as THE FLORIST. 



which the world never saw — the one at Gore House (the last he saw) 

 surpassing all others " (does he mean in its resemblance to a race- 

 course ?) ; and he winds up the letter with saying that he and his 

 friends are willing — and he hojies the Fellows generally will be so too — 

 to subscribe funds to put the Council so nicely at tlieir ease that they 

 may think of something else than the readiest way of providing ways 

 and means. Don't they wish he may doit? But, seriously, it is an 

 unmerited insult to the exhibitors generally to say tliat the shows have 

 degenerated. The Society has for many years reaped a considerable 

 revenue from the shows, whilst the exhibitors have rarely received in 

 prizes enough to cover the expenses of carriage, to say nothing of the 

 expenses of cultivation ; and as a large number of exhibitors are nur- 

 serymen, whose legitimate object is business and profit, it is very 

 irrational to upbraid them for requiring that some portion of the money 

 they work hard to gain should reach their pockets. If " F. H. S." is the 

 best advocate and adviser the Council have in this their time of difficulty 

 may they not well say " Save us from our friends ? " 



The decline in the attendance at the shows dates from the time, and 

 has gradually increased since, the unwise conduct of the Executive in 

 refusing any encouragement to seedlings and florists' flowers, which 

 were always much more attractive to the company than plants of 

 greater pretensions ; in confirmation of this, it is only needful to 

 remark that, generally, the splendid plants of Ericse failed to gain more 

 than a passing glance, because the same plants were so constantly seen 

 at all the shows ; but it was not so with the seedlings and florists' 

 flowers : they always attracted attention from a large number of the 

 visitors, and, in a commercial point of view, they were generally the 

 most valuable plants in the show. 



What the decision of the Council may be for the future I know not, 

 and whether the garden at Chiswick should be abandoned or not I don't 

 feel disposed to give an opinion ; but if they continue to hold the shows, 

 I would urge the Council to adopt a course that will secure the widest 

 support, by making the shows attractive as well as splendid, encouraging 

 seedlings and new flowers of all kinds ; and I shall be glad to see at all 

 the Metropolitan shows a more extended encouragement given to 

 florists' flowers and seedlings ; the expense is trifling, whilst the number 

 interested in them is great. 



Florist. 



LIGHT: ITS INFLUENCE ON VEGETATION. 



How wonderful is the contemplation of the mysterious agency of light 

 on the surface of the globe ! And while its effects are everywhere 

 evident, how little do we know of the principle by which, unseen, such 

 mighty changes are effected through its influence on organic Ufe! Man, 



