104 THE FLORIST. 



making a total of 284Z. IO5. Again, for Azaleas, the amount offered 

 last year was 90/. ; this year it is 87/., instead of 60/. and 43/. 10s. as 

 stated in the Gardeners' Chronicle ; and the total amount of prizes 

 offered for both fruit and flowers for 1854 is 190/. 10s. less than in 

 1853. Is this liberal? Is it not a "considerable reduction V The 

 directors of the Horticultural Society appear singularly unfortunate in 

 the preparation of its schedule ; like a ship at sea without compass or 

 pilot, they run first into one danger and then into another. The sche- 

 dule for 1851 was so badly constructed that it led to the ail-but total 

 absence of Pelargoniums. That for 1853 would have led to a similar 

 result as regards Orchids, had not the error been corrected in a supple- 

 mentary schedule, offering to give the "class on strike" what it wanted; 

 and really it had a right to strike, for what can be thought of such 

 prizes as 10s., 20s., 25s., 85s., 50s. offered for the " large collection" of 

 Twenty Exotic Orchids ? — why the weakest provincial Society in the 

 kingdom could not have offered less. And now in the schedule for 

 1854 there is abundant cause for disappointment. Has the Society 

 in view, through the medium of its shows, " the promotion of horti- 

 culture in all its branches," as it professes to have ? Judging by the 

 schedule just issued, it would rather appear to have had an eye solely 

 to make the shows a source of revenue — to get as much by them as 

 possible. It may, however, be fairly doubted whether the author's 

 of such a schedule have taken the best mode of effecting the end they 

 seem to have aimed at. Is it the way to make shows attractive, to 

 curtail (as has been done) the classes for competition at the rate of 

 21 out of 45 ? Ail kinds of flowers have their respective admirers; 

 and it is but right to conclude that the company will bear some pro- 

 portion to the variety exhibited : it is not a case of monopoly ; lovers 

 of flowers, as well as exhibitors of them, are not confined to Chiswick; 

 the former have at Regent's Park an opportunity of seeing a very 

 much more extensive exhibition of them with far greater convenience; 

 and it is a fact that both exhibitors and company now begin to show 

 a very decided appreciation of that convenience, which is in a great 

 measure attributable to the indiscretion and want of liberality on the 

 part of the society at Chiswick. It is well-known that the officials 

 there have long entertained a kind of mania against Florists' flowers 

 (for what reason it is difficult to say) ; and it would appear that they 

 have now obtained the gratification of their dislike in expunging them 

 in toto from the present schedule : it may be the result will be less 

 gratifying than they have anticipated. To have an object worthy of 

 its name, the Horticultural Society should embrace as wide a sphere as 

 possible, and make the shows the means of testing and noticing every 

 thing new, whether it be humble as a Primrose, or one of the rarest 

 of Flora's gems. It may be asked, What should be done ? What 

 should be done ! try a liberal schedule, both in extent of objects and 

 in amount of prizes ; a niggardly spirit is sure to fail ; get the widest 

 possible support by encouraging every class of flower that can be 

 shown ; the humblest individuals have influence, and the object should 

 be to merit the exercise of that influence in favour of the Society, 

 instead of fostering the repellent system so frequently pursued ; let 



