72 THE FLORIST. 



on the observations of " a Novice," in your ninth Number. The 

 first object of encouragement should be vegetables, as the article of 

 most general use to the cottager; and the best mode of encourage- 

 ment is, not by giving one large prize to the first, and an incon- 

 siderable second prize, but by giving a number ; say a dozen, half- 

 a-dozen, or less, according to the probable number of exhibitors, 

 judging from the population, and the habits of the people to whom 

 the prizes are offered. But let the prizes be on a very graduated 

 scale, as 5s., 4s., 3s., 2s., Is. The next object should be fruit, 

 then flowers ; and in offering prizes for the two former, the useful- 

 ness of the articles to the exhibitor, either for his family or for sale, 

 should guide the framers of the list ; he should be encouraged rather 

 to grow these well, than to seek for new, or rare, and therefore ex- 

 pensive sorts. As to flowers, I would follow the same rule, both 

 as to prizes and as to sorts ; for 1 would encourage none but cot- 

 tagers' flowers ; and w r ould give no separate prizes for Geraniums, 

 Roses, Dahlias, or many other fancy flowers, which encumber the 

 cottagers' prize-lists in some of our horticultural societies. If you 

 do, you encourage the exhibitors rather to cheat by borrowing from 

 their richer neighbours, to steal, or to beggar themselves by spend- 

 ing money in order to be first. 



I firmly believe that nothing tends so much to humanise the cot- 

 tager as to encourage him to love his garden. The taste for gar- 

 dening increases, but I cannot recall an instance where it has existed 

 and decayed. 



In a late Number, amongst the remedies against hares and 

 rabbits, I do not see tar mentioned. A few tarred sticks, placed 

 round the object you wish to preserve, will be found an effectual 

 barrier. At all events, they are in my brother's plantations, in a 

 place desperately open to the attacks of rabbits. 



I have known a small light-coloured worm infest my Pansies in 

 the same manner as stated by your correspondent, " J. Riley ;" but 

 longer in body than he mentions, — half an inch, I should think. 

 They are very fond of strawberries ; for I have often found my ripest 

 fruit nearly full of them; and I know no cure. They are like little 

 whitish worms, but have a pair (or perhaps more, for I am no na- 

 turalist) of feelers at their heads. I have found the same attack 

 Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks. 



January 20. An Amateur. 



POINTS OF EXCELLENCE IN THE PELARGONIUM. 



A cold and cough warrant the luxury of an idle evening ; and 

 my Florist for 1848, just returned from the binder, makes it an 

 agreeable one. The comparison of Mr. Beck's and Mr. Hoyle's 

 views (pp. 6 and 320) on the " Points of the Pelargonium" is inte- 

 resting to every admirer of that flower. Mr. Hoyle proposes that 



