294 THE FLORIST. 



There was very little in connection with the general exhibition calling 

 for special notice. The usual amount of indifferent cultivation peculiar 

 to country exhibitions seems to have been displayed, and very much 

 has yet to be learned. There were some good plants from the Botanic 

 Gardens, and from Messrs. Austin and M'Aslan's nursery, but the 

 plants and flowers generally were of inferior quality. One feature, 

 however, connected with the show, does command our notice. 

 We allude to a silver cup offered by Messrs. Syme and Mid- 

 dlemas, of Glasgow, for 9 spikes of Hollyhocks, 12 Dahlias, and 

 12 Pansies. This was won by Mr. Wm. Gow, gardener to Robert 

 Adie, Esq., of View Park, near Uddingstone, four others competing 

 with him. So good a prize should have called forth better competition, 

 but the bad season for Dahlias and Hollyhocks no doubt sadly 

 interfered. 



OPEN BRICK WALLS V. PROTECTION. 



It appears from the opening of this case for the prosecution that 

 plaintiff" has occupied a very prominent position in connection with horti- 

 culture for some centuries in the British Isles, and having, with but 

 few exceptions, performed the duties imposed upon him in a satis- 

 factory and economical manner, would always have continued to do so 

 without a murmur, had the same attention been paid to him as at 

 the onset ;" but defendant, a mere youth, comparatively speaking, has 

 of late years insinuated himself into the notice of many of our horti- 

 culturists under promises which certainly would sound very favourable, 

 as they were to the effect that if they would but employ him (defendant) 

 they would be sure of good crops, no matter how they planted their 

 trees, only that their roots were somewhere in the ground ; and no 

 matter whether they attended to their borders, or thinning, stopping, 

 or ripening the wood, or, in fact, their trees might be allowed to grow 

 just as they pleased, but a good crop would infallibly be the result, if 

 defendant were only employed in some one of his garbs ; for be it 

 understood, he assumes various aspects — sometimes he puts on a glass 

 structure called an orchard-house ; sometimes another called a glass 

 wall ; other dresses he calls " frigi-domo," nets, mats, canvas, fir 

 branches, straw ropes, &c., &c. Now all these things tended to 

 dampen and throw plaintiff" very much into the shade, and he feared in 

 a very short time into oblivion ; but as he did not wish to take any 

 undue advantage over defendant, it ^as decided to await patiently 

 till the issue of some very unpropitious season should enable the latter 

 to test his capabilities to the utmost, and as it is allowed by all that the 

 spring of 1856 was an extraordinarily unpropitious one, plaintiff" decided 

 that the time was come for him to endeavour to vindicate his cause : — 

 hence the present action. 



Some discussion here arose as to whether the evidence could be 

 admitted in the manner it was brought forward, viz., by circular letters 

 distributed indiscriminately through the country, soliciting the required 



