The first ordinary meeting of the second session was held in the Hall, 5 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, on the evening of Tuesday the 1st ult. - Mr M. Dunn, president, in the chair. Ten new members having been proposed and seconded, the president proceeded to deliver his opening address. The Association, he remarked, had entered upon the third year of its existence under the most favourable auspices - more than 100 members had been added to the roll during the past year - able and instructive papers had been read at the several meetings - and judging from the printed syllabus which had been circulated among the members, there was no reason to doubt that the meetings during the current year would be quite as interesting as those of the past. A number of schemes for advancing its usefulness were at present under the consideration of the council; one of these, he might mention, was the granting of certificates to exhibitors of articles which, though not really new, showed superior cultural skill. Mr Dunn concluded his address by warmly admonishing young gardeners to diligence in the acquisition of knowledge on all subjects connected with their profession.

Mr James Anderson, Uddingston, next read a paper on "The Education of Gardeners," commencing as a boy at school, where he acquired the elements of education, and from which he could not enter upon his professional career too well furnished with general information. The young gardener, if he would rise to eminence, must cultivate habits of observation, and seek to attain a thorough acquaintance with all the details of practical work in the garden. The bothy also, in which the great majority of gardeners spent the time of their probation, afforded rare opportunities for self-improvement; there, young men interested in the same subject could stimulate and help each other, and join together in procuring books and periodicals on botany and horticulture. Mr Anderson's paper was listened to with great attention, and after an interesting conversation upon the subject, in which several of the members took part, he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.

From a considerable array of interesting plants and flowers on the table for exhibition, we noted a fine plant of Pilea muscosa nana, a dwarf creeping-stemmed form of the old-fashioned "Artillery plant." It will doubtless prove useful for surfacing the pots of plants for table decoration, as it has a dense cushion-like habit of growth and is quite as easily grown as the parent. This was sent by Mr Forman, florist, Dalkeith. Mr M'Clure, Trinity Grove, had a seedling stage Auricula, very distinct and pretty, but somewhat deficient in that smoothness and decision of marking regarded by florists as indispensable to first-class flowers of its tribe. Mr Macmillan, Broadmeadows, sent blooms of a grand strain of seedling Cinerarias, all remarkable for their brilliant colours. A well-grown specimen of the white variety of Primula denticulata, from Messrs Dickson & Co., was much admired. This is a plant well worthy of cultivation, forming a fine companion to the well-known and popular species. Messrs Methven & Sons had a number of trusses of seedling .Rhododendrons, four of which were from the Indian species Thomsonii and one from Falconerii, another Indian species.

Mr Hugh Fraser explained that the former had been obtained from seed saved from hardy varieties, fertilised with pollen from Thomsonii. They were very early, flowered freely, of clear bright colours, and though the trusses were not so compact as some of the other hardy varieties already in cultivation, they were easily forced, and would doubtless be great acquisitions for the winter decoration of the conservatory. The other seedling had been raised from Falconerii, the flowers of which he had attempted to fertilise with Catawbiense, but it so closely resembled some of the varieties of the female parent that it was probable that no cross had been effected, and that it was only a seminal sport. It was announced that a number of new flowers would be submitted to a meeting of the Floral Committee, which was to meet next day.