48G EDITOE'8 TABLE. 



retain all tlio bloom upon it ? We did i\ot seo a new foreipn grape ; while native grapes 

 iniTcaso in variety, an<l roll njjon iis with a floo<l. Scvt-ral sorts, jiurcly native, i)rouiiso 

 fairly to o()iial the Isabella and (,'atawba, tliough all our <(X])('rtationH forgrapes for the table 

 must be accomplished by actual hybridization witli tlie forcij^ varieties. 



J'rars. — Nearly thirty native sorts were on the table ; these will ultimately cut off all 

 foreigners, with not over a dozen exceptions. The following beautiful sorts were remark- 

 able : Iluwill, Jniirs, Moi/iiiiidisinff, Anilreira, Pr<hli',]\'<iiiltiu<jlon, Philadelphia, and Seokel ; 

 there were several unnamed seedlings of tlie greatest promise. 



Foreign Pears. — Mr. Chambers, of Mount Holly, N. ,1%, contributed the largest variety, and 

 shall we say Mr. Baxter contributed the best. Mr. B.'s fruit farm is something less than 

 half an acre ; and from all the facts and evidences before us, we say, ricli soil and double 

 working suits the pear. Another fact: all pear fruit grown under the inlluence of the city 

 atmosphere, has a finer skin, a brighter color, and their outlines more perfectly developed, 

 than any grown on couTitry lands, however well tended. We have yet much to learn on 

 that subject. Our best growers are only learners ; and the day dawns when only twenty- 

 live to forty sorts of pears will be generally cultivated. 



Apples. — There were only two fairly passable lots. 



Nectarines. — We have never seen the equal of that pile of Stanwicks ; if we were to 

 grow only one sort such, it would be the Stanwick. 



Peaches were good, but iu small variety. There was one new luscious seedling, too small 

 in size for the vulgar eye. 



Vegetables. — This is a vegetable season. Every article was of California size ; indeed, 

 out of proportion, but beautifully fine. This is surely a beet country. The Radish Beet, 

 or new Long Blood Beet : skin, perfectly smooth ; root, two feet long, and finely tapered ; 

 diameter, five inches, with a color as bright as crimson velvet ; crisp and solid. Every 

 gardener and every fruit grower should plant this beet. 



Plants. — The new features were ferns, variegated plants, and hanging baskets ; as many 

 as sixty forms of variegated plants were in the room, and very attractive, from the expen- 

 sive Pandanus to the simple and every-day Hydrangea. Ferns, under good care, have a 

 charm to the cultivated eye, but we doubt of their being the plant for the million. In new 

 ornamental plants not before exhibited, we noticed Eugenia ugni — in fruit, rather small for 

 table use ; and it does not come up to the impression the English have made upon us. Tree 

 Fern, a gigantic affair ; very tropical. Pentas rosea, more distinct than was expected. Dra- 

 rena picta is very elegant amongst the variegated plants, and fully equal to any of that 

 tribe. We must not overlook the highly extolled Pamjias Grass — quite ornamental, but, we 

 fear, too tender for culture north of Baltimore ; for Southern lawns it will answer, as it re- 

 sists heat and drought, is graceful in habit, and attractive in bloom, but far from being a 

 forage plant, as was hoped. 



The whole exhibition was creditable, but we have seen better. Was it not too early ? 



The Premiums. — The premium for the best collection of twenty plants was awarded to 

 Mark Hill, gardener to Mr. Baldwin ; the best, restricted to private growers, to .lames Pol- 

 lock, gardener to Mr. J. Dundas ; and the best collection of twelve plants to C. O'Brien, 

 gardener to the President, Gen. Patterson. Mr. Felton, as usual, had a great display of 

 vegetables, but for once the first premium was carried off by James Jones, gardener to Girard 

 College. The first prize for twenty cut roses was awarded to R. Buist, who presented many 

 noveltie*, as also did Mr. Dreer, wbo obtained the second. A. Frazer, gardener to D. Rodney 

 King, exhibited an ornamental aquarium, very well got up, and also a large colled ion of 

 dried green-house plants. Jerome Graff, gardener to Mr. Stuart, late Mr. Cope's, was again 

 on hand with beautiful blooms of Nelumbrium speciosum, and a fine flower of the Victoria 

 regia. 



J. S. Levering's grapes in pots took the prize, though those from D. Ferguson were little 

 inferior, and a great aciuisition to the rooms. Neither the Diana nor Rebecca grapes made 

 their appearance. Robert Cornelius received a premium for the Concord, which is said to 

 ripen earlier ; but with its strong foxy flavor it is inferior to the Isabella for those climates 

 that wid ripen the latter. The Northern Muscadine or well known red Fox grape, and the 

 Charter Oak, might have staid at home. Mr. Isaac B. Baxter received the first prize for 

 native grapes, among which was a seedling called " Penn," raised from the wild Frost grape, 

 but with handsome bunches ; also the " Ohio," differing little from the Frost. It is remark- 

 able that the first and second premiums for pe-aches should have been both taken by seed- 

 lings ; the first, to J. B. Baxter, was for a very large white variety. The great show of 

 Stanwick Nectarines were from Mr. Stuart's, and took a first prize, as did R. Buist 

 collection of native pears — seventy-two kinds ; the second to Mr. Parry. The best 



