26 
THE ELOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
to be one of the best varieties for mashing for the dinner table. The only red 
kidney-shaped Potato was Haigh’s Seedling, a second early; it has a spare 
foliage, and though not a large cropper, the individual tubers are large and 
very heavy, and it is also one of the most nourishing varieties grown; to this 
a first-class certificate was also awarded. 
The manner in which these were named furnished an instructive lesson to 
exhibitors, each label being fastened to the dish in such a manner that it could 
not become detached, and the methods of writing and affixing the labels pre¬ 
sented a marked contrast to the slovenly manner in which some other collec¬ 
tions were named. R. D. 
NOTES OE THE FLORAL AND FRUIT COMMITTEES. 
January 23rd .—This was the first meeting of the year, and proved to me a 
most interesting one. Prominent was a splendid collection of plants from Mr. 
W. Bull, of Chelsea, which occupied more than one side of the Council- 
chamber. Generally they were ornamental-foliaged plants out of bloom, 
but of a very choice and valuable character. The Lindley medal was awarded 
to Mr. Bull by the Society for the group. Conspicuous was a pan of a 
species of Achimenes, remarkable for its very handsome foliage, the leaves being 
bronzy green, with a broad stripe up the middle of a creamy white colour. 
There were also some handsome female plants of Aucuba japonica with large 
bright red berries ; Chamasranthemum reticulatum, from Brazil; Pandanus 
ornatus, to which a first-class certificate was awarded; Anthurium magnificum, 
Herrania palmata, a very handsome pendulous-foliaged Palm-like plant, to 
which a first-class certificate was aw r arded; Gleichenia hecistophylla; a white 
variety of Dielytra spectablis, from China; Gymnostachyum Verschaffelti, &c. 
From Messrs. A. Henderson & Co. came a very handsome variety of Lastrea 
Sieboldi, which was awarded a first-class certificate. 
A special certificate was awarded to Mr. Yeitch, of Chelsea, for an ex¬ 
tremely interesting group of flowering Orchids, and other plants. It comprised 
several beautiful varieties of Lvcaste Skinneri, the marking in a few cases 
being very rich indeed; Barkeria Skinneri; Odontoglossurn cordatum ; Angrse- 
cum eburneum,to w r hich a special certificate w T as awarded; the beautiful Cattleya 
Warscewiczii delicata, C. bogotensis, &c. 
Mr. B. S. Williams also received a special certificate for fine plants of 
Angrmcum eburneum, A. eburneum virens, and what was said to be a variety 
of Calanthe vestita, in this case the spot in the flowers being of a deep gold 
colour ; and a first-class certificate for Cattleya species nova. From Mr. W. 
Earley, of Digswell Park, came a seedling Begonia, named Earley’s Hybrid, 
with large and striking pink blossoms. Dr. Pattison, of St. John’s Wood, pro¬ 
duced a plant of Angrmcum sesquipedale, with two expanded blooms; and 
from James Bateman, Esq., of Biddulph Grange, came Phalaenopsis amabilis, 
Dendrobium moniliforme, Thibaudia macrantha, and T. bracteosa. 
But little fruit was present at this season of the year. Some Uvedale’s St. 
Germain Pears were sent by Mr. George F. Wilson to show the colour that 
can be obtained in an orchard-house. A first-class certificate was awarded to 
Mr. R. H. Betteridge, of Abingdon, for a medium-sized good-looking seed¬ 
ling Pear, the flavour of which was said to be excellent. There were also 
present fruit of the following Pears: Beurre de Flandre, Suzette de Bavay, 
aad Eliza d’Hevst. The following Grapes were sent by Mr. W. Tillery, of 
Welbeck Abbey, to show their keeping qualities : West’s St. Peter’s, Trebbiano, 
Welbeck Black Tripoli, and Muscat of Alexandria. Some fruit of Pyrus 
nepalensis were sent from Southampton by Mr. W. B. Page, sen. The Rev. 
