At the monthly meeting held in the Hall, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, on Tuesday the 7th October, Mr Dunn, president, in the chair, there was a numerous attendance of members and others interested in horticulture. A paper was read from Mr Johannes le Clerc, nurseryman, Haarlem, on "The Culture of Bulbs in Holland," in which he gave an interesting account of the mode in which Hyacinths, Tulips, etc, were reared and managed by the Dutch growers. Mr W. Ivison Macadam, lecturer on chemistry, next gave a lecture on "The Food of Plants." After pointing out the importance of gardeners acquiring a knowledge of the chemical composition of soils, along with the ash of the plants grown thereon, and showing, by the aid of a number of diagrams, the constituents of the various manures now in use, and their value as fertilisers of the soil, the lecturer compared the cost of the natural and artificial manures, placing their several agricultural values alongside each other, and showed that farmyard manure was the most expensive, and, in the majority of cases, quite inadequate to meet the wants of ordinary crops, strongly recommending the adoption of the "Association Standards," which were periodically fixed by a committee, and which could be thoroughly relied upon.

It was resolved that this lecture, which Mr Macadam kindly placed at the disposal of the Association, should be printed for distribution among the members.

A communication was read from Mr G. Robertson, Mordington Gardens, descriptive of a number of cut blooms of herbaceous plants, which were on the table for exhibition.

Mr P. Fairgrieve, The Gardens, Dunkeld House, was awarded the Society's Cultural Certificate for a fine collection of stone fruits, consisting of five dishes of Peaches, fifteen of Plums, three of Nectarines, five of Apricots, and one of Cherries, all distinct varieties, and gathered from the open air. Mr A. Fowler, Castle Kennedy, sent a plant of a new Ageratum of a similar habit and quite as floriferous as the well-known dwarf variety, Countess of Rothes, but with rosy-tinted flowers. A seedling Godetia, with darker flowers than Whitneyii - raised by Mr J. "Webster, Gordon Castle - was much admired. It has a dwarf, dense habit of growth, a brilliant colour, and seems to be a remarkably free flowerer. A seedling of Lobelia speciosa, with snow-white flowers, was exhibited by Mr Robertson, Sea-Cot House, Leith. This plant, though by far the best white we have yet seen, had a somewhat rambling habit of growth, doubtless caused by its being grown under glass: it will probably be all that could be desired in the open air as a bedding-plant.

Among the other exhibits were collections of cut blooms of herbaceous plants from Messrs Dickson & Co., including several species of Yucca, Colchicum autumnale, purple and white, Statice Fortunei, a showy and distinct-looking plant with loose panicles of yellow flowers, Lobelia syphilitica, a pretty North-American blue-flowered species, Anemone japonica with large red flowers and its variety alba with flowers pure white, several of the autumn Asters, Tritomas, etc, etc. Mr Robertson Munro had a large array of a similar character, in which were the single-flowered Dahlias glabrata and crocata, Stenactis speciosa, with showy purple flowers, Rudbeckias of various sorts, Mimulus car-dinalis, etc, etc. Blooms of a red Pompon Dahlia grown at Piershill were also shown by Mr Munro, who stated that the plant from which they were gathered had been growing in the open border for twelve years without being once lifted, that several varieties had been planted at the same time, but that all the light-coloured and large-flowered sorts had died out, leaving only the plant which had borne these flowers.

The Chairman alluded in feeling terms to the death of Mr John Caie, gardener, Inverary Castle, one of the most enthusiastic members of the Association.

The usual votes of thanks terminated the proceedings.

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The monthly meeting was held in the hall, 5 St Andrew's Square, Edinburgh, on Tuesday evening, the 4th ult. - Mr Dunn presiding. Twelve new members were admitted, and the names of six others were given in for admission at next meeting. Mr L. S. Dow read a paper on the "Cultivation of Roses in Pots," dealing chiefly with Hybrid perpetual sorts, and describing the treatment he had adopted to obtain specimens measuring 4 feet in diameter, and bearing from 60 to 100 blooms. The chief features of this consisted of careful potting in good loam, enriched with well-rotted cow-manure, efficient drainage, and liberal supplies of liquid manure while the plants were in active growth. The plants were placed in a sunny exposure out of doors in summer, and when introduced into the forcing-house for early blooming, heat should be very gradually applied. Great vigilance should at all times be exercised in looking after insects, particularly aphis, to the attacks of which the Rose was particularly liable; and mildew, another of its deadliest enemies, but which he had found readily to yield to sulphur, if applied immediately after its appearance. He concluded by recommending all who had the opportunity, to get a Rose-house, and hoped soon to see more attention paid to the culture of Roses in pots.

Mr Hugh Fraser next read a paper on "Cape Heaths." After dwelling at some length upon the decorative qualities of these plants, and pointing out that, by a judicious selection of species and varieties, it was possible to have a show of bloom all the year round, he recommended those who were anxious to grow Heaths well either to devote a house to themselves, or to allot a portion of the greenhouse to them separate from the general collection. Pure peat, with the addition of more or less sand, according to its natural character, was the proper soil. It should be chopped up with the spade, and only used when dry. All the sorts delight in charcoal; and a liberal allowance of small pieces mixed with the soil and among the crocks would be found beneficial. Great care should be exercised in watering, as they were more impatient than most plants of either excessive drought or moisture. They were liable to the attack of mildew, particularly in winter, or in long-continued dull weather; and an occasional gentle dusting of sulphur at such times would prevent it doing serious damage.

The strong-growing, or what are known as soft-wooded, sorts, such as Hyemalis, should be put out of doors in summer in an airy but sheltered situation; while those termed hard-wooded - of which Massonii, Tricolor, and Ampullacea are the types - should be put in frames where they can with facility be protected from heavy rains. No more fire-heat should be given than is necessary to keep out frost, most of the sorts being hardy enough to stand from 3 to 4 degrees without injury, but it is always safest to exclude it altogether. The concluding paper was read by Mr Mark King, Bonnington, the subject being "Interesting British Plants." In the course of his introduction, he urged the importance of young gardeners acquiring a knowledge of botany, and quoted the opinions of eminent men in corroboration of his views. He afterwards described a number of native plants of horticultural interest, showing how they might with advantage be admitted to garden collections. Mr King illustrated his paper with a large collection of beautiful dried specimens mounted on sheets of paper.

Interesting and instructive discussions followed the reading of the several papers, and at the close the usual votes of thanks were cordially tendered to their authors.

Of a large number of exhibits on the table, the following were most interesting: A collection of nine dishes of distinct Peaches, including fine examples of Lady Palmerston, Osprey, Gregory's Late, and Prince of Wales, along with four dishes of Currants, consisting of Jackson's Mammoth, La Versailles, Raby Castle, and White Champagne, from Mr Dunn, Dalkeith Gardens. Mr L. S. Dow, Saughton, had a double seedling Primula sinensis of considerable merit; from Mr Robertson Munro, Abercorn Nursery, a fine collection of Herbaceous Spikes, including several of the finest of the hardy perennial Asters - a family of plants invaluable for autumn blooming. Messrs Todd & Co. had some beautiful spikes of the Double Crimson Intermediate Stocks, which were very much admired. Messrs John Cowe, Metropolitan Cemetery, a new seedling Potato, which he described as a cross between the Victoria and Regent. Mr Webster, Gordon Castle, sent two Melons, which he stated, in an accompanying note, had been raised from seed brought from Khiva by Captain Burnaby. These were remitted to the Fruit Committee with a view to their being reported on at next meeting.

Mr Hugh Fraser showed branches of Colletia Bictonensis, a curious South American hardy Hamamelis Virginica, in flower, and Ptelea trifoliata, in fruit - the latter interesting from its hardiness in Britain, and from its fruit being used successfully in France as a substitute for Hops in the manufacture of beer.