230 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
was Messrs. Hallock & Tliorpe, of Queens, N. Y. Both 
displays were not only creditable, but superb. The 
former with smaller plants, and not grown for exhibi¬ 
tion purposes, carried off the first prize for the best 
twelve varieties. The latter made a far greater display, 
but was deficient in two or three varieties, conspicuous 
in Mr. Barr's collection, and which gave him the 
premium. His twelve were, Antonins, Meteor, Souvenir 
de Mercides, Grandijlora, Bouquet Rationale, Magnum 
Bonum, Fair Maid of Guernsey, M. Fittorce, Mongalfur, 
Shogakks. Chang and Jessica. 
For the best six specimens in pots, Messrs. Hallock & 
Thorpe took the first premium, and Mr. Barr the second. 
For the best six Japanese varieties, the premiums were 
awarded to the same exhibitors, in the same order. Of 
this class, there were some magnificent specimens in both 
collections, auspicious among them was the Golden 
Dragon, a plant in a ten-inch pot, bearing hundreds of 
pure golden yellow flowers, many of them more tliau 
four inches in diameter. The beauty of this class, war¬ 
rants the illustration, which we give in this number. 
Messrs. Hallock & Thorpe exhibited twenty new 
varieties of double and single Zonale Pelargoniums, all 
of which were remarkably fine. For a fine double 
variety, named Mrs. Laugtry, with a large, perfect 
truss of well-opened carmine flowers, a Certificate of 
Merit was awarded. A single flowered variety, named 
Cygnet, with pure white flowers, of large size, was re¬ 
markably fine. 
C. E. Parnell, exhibited very fine Maria Louise voilets, 
Billbergia, and Hibiscus Chinensis. John Finn, Esq,, of 
Tremout, showed a large collection of greenhouse plants, 
consisting of Palms in variety, Crotons, etc., etc., all 
well-grown, and in perfect condition. 
Wm. H. Clements, gardener to Mrs. M, J. Morgan, 
showed a small, but choice collection of Orchids, includ¬ 
ing a fine specimen of Vanda Coerulia, Cattleya 
Devoniensis, aud several varieties of Cypripediums. 
James Taplin, Esq., of Maywood, N. J., showed fine 
blooms of Maxillaria Lehmauni, Cattleya Eldorado, 
and a new seedling Chrysanthemum, called ” Maywood.” 
a single variety with pure white flowers, a very fine 
plant: although a new seedling, we cannot see wherein 
it differs from the old Chrysauthemum Speciosa. 
John Henderson. Esq., of Flushing, N. Y., showed 
the first Lilacs and Roman Hyacinths of the season. 
The Lilacs coming so early, leaves us in doubt as to 
whether they belong to the past or coming season. 
Edward Huckins, Esq., of West Jit. Vernon, N. Y., 
exhibited three remarkably fine bunches of Barbarossa 
Grapes, a hot-house variety, weighing about three 
pounds each. 
A new Coleus. Brilliant, with a crimson centre, bor¬ 
dered with maroon, and edged with green, occasionally 
blotched with yellow, one of the most distinct and 
positively marked varieties yet introduced,was exhibited 
by A. F. Chatfield, Esq., of Albany, N. Y. 
ABOUT ROSES. 
South Africa, the native home of the Gladioli, and 
countless Cape bulbs, must be a very paradise of flowers. 
Lady Barker gives an enchanting description of the ex¬ 
travagant profusion with which nature lavishes her 
choicest gifts in that favored clime. Her garden at 
Natal would have driven a methodical gardener mad by 
its complicated and bewildering confusion, while at the 
same time a poet or painter would have gone into rap¬ 
tures over its wild beauty and opulent luxuriance. 
They, happy mortals ever endowed with longing aspira¬ 
tions for perfect beauty, and instinctive powers to de¬ 
tect it, would not have failed to pronounce it the beau- 
ideal of a garden. Flowers of every hue, filling the air 
with delicious odors, ran riot in these enchanted grounds 
uncurbed by art, they grew at their own sweet will, 
whilst over all Roses reigned supreme. Roses, Roses 
everywhere, climbing up in fruit trees, oaks and wil¬ 
lows, clinging to branches, hanging in swaying fes¬ 
toons and drooping garlands, forming netted curtains 
of Roses, red, white, crimson, yellow, and every inter¬ 
mediate shade. Moss Roses, Banksian Roses, Teas, Nois¬ 
ettes, Bengal, Bourbon, China, and last, though not 
least, the grand old Cabbage Rose, the sweetest, sturdiest 
and most fragrant of them all. Walks bordering with 
massive hedges, ten feet in height, of Souvenir de la 
Malmaison and Cloth-of-Gold, a blaze of bloom, bearing 
thousands of their exquisite flowers, so uniformly per¬ 
fect and regular in shape, that plucked at random they 
would have served as exhibition specimens. Just fancy 
Souvenir de la MalmaiEon growing in the open air to 
the height of ten feet; and we are to keep in mind that, 
,, , . 
added to this, the size, beauty, and fragrance of these 
roses were in perfect keeping with the rampant and 
prodigious growth. Such extraordinary vigor seems 
almost fabulous when we (exasperating thought) are 
forced to be content with stunted subjects scarce attain¬ 
ing, in the open ground, as many inches in a single sea¬ 
son, in our bleak clime. Perhaps France, or at least the 
extreme south of that sunny land, can offer the nearest 
approach to so prodigal a display ; for we are told that 
at Cannes, Nice, and especially at Hyeras, the very road, 
sides are all aglow with Baugals, Gloire de Rosomanes 
and other Roses, that with us are of fragile delicacy. 
There Hermosa, Safrano, Lamarque, Isabelle, Nabon- 
nand and many others attain, in a single season, dimen¬ 
sions that with us would require years of greenhouse 
culture to achieve. In that enchanted land no cruel 
blighting frosts come to blast alike, with one fell swoop, 
the buds and hopes of trusting rosarians. The blooming 
season is prolonged into January to recommence a 
month later. Happy Hyeres, whose very wild flowers we 
are only too glad to give an honored place in our less 
favored gardens. There the Tulip, Anemone and Nar¬ 
cissus grow wild along the roadsides. For shade trees 
they have the Olive, Palms aud Eucalyptus, the latter 
loaded with snowy blossoms in January. Even the 
most prosaic necessities of life are transformed into 
rarest poetry ; for the fuel with which they boil the kettle 
is composed of—Myrtle and Oleander! Under such 
circumstances the kettle is duty bound to Bing with a 
lyric melody quite unknown to us, warmed as it is by 
such aesthetic firewood. No parallel can be found for- 
