248 THE FLORIST. 



disposition on the part of the people for visiting highly kept gardens 

 and parks is clearly demonstrated by the large annual increase of 

 visitors to the Royal Gardens at Kew. In 1841 it appears 9174 

 persons only visited the gardens, (a less number than attended one of 

 the Chiswick fetes for that year ;) but this number has steadily 

 increased to 405,376, the number of visitors to the Kew gardens in 

 1858. It also appears that no less a number than 1,058,206 persons 

 visited the Crystal Palace and grounds during the months ending 

 Oct. SO, 1858 ; and it must be a most satisfactory fact to all interested 

 in this subject, that the present season will show a large increase in the 

 number of visitors over that of 1858. 



These are facts which clearly prove that the projectors of the Palace 

 of the People have rightly defined the bent of popular feeling in this 

 direction ; and in projecting a Palace and grounds which shall combine 

 every requisite for promoting the enjoyment and instruction of all 

 classes of their fellow men, they merit the support of all interested in 

 the momentous question of improving the moral, and intellectual con- 

 dition of the lower classes, and by making the finest productions of 

 nature and art subservient to educational purposes, will do all that can 

 be done to improve the national taste, and confer a boon on the public 

 which can scarcely be over estimated. Of the stimulus the Palace of 

 the People will give to horticulture, we shall say but little now ; here 

 after, when the details are more complete, we hope we shall be able to 

 show that this important subject has received due consideration, and 

 will be suitably represented by an experimental garden on the one 

 hand, and every feature of scientific application on the other. 



HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



July 12. — Mr. Jas. Veitch's prize of £5, offered for the best exhi- 

 bition of Stockwood Golden Hamburgh Grape, was awarded on this 

 occasion to Mr. Sparey, of Brighton, for three fine bunches of that 

 variety. Two other exhibitions were also entered for the prize, one 

 from Mr, Allport, gardener to H. Ackroyd, Esq., of Doddington Park, 

 !Nantwich, and the other from Mr. Crambe, gardener to the Earl of 

 Ducie, at Tortworth Court, Gloucestershire. The bunches exhibited by 

 Mr. Sparey were produced from a shoot grown from a graft of the 

 Golden Hamburgh, which was put on in April 1858, and which, Mr. 

 Sparey stated, bore this season in all 13 bunches. The three, exhibited 

 were remarkably well grown, both as regards form of bunch and size 

 of berries, all of which were well and equally swelled. The bunches 

 exhibited by Mr. Crambe were likewise very fine ; they were longer 

 than those which gained the prize, but the berries were not quite so 

 large. The specimens exhibited by Mr. Allport were over-ripe. It 

 was stated that the fruit was ripe on the 10th of June, and was larger 

 than that of a very old Black Hamburgh on which it was worked. 



