210 THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



lean-to described in our original notice. Of course, it will not supersede 

 a single yard of hot-water pipe, or scjuare foot of furnacing, but where 

 pipes and furnaces cannot be conveniently applied, it is the next best 

 source of heat for portable houses. 



NOTES OF THE MONTH. 



DOECHESTEE CoTTAGEES' HoETICULTUEAL EXHIBITION. — One of the 



most successful exhibitions ever held in connection with the Dorchester, 

 Weymouth, and Cerne Association for the Improvement of the Condition of 

 the Labouring Classes, took place in the Corn Exchange, on the 10th, and 

 certainly the promoters have good cause to be congratulated upon the result 

 which was displayed as following their efforts. JS^ever has there been a 

 better collection of vegetables brought together on any former occasion, 

 while the potatoes, onions, and cabbages were far superior to any seen for 

 some years past in the district. One cause of regret was the absence of the 

 worthy president, Charles Porcher, Esq. ; but his place was ably filled by 

 the Hev. C. W. Bingham, and Capt. Kindersley was as usual indefatigable 

 as honorary secretary. The judges of vegetables Mere H. N. Middleton, 

 Esq., and J. F. Hodges, Esq., Mayor of Dorchester. In the council 

 chamber an excellent lot of needlework had been sent for competition, and 

 the office of deciding iipon its merit was kindly undertaken by Mrs. Herbert 

 Williams, Mrs. C. Michel, Mrs. C. Porcher, and Mrs. Warry. At two 

 o'clock a large party met in the assembly-room for the jDurpose of witnessing 

 the award of prizes. The chair was occupied by the Rer. C. W. Bingham, 

 and among those also present were Major-General Michel and Mrs. Michel, 

 Colonel Tapp, C.B., Colonel Pinney, Colonel Binfi;ham and Mrs. Bingham, 

 E. E. Wright, Esq., G. Warry, Esq. and Mrs. Warry, H. JNT. Middleton, 

 Esq. and Mrs. Middleton, Mrs. Pattison, W. Ehot, Esq., J. F. Hodges, 

 Esq., Mayor of Dorchester, Mrs. Balston, Misses Campbell, Hev. T. W. 

 Knipe and Mrs. and Misses Knipe, Eev. J. P. F. Davidson and Mrs. 

 Davidson, Eev. Prebendary Foot and Misses Foot, Eev. E. Ludlow, Eev. 

 C. Tucker, Eev. A. Shirley and Mrs. Shirley, Eev. F. Newington and Mrs. 

 Newington, Eev. E. Headlam, Eev. G-. L. Nash and Mrs. iN ash, Eev. — 

 Eavenhill, Eev. T. Baker and Mrs. Baker, Eev. Dr. Walters, Eev. G. Davis, 

 Captain Kindersley, Eev. B. L. Watson, Mr. L. Luckham, etc., etc. The 

 Chairman in the course of an interesting speech said : — " During the fifteen 

 anniversaries of this Labourers' Improvement Society, there had not been 

 more than one on which they had experienced any difficulty on account of 

 the weather. Every heart woidd join him in saying that they all owed a 

 deep debt of gratitude to the Lord of the harvest, in that he had given them 

 such glorious weather for the gathering in the fruits of the earth in due 

 season, and they ought to feel it more in the present year, because of the 

 very threatening weather which preceded the harvest, and in consequence of 

 the very wet July, which made the heart quake as they saw the fruits of the 

 earth ripening on the ground, and as far as human eyes could foresee, the 

 probability of a wet season. He was instructed by his good friends the 

 judges, to inform them that they had never seen a more magnificent lot of 

 potatoes, and generally of other vegetables, but particularly of potatoes, 

 than on the present occasion. The number of competitors was also conside- 

 rably more than on former years, and the judges stated that they had 

 considerable difficulty in awarding the potato prizes, especially the fluke 

 kidneys, the show of which he was told was splendid. He knew not how it 

 was elsewhere, but in his neighbourhood they found that the fluke was one 



