The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-10 00:00:00

azalea show, which formed the second spring, fete
at these gardens, but the company was as usual
numerous and fashionable. There was an abundant
exhibition of azaleas, comprising many very choice
specimens, nearly the whole of which were remark-
able for that profusion of blossom, delicacy of colour,
and perfection of form which fanciers prize. There
was also an extensive display of rhododendrons,
cinerarias, auriculas, hyacinths, pansies, amaryllis,
and other blossoms, appropriate to the season, all
of them well worthy of a place in the society's
grounds, and which were admired the more, inas-
much as the lower arcade where they were arranged
allowed more room for distinct classification, and a
better opportunity for examining the merits of the
several flowers than was afforded in the confined
space of the council chamber when the previous
show was held.

The following is a list of the first prizes in each
of the classes :

Class 1. Twelve greenhouse azaleas, distinct kinds (nur-
serymen), Mr. Charles Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough,
M.

Class 2. Nine greenhouse azaleas, distinct kinds (ama-
teurs), Mr. Thomas Fodman, gardener to R. Hudson,
Esq., Clapham-common, £2.
Class 3. Six greenhouse azaleas, distinct kinds (ama-
teurs), Mr. Thomas Fodman, gardener to R. Hudson,
Esq., Clapham-common, £llos.
Class 4. Six greenhouse azaleas, new distinct kinds
(open), Mr, C. Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough, £1 10s.
Class 5. Three greenhouse azaleas, new distinct kinds
(amateurs), Mr. Thomas Fodman, gardener to R. Hudson,
Esq., Clapham-common, £l.

Class 6, Single specimen of greenhouse azaleas (open),
Mr. Charles Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough, £l.
Class 7. Six rhododendrons in bloom, distinct kinds
(open), Messrs. J. Yeitch, Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea
and Exeter, £2.

Class 8. Three rhododendrons in bloom, distinct kinds
(open), Mr. W. Young, gardener to R. Barclay, Esq.,
Highgate, £l.

Class 9. Single specimen of rhododendron (open), Messrs.
J. Veitch and Son, Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea and
Exeter, £l.

Class 10. Nino cinerarias, distinct kinds (nurserymen),
Messrs. Dobson & Son, Woodlands Nursery, Isleworth, £2.
Class 11. Six cinerarias, distinct kinds (amateurs), Mr. P.
Lamb, gardener to Miss Thackthwaitc, Southall, £1 10s.
Class 12. Twelve spring flowers, forced, distinct kinds
(open), Messrs. J. and J. Fraser, Lea•bridge-road Nur-
series,:Leyton, £2.
Class 13. Twelve greenhous9 plants in flower, not forced,
distinct (open), Messrs. J. 'Witch and Son, Royal Exotic
Nursery, Chelsea, £2. -

Class 14. Twelve hardy herbaceous plants in flower (open)
Mr. B. S. Williams, i'aradiso Nursery, Holloway, £l.
Class 15. Nine auricular, distinct kinds (nurserymen),
Mr. Chas. Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough, 10s.

Class 16. Six auriculas, distinct kinds (amateurs), Rev.
H. IL Dombrain, Deal, £1 10s.
Prizes were awarded as under for the following miscel-
laneous plants and flowers :—To W. Bull, for a group of
new and rare and other plants, £1 10s, ; W. Cutbush and
Son, collection of 60 hyacinths, £1; W. Paul, for four boxes
of cut roses, Ll ; W. Young, for four tall cacti, £1; Mr. J.
Luscombo, Combe Royal, Kingsbridge, for cut blooms of
rhododendron, arboreum, and cinnamomum, £1; J. Witch
and Son, for collection of azaleas! £1; Messrs. Paul and
Son, five boxes of cut roses, £1; Messrs. Paul and Son, 12
'oses in pots, £1; B. and S. Williams, for collection of
amaryllis, £1; J. Salter, collection of hardy variegated
plants, 15s. ; W. Paul, cut rose, Beauty of Waltham, lOs ;
S. Tegg, for Erica Sindriana, 10s. ; B. and S. R illiams,
for Alsophila species, 10s. ; W. Bragg, for box of pansies,
10s. ; B. and S. Williams, for collection of plants, 10s. ;
Mr. C. Turner, for seedling cineraria artiste, 7s. 6d.

First Class Certificates.—lthododendron Denisonii, from
Bousie, Stoke ; Azalea Due d'Aremberg, from Messrs.
and A., Smith, Dulwich; and Grevillea Hillii, from
Messrs. Veitch anal Son, Chelsea.
Second Class Certificate.—Cineraria, Lord Elgin, from
Kr. James, Isleworth.
Commendations.—Rhododendron M'Nabii, from Mr.
Bousie, Stoke; Cineraria, carminata variegate, from
Messrs. F. and A. Smith, Dulwich ; Aricula, Mrs. Eyles,
from Mr. J. Holland, Isleworth ; Primula Sinensis (fimb.
J. pl.) "The Fairy," from F. and A, Smith, Dulwich.

IRONMASTE.RS! QUARTERLY

iiIEBTING.

'VV OLVERHAMPTON, APRIL 9.

• The meeting of the ironmasters of this district
for the current quarter commenced in this town to-
day, the assembly taking place at the Exchange
News-room, instead of, as heretofore, at the incon-
venient spot in front of the Swan Hotel. The at-
tendance was more numerous than it has been of
late, but the transactions were on a moderate scale;
as usual, the bulk of the busineas was reserved for
the meeting at Birmingham' on Thursday. •The
tone was, however, more cheerful than it has been
for the last 12 months—at the present time even
the principal firms—producers of the very best
brands of finished iron—are short of orders; and
the second class houses are in a worse position in
that respect, but an opinion prevailed' that an im-
provement will take plaee at no distant day, and in
proof of confidence in this view some of the houses
who do business with America have recently re-
, fused to accept orders for that quarter at prices
below the :trade scale. At this moment and for
some time past the quantity of Staffordshire iron
shipped to America has been limited, and chiefly
through Liverpool houses.
The topic principally discussed today had refer
renee to the plate-iron required for the reconstruc •
tion of the navy, At this moment there is no
Machinery in the district which is adequate to the
production of the class of plates necessary for this
purpose, but the Staffordshire ironmasters are quite
ante to the importance of providing themselves
with the requisite machinery, and from the tone of
conversation which took place at this meeting there
is ha doubt that several firms who possess ample
capital are ready to set up machinery as soon as the
intentions of Government are more definitely
known. There are certain makes of the pig-iron of
this district which are peculiarly adapted for the
manufacture of the description of plates suitable for
this novel part of the machinery of naval warfare,
and those who are not engaged in the trade are not
likely to let the opportunity pass by providing
the means necessary to enable them to enter into
this new branch of their trade. It was men-
tioned to-day that already there are specifica-
tions in from America, and an order for 2,000 tons
of plates.
The remaining business of to-day's meeting Was
unimportant. It was stated that in the mannfile-
turing trades of the disteet there is rather more
animation, and that quarter-day accounts
I promptly paid. were