The Express.
London, England, 1858-04-22 00:00:00

ROYAL HOITICULTUALL SOCIETY.

Yesterday the first exhibition of fruit and flowers
for the season was opened in St. James's-hell, under the
auspices of Ida Royal Highness Prince Albert, who has suo-
ceeded the late Duke of Devonshire as president of the
society. The present year has opened very favourably far
the moiety, the flowers showing in unusual brilliancy for the
period of the year, the place of exhibition combining all the
attractions of space, situation, and elegance, the weather
being charming and her Majesty having honoured the
,Orionax, with her presence. Some time before 12 o'clock
her Majesty and the Prince Consort arrived at St. James's-
hall, and were conducted through the exhibition by Dr.
Lindley and Mr. Dilke, the public being excluded till her '
Majestyd had terminated her Ins action.
ecti. Her Majesty es-
Pressed
her satisfaction at the general aspect of
the exhibition, and bestowed particular notice on
some of the rarer specimens on view. Of these the most
remarkable le the (heath= Dampier', an Australian plant, for '
the first time exhibited here. The singularity of this plant
consists in the presence of large dark prominent eyes in the
middle of the narrate, which import to them a very striking
appearance. ller Majesty noticed also with much curiosity
the collection of caladium., with their tlower-lits Isaac
the Forfugium grander and rosedlowered peach•tres plants,
introduced from the north of China by Mr. Fortune; the
geranium zonate, de.
After her Majesty retired the holders of tickets were &i-
-mbed, and the usual meeting of the society was held in the
orchestral portion of the hall ; Prince Albert in the chair.
The minutes of proceedings having been read by Dr.
Lindley, the secretary, and confirmed, the following persons
were balloted for and elected members of the society .
Col. the Hon. Octavio.. Dancombe, M.P., Hon. and Very
Rev. George Fellow, D.D., Rev. John Robinson, ILA.,
Mr. Bent= Charles Porcher, Req., Frederick Wm. Harris,
Esq., Frederick Gwatldn, Esq John Price, Esq., Dr. &a-
hoy, Edward Beaks, Req., Frederick Morland, Fs t, Wm.
Jones, Esq., Ws. Oremaßae, Eaq., Mr. Thomas Ois, Mr.
John Watson, Mr. Won.Cotterell, Mr. Wm. aTillery, Mr.
James leery, Mr. Wm. Henry Rogers, Henry Cole, C.B.
Dr. LINDLIT then directed the attention of his audience
to the prindpal objects in the exhibition. The general aspect
of the flowers was such as might be expected rather in the
middle of May or even June than in the middle of April.
The exhibition before them was the result of exertions which
had been commenced so far beck as 1818 and continued
without intermission to the present time. lie called urea.
don to the airless, the orchids, the rhododendrons, and the
rases as evidence of the progress which had been made in
floral horticulture, and then noticed some of the more curious
specimens in the exhibition, particularly the Australian plant
and the hybrid Cattlsya, the latter as affording an example of
=skilful Itridisin_g.
The Bishop of WINCHISTIII4 the vice-president of the
society, said that he had been deputed by the council to
convey their warm and cordial thanks to his royal highness
for presiding over their meeting on that omadon. He felt
sure he was expressing the sentiments not only of the
council, bat of every member of society, when he said that
their thanks were eminently due to his royal highness for his
condescension in presiding over them, and for the Interest he
took in the affairs of the society. (Hear. hear.)
Prince ALBEIT said—l assure you I feel much obliged for
the great confidence which has been shown to me In dear=
se as the president of this society, which has done so much
good by its labours in the cause of garden horticulture, and
which has brought British garden horticulture into a condi-
lies which Is not to be excelled by any other country.
(Hear.) I cannot expect that my efforts In behalf of the
society can equal those of the excellent noblemen, my peed*.
ossior, who was your president for so long a period, aad who
laboured so incessantly in its behalf. Bat say anti of mine
or anything that good intentions can geode= I shall be
happy to afford. (Cheers.) I congratulate you on the
beauty of the show now before you, as evideaciag the great
attention that has been directed to the production of such
fine—l will not say such fine, but such useful pissed as are
now to be Wand in all gardens. (Cheers.)
The Primo then retired, and the horticultural connote-
nem erarameared a keen 'napped= of the floral products
of the wring. The ;dente are laid out in such a manner sa
to geodece a very meriting map rail. The azaleas see in
great preponderance and in superb bloom. The China roes
are numerous, hill in leaf, and rich in colour. The bye
Maths, tulips, chimed= and miscellaneous flowers are all
excellent of their kind. The fruits exhibited are not shun-
dent, ant consist of pease, apples, pines, grapes, straw=
, and lemons. The =OW seemed to afford
morttLec.tios to the visitors, and does great credit to the la•
bows of the society. The dowers in the present exhibition,
however, have to stand a very severe and anneal test; for,
beautiful as they undoubtedly are, the esyyesss of the visitor are
frequently tempted upwards by the aerdlese azure and starry
aerate of Mr. ()wee Jere' charming ceiling, which seems
to be tiling a rival USA" with its nether competitor.

A BLIND CLERGIMAN.—The Meroera' Company
of Londm havtag retinal, elected the Rev. J. W. Burke,
domestic chaplain to the Lady Sparrow, of Bromptnn Park,
to the evening lectureship of the perishes of All Sainte and
St. Mary's, Huntingdon, the rev. gentleman read himself in
on Suny evening. 20th ult., in the presence of • very an-
=mous congregation. The novelty of the eironmetance—the
young clergyman being blind—attracted a considerable
number of the inhabitants who were not 1a the habit of at-
loading the arming eerier. The the krone, end
the rr.-idne Arlie was tey est dbe lONA it
?ref, we ogioner ehmsotra. And the ass swiremerreey
with whisk tar Irst wen performed afforded no hod MIIINITM
lion of the pearl atility:of this important disevety. The
Arrionsi pet of the sorrier wee read with post
end rev. patieman's far Irma
tfe•ewhile be wr deciphering with his fetes pad-
.. 1.1181 hi our edam, liturgy.
LOINDON d nai. MOMS COIMANTr-Tilline
roust is ter Ow wok nag Mit £f et UMW. lib di.