SALE OF TUB Sl'RINOBROOK COLLECTION. 



were in too {rreat quantity for the number of buyers, and tiiough the bidding was 

 for a time quite spirited, and they realized fair i»rices, tliey eventually fell to a low 

 rate, and, on the whole, went at a great sacrifice. The rarer kinds of Orchidea 

 realized prices varying from $3 to $11. A small specimen of the Elephant's Foot 

 brought $15. A large number of rustic hanging baskets of very sinijile construc- 

 tion, but filled with beautiful, yet mostly common jjlauts, brought very good i)rices. 

 This should encourage gardeners to prepare for the demand for these articles, which 

 is increasing every day. The new pro])rietor (Mr. Stuart), and Mr. Dundas, of 

 Philadelphia, kept the lead in the Orchidea ; many fine si)ecimons of these, how- 

 ever, and of the miscellaneous plants, were bought by Mr. Starr, of Camden, 

 N. .1. Among the purchasers of the latter description, were Mr. McIIenry, of 

 Baltimore, Mr. Shipley, of Wilmington, Del., ]Mr. T. J'. IJarton, of Montgomery 

 Place, X. Y., and Gen. George Cadwalader, Mr. J(jseph Harrison, and Mr. John 

 Bohlen, of Philadelphia, and Mr. Stuart. !Mr. G. W. Carpenter, of Germantown, 

 was a liberal purchaser of Camellias, the largest specimens of which, however, 

 ranging from $19 to $30, were bought by Mr. W. II. Stewart, of Torresdale. 

 Mr. T. Meelian, of Germantown (formerly gardener to Mr. Cope), became the 

 possessor of the Cactuses ; this extensive family produced $400. 



Thus has fallen one of the finest collections of plants iu this country, all of them, 

 with a single exception, being entirely dispersed. We sincerely trust that ]Mr. 

 Cope will find that health in his native Pennsylvania mountains, which the cares 

 of a long life of successful business activity seemed likely to deprive him of, and 

 in his retirement from the details of his horticultural experiments, we are quite 

 sure he will carry with him the gratitude and esteem of every lover of plants in 

 the Union, for whom, and for whose cause, he has accomplished so very much. 



It would be unjust to the merits of Mr. Cope's late gardener (Mr. Jerome Graff), 

 did we fail to notice the excellent order and superior neatness of everything under 

 his charge. It was the theme of general remark, and left a deep impression of 

 Mr. Graff's talents and abilities. Examples of neatness are but too rare in all 

 countries ; the opportunity of inspecting what care and attention can effect, has 

 not been lost, we are confident, upon the succession of visitors who were ou the 

 ground for the three days of the sale. 



The bringing of these extensive conservatories and greenhouses to the hammer, 

 affords several topics of interest to the lover of flowers. It is desirable to know, 

 for instance, the value, tested by a public sale, of such a private collection, so long 

 and carefully kept, and to notice the variation of prices in a succession of years; 

 some improve by age, but others depreciate with increased cultivation. 



The entire collection realized $3,500, a sum which must be deemed very satis- 

 factory, showing, as it does, that such an investment is not thrown away, if, indeed, 

 it may not produce much more than the first cost of the plants, and this is cer- 

 tainly not discouraging to the incipient builder of greenhouses. 



The Camellias, Cactuses, and Orchids, sold very low as compared with former 

 sales. At the closing, for instance, of the Landreth plants, a Camellia Landrethii 

 brought $45 ; the same bush, having the advantage of age and increased size, 

 produced but $19. The highest price given for a AVHiite was $21 ; an Imbricata 

 brought $30, and a Myrtifolia $24, while a few AVhite, about eighteen inches high, 

 worked plants, were bid off at twenty-five cents. The truth is, there were so 

 many plants to sell, that purchasers became weary of attendance. 



The cheapest plant sold was perhaps the Agave Americana, for $50 ; three 

 times that sum would have been given for it, but that it is so unwieldy. Smaller 

 ones brought $25. 



The sale demonstrates another thing ; that still plenty of devotees are pursuing 



