1S73.] MANCHESTER EXHIBITION. 239 



For 20 kinds of fruits, including Pines, Grapes, &c., there are three prizes of 

 £30, £20, and £12 ; for 15 kinds (open) £20, £15, and £10 are offered; for 10 

 varieties of drapes, £15, £10, and £6 ; for the largest and most meritorious col- 

 lection of vegetables, £12, £8, and £5; for 15 varieties, £10, £6, and £4. 

 Turning to the prizes for plants, we have £20, £12, and £8 ofifered for 12 plants. 

 Cut-flowers, bouquets, and objects of ornament, are to be rewarded with equal 

 liberality. Implements and designs, to be rewarded with medals, are compre- 

 hensively enumerated. In all there are 155 classes, not including a good many 

 rewards offered for bee-culture, honey, and hives, &c. This exhibition, we anti- 

 cipate, wiU be THE great horticultural fete of 1873, and we wish it all success. 

 Mr Bruce Fiulay, the curator of the jSIanchester Botanical Gardens, we need 

 scarcely say, is guarantee for the good management of all connected with the 

 exhibition. 



1 HAVE received a schedule of the " rules," &c., of the International Exhibition 

 to be held at Manchester in September next, and am much surprised to find 

 that the executive committee have virtually debarred Scotch and Irish com- 

 petitors from being present. This will be apparent by referring to the last 

 clause of rule 9, where it says, "All articles must be staged before eight o'clock 

 in the evening of the 2d September, and on no consideration removed until six 

 o'clock of the evening of the 6th." 



Now, be it observed that the 6th of September falls on a Saturday. So how 

 are exhibitors from a distance to get their articles arranged and packed in time 

 to get away that evening after six o'clock ? 



It may be the intention of the committee to provide special trains for those 

 who come from north of the Tweed ; but I have no faith in this, however good 

 their intentions. 



In many instances an exhibitor from Scotland will have to leave not later 

 than ISIonday the 1st ; and by being precluded from removing his articles until 

 six o'clock on Saturday evening, he is practically compelled to remain until 

 Monday the Sth ; and the committee, more especially if composed of practical 

 men, oiight to know that gardeners cannot, as a mle, be so long absent from 

 their duties. Such a clause as the one I have referred to is indeed tantamount 

 to preclude, as I have already said, both Scotch and Irish competitors, and 

 I believe many English ones also, as it tells more against them than it will 

 against the foreign com])etitors, as they are generally represented by their 

 respective agents in this country. 



I would therefore beg to suggest that exhibitors from a distance be allowed 

 to pack up sufficiently early in the afternoon to admit of their reaching home, 

 if possible, the same evening ; and this I am sure covdd be done without preju- 

 dice to the interest either of the public or the show. It was done at the show 

 held at Glasgow last year; and no one, so far as I am aware, took undue advan- 

 tage of the privilege. 



I trust that this reasonable suggestion wiU receive at the hands of the com- 

 mittee fair consideration ; also, that they will be able to give effect to it ; for 

 unless something of the kind be ado^ited, parties from a distance cannot be 

 expected to attend : consequently the exhibition will be deprived of its inter- 

 national character, and will be nothing else than a purely local show. — I am, 



S. W. 



[AVe are certain this is not what is intended by the Manchester authorities, 

 though it may be very inconvenient ; and we believe the difficulty will be met, 

 as far as it can be. — Ed.] 



