THE FLORIST. 155 



teously say as much, requesting every body to leave the grounds ; 

 and scarcely have they done this, ere the judges are seen entering 

 in another direction to perform their important duties. But we will 

 go out with the party with which we entered ; and in doing so, out- 

 side the garden -wall, but within the Society's gates, we come to a 

 building, which was closed at our entrance, but is now filled or filling 

 with gardeners, who, presenting a ticket, sign their names in a book, 

 and then take their place at a long table, where they are at once 

 supplied with tea or coffee and cold provisions, all of the very best 

 quality, and in great abundance. The floor above is provided with 

 water, soap, towels, and all the other requirements for exchanging 

 a working face, hands, and clothes for a holiday - suit ; and we 

 believe we speak the sense of the whole body of the exhibitors at 

 Chiswick when we say, that this part of the Society's arrangements 

 is valued in no common degree, as having very greatly conduced to 

 their comfort and enjoyment on these interesting occasions. We 

 have also much pleasure in stating, that we understand the Council 

 are entirely satisfied with the results of this arrangement. Let us 

 not forget to record that many of those enjoying this refreshment 

 have been travelling all night, after a previous hard day's work, pack- 

 ing and preparing ; indeed, some have come as far as from Exeter, 

 and before twelve hours have passed will be returning there again. 



" Not seldom clad in radiant vest 

 Deceitfully goes forth the Morn," 



might truly be sung of the 5th of May, the Society's show-day; for 

 a finer commencement could not have been wished, or a more unde- 

 sirable afternoon. A little after the opening of the gates for the 

 admission of visitors, some premonitory symptoms of a coming storm 

 appeared in a few large drops of rain and dark rising clouds, which 

 were soon followed by thunder, lightning, hail, and rain, sufficient to 

 satisfy the most covetous in such matters. It is needless to state 

 how company coming turned back ; how those that were at the en- 

 trances remained in their carriages ; how all in the grounds sought 

 the shelter of Edgington's new tent ; and how dull was the sale of 

 Gunter's ices and other good things. But to our task of describing 

 the various and beautiful objects of the exhibition ; and in doing 

 this, let us run through the tents in the order in which we have 

 described them above. 



As we entered the first, a group of new plants immediately faced 

 us, the most conspicuous among which was Boronia spathulata, a 

 second-class species, with delicate pink flowers, not unlike those 

 of a Saxifrage. This came from Messrs. Veitch, who had also their 

 Viola lutea, mentioned in the present Number. Proceeding round 

 the corner to the right, we pass some small collections of stove and 

 greenhouse plants, and come to the exhibition of Azaleas, than 

 which we have seldom seen a better. It filled about three-fourths 

 of a side of this tent ; and when viewed from one end, the large 

 columns of white, purple, scarlet, and crimson, occupying the eye 

 in rapid succession, produced not only a grand, but at the same 



