1878.1 



AXn HORTICULTURIST. 



351 



Horticultural Societies. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Pe;n^^\sylvais^ia HorticultuRxVL Society. 

 — The Annual Exhibition was one of the most 

 successful held for some years. The immense 

 hall was crowded every night, one evening five 

 thousand persons having been present. The 

 critical manner in which everything was ex- 

 amined, showed how well adapted these exhi- 

 bitions are for educational institutions. The 

 chief attractions were the huge Ferns, Palms, 

 and leaf plants, which, growing in value from 

 5'ear to 3'ear, excite the envy as well as the ad- 

 miration of those whose pockets are slim, and 

 afibrd an annual treat to the multitude who can 

 here enjoy them. In this particular depart- 

 ment the enterprising firm of Hvigh, Graham & 

 Co., excelled. 



So far as cultural skill is concerned, Mr. Wm. 

 Joyce, gardener to Mi's. M. W. Baldwin, made 

 a decided sensation by his admirable growth of 

 Caladiums. Philadelphia gardeners are cele- 

 brated for their growth of these plants, but these 

 out-did them all. 



The great missing link in the exhibition was 

 in connection with flowering plants. These 

 have almost wholly disappeared.' The only 

 redeeming feature of this kind was furn- 

 ished by a poor woman, who, with her little son, 

 brought them to the exhibition in their arms. 

 It is true they were only Cockscombs, Geran- 

 iums and Balsams, and similar common things; 

 and the Balsam had but three flowers on it, and 

 the pjant was less than six inches high ; and 

 then the plants were growing in cracked tea- 

 pots, little paint kegs and old shells. But it 

 was quite a relief to see plants with flowers as 

 well as great Palms and Ferns, and though no 

 doubt some might have thought these fifty little 

 things poor specimens for a great Pennsylvania 

 Horticultural Exhibition, it is a pleasure to know 

 for flowering plants' sake that the "widow's mite" 

 received a special premium. 



But there was one exhibitor wlio deserves 

 great praise for something really attractively new 

 to an exhibition, Mr. E. Sturtevant, of Borden- 



town, X. J., who made a display of Water Lilies, 

 Nymphiea coerulea, the light blue ; the remark- 

 ably brilliant red X. dentata; and IS,, dentata 

 Devoniana ; and our own sweet white N. odor- 

 ata. This pretty red white and blue combina- 

 tion, floating with their glaucous green leaves 

 in a little fountain made for them, was particu- 

 larly attractive. 



The cut flower department was one of the 

 most brilliant ever made at an exhibition in 

 America. Most of the leading florists in Phila- 

 delphia participated. It is questionable how far 

 into good taste we may go with crosses, doves, 

 crowns, pillows, ships, bells, and so on. Yet 

 the taste for cut flowers is one to be commended, 

 and the arrangements must take some form. 

 All we can say is that if the forms are to be 

 tolerated it was hard to have better work done 

 than was exhibited here. One might wish that 

 some new flowei'S could be introduced some- 

 times. The same white Bouvardias, white Car- 

 nations, white Jasmines, forever and ever, with 

 the one everlasting "Smilax" or Myrsiphyllura 

 is just a trifle dull. Mr. Dreer deserves some 

 credit for the plentiful use of the common 

 Maiden Hair Fern in his Cut Flower work. It 

 was a good change from the prevailing green. 



The Fruits and Vegetables were, on the whole, 

 of the usual good quality seen at exhibitions, but 

 little was offered to mark special progress in any- 

 particular direction. Mr. Ricketts made a fine 

 exhibition of his seedling Grapes, but these have 

 been fully noticed in our paper on former occa- 

 sions. 



Michigan State Pomological Society. — 

 A Detroit, Mich, correspondent, under date of 

 September 21st, says : " The Annual Fair of the 

 Michigan State Pomological Society closed here 

 last evening. It was held in connection with 

 that of the State Agricultural Society. Our 

 awards of premiums in pomology and floriculture 

 amount to S700. The exhibit of fruits was very- 

 fine in all the departments. The Peaches, Plums 

 and Pears were especially noticeable for the very 

 large size and great beauty of many of the speci- 

 mens." 



