exhibition 
purposes. M. Van Geert will send out at the same 
time another variety, of the first order of merit, 
named Louisa Pynaert, one of the largest and best¬ 
shaped double whites yet raised, the flowers mea¬ 
suring quite five inches across, and being of a stout 
and enduring texture, such as will make it most 
effective and invaluable, either for exhibition or 
other purposes. This latter novelty -was raised by 
the late M. L. Brugge, one of the most successful of 
the Ghent cultivators. 
— ^T-he vacancy in the Edinbuegh Peo- 
FESSOESHIP OF Botany, Caused by the resigna¬ 
tion of Professor Balfour, has been filled by 
the selection of Dr. Dickson, Professor of Botany in 
the Glasgow University, and pireviously in the Uni¬ 
versity of Dublin. No better selection could have 
been made by the heads of the Edinburgh Univer¬ 
sity. Apart from his scientific attainments, Dr. 
Dickson possesses every other qualification calcu¬ 
lated to make him popular with his class, and among 
the cultivated circles of the modern Athens. The 
appointment, of course, causes a vacancy in that of 
Glasgow. 
— ®HE Teopaiolum speciosum, as we learn 
from Mr. Halliday, of Scone Palace, appears to 
be spreading in the West Highlands like the 
Mistleto in Herefordshire, and apparently by the 
same means, viz., the sparrows and other small 
birds. It is gro-wing up at Scone, where the hand of 
man has neither sown nor planted it, and as time 
goes on it will doubtless distribute itself more and 
more. 
— ^eofessoe Eeichenbach, of Dresden, 
died on March 17th, in his 87th year. He 
was the father of the eminent Orchidologist, 
and is best known in this countiy for his numerous 
illustrated publications on the Flora of Central 
Europe, in the elaboration of which he was much 
aided by his son. 
— I0E. James Stevenson, Gardener to 0. 
Coombe, Esq., at Cobham Hall, Surrey, died on 
March 30th, in his 60th year. He entered the 
service of the late proprietor of Cobham Hall about 
thirty years ago, his duties commencing with the 
formation of an entirely new garden, which he has 
had charge of ever since. 
