The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-25 00:00:00

The Royal Botanic Society.

The first general exhibition of the Royal Botanic
Society of London took place yesterday. The visi-
tors were very numerous, and among them were the
Duchess of Cambridge, the Princess Mary of Cam-
bridge, Le Comte d'Eu, the Duchess of Sutherland,
the Duchess Dowager of Sutherland, the Bishop of
Oxford, Lords Alfred Hemp, Chesham, Leigh,
Granville, Blayney, and Headley ; Ladies A. Her-
vey, Falmouth, Dacre, Leigh, Caroline Stirling,
Dowager Willoughby de Broke, Peto, Marshall,
Rolt, Hulse, Matheson, Hamilton, Fellowes, Robin-
son, and Hume Campbell ; Sirs C. Rawlinson,
William Newton, Walter Stirling, Mathew Ridley,
John Fisher, G. Hodgkinson, Thomas Kenah,
E. Hulse, R. Buxton, and Graham Montgomery ;
Baron Brunow, the French, Austrian, Turkish,
Prussian, Hanse Town, Brazilian, American, and
Bavarian Ambassadors, and their suites. The ex-
hibition was unusually fine, the azaleas, roses,
pelargoniums, orchids, and calciolarias being re-
markable for the size and perfection of their flowers.
Among the rare and curious plants we noticed Clian-
thus Dampieri, with bunches of strange-looking red
and black flowers ; Lilium Aurantum, from Japan,
an immense white lily ; Anthurum Schujerianum,
with bright red flowers ; Leptopteris Superba,
beautiful New Zealand fern, &c. There was exhi-
bited a small but choice collection of artificial
flowers, some shell ornaments, and a shell basket,
and feather flowers and paper flowers. The bands
of the 2d Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards
(Blue) were in attendance. The following prizes
were awarded :—Extra gold medals to Mr. B. Peed,
gardener to Messrs. lledwell, St. John's-lodge,
Norwood, for 16 stove and greenhouse plants ; and
Mr. Baker, gardener to Mr. A. Bassett, Stamford-
hill, for 20 exotic orchids. Large gold medals to
Mr. T. Whitebread, gardener to Mr. H. Collyer,
Dartford, for 16 stove and greenhouse plants ; and
Mr. R. Buller, gardener to Mr. A. Turner, Bow-
bridge-house, Leicester, for 20 exotic orchids. Me-
dium gold medals to Mr. W. Kaile, gardenertoEarl
Lovelace, East Horsley Towers, Ripley, Surrey, for
16 stove and greenhouse plants ; Messrs. J. and C.
Lee, nurserymen, Hammersmith, for 10 stove and
greenhouse plants ; Mr. H. Chilman, gardener to
Messrs. Smith, Ashted-house, Epsom, for 10 stove
and greenhouse plants ; Mr. J. Veitch, nurseryman,
Chelsea, for 8 greenhouse azaleas ; Mr. S. M. Car-
son, gardener to Mr. W. R. G. Farmer, Nonsuch-
park, Cheam, Surrey, for 8 greenhouse azaleas ; Mr.
T. Page, gardener to Mr. W. Leaf, for 20 exotic
orchids ; Mr. C. Penny, gardener to Mr. H. H.
Gibbs, Regent's-park, for 12 exotic orchids; Messrs.
H. Lane and Son, Great Berkhampstead, for 10
roses in pots ; and Mr. J. Bailey, gardener to Mr.
T. Drake, Shardeloes, Amersham, Bucks, for 10
pelargoniums, and gold medals to Mr. J. Fraser,
nurseryman, Leighton, Essex, for 10 stove and
greenhouse plants ; Mr. T. Page, gardener to Mr.
W. Leaf, Park-hill, Streatham, for 10 stove and
greenhouse plants ; Messrs. J. and C. Lee,
nurserymen, Hammersmith, for 15 stove,
greenhouse, and foliage plants; Mr. 0. Rhodes,
nurseryman, Sydenham-park, Kent, for 10
Cape heaths ; Mr. B. Peed, gardener to Messrs.
Tredwell, St. John's-lodge, Norwood, for eight Cape
heaths ; Mr. J. Fraser, nurseryman, Leighton, for
eight greenhouse azaleas; Mr. G. Wheeler, gardener
to Sir F. H. Goldsmid, Regent's-park, for eight
greenhouse azaleas ; Mr. B. Peed, for 20 exotic
orchids ; Mr. W. Wilson, gardener to Mr. W. Mar-
shall, Enfield, for 12 exotic orchids ; Mr. W. Paul
and Son, for 10 roses ; and Mr. C. Turner, for 12
pelargoniums.

INAUGURATION OF A ROMAN CATHOLIC CHAPEL
IN JAPAN.—Letters from Nagasaki, in Japan, con-
tain accounts of an interesting ceremony for the inaugura-
tion of the Catholic church in that town on the 19th Feb.
All the foreign vessels in the port were dressed out with
flags; the side aisles of tho church wore occupied by a
detachment of seamen from the French ship Cien-Chau ;
the consul of Franco with all the foreign merchants of tho
town were also present, and the above on their way to the
building were accompanied by bodies of seamen from the
Russian, Dutch, and English frigates Viriag, Amsterdam,
and Argus. Tho benediction was given by the Abbd
Girard, the Superior of Foreign Missions in Japan, and
religious music was executed by a band which the com-
mander of the Russian naval division had furnished. A
salute of 21 guns announced the termination of the cere-
mony, and until sunset flags of all nations represented in
Japan floated from the summit of the new church.