DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



Willard- The ash sawdust is excellent, but 

 we fear in most cases the use of candle boxes, 

 would impart a disagreeable flavor, having had 

 many samples of fruit sent us, of which we were 

 unable to judge at all, simply from their having 

 been packed in candle boxes. Other boxes are 

 easily substitued. Ed. 



Prizes in Hort. Societies.— Mr. Downing 

 — I have read with great attention the article 

 " on the prizes at the horticultural exhibitions of 

 Philadelphia," bya Working Gardener. lagree 

 with him, that if gardeners would interest them- 

 selves a little more (in acquiring first) in diffus- 

 ing a knowledge of the culture of plants, no doubt 

 that it would promote a more general taste for 

 horticulture; but if, there is the rub! — first, the 

 ninety-five hundredth part of gardeners, what- 

 ever countrymen they are, are only gardeners 

 by name, and when by chance half of the other 

 five hundredth fall in with a gentleman who has 

 any taste for plants, they will soon disgust, sa- 

 tiate him by glutting his green-house with weeds, 

 or pretty near the same, the most common sort of 

 plants that are easily propagated and taken care 

 of. If there are any valuable plants on the 

 premises, they will treat them in such way, that 

 in a short time they will send them to the shades, 

 or make such hideous objects, probably hop- 

 poles — specimens grown bj' the yard or the like ; 

 yet you will hear these gardeners complaining 

 that there are " no amateurs." Amateurs of 

 what? In fact, a person must be flower-mad to 

 admire such plants as are daily seen, not only at 

 the Philadelphia shows, which I think your cor- 

 respondent has a little exaggerated, but in most 

 of private and public establishments through 

 the country. The comparison he draws between 

 Chiswick and Regent's Park shows and Phila- 

 delphia, is not quite rational ; in good justice we 

 are not here placed in condition to ask as much 

 of a gardener as in England. Still, though the 

 Hamburghs are red, there are some Americans 

 who have grown grapes handsomer than the 

 " Working Gardener" has ever seen either in 

 England or France, or any other part of Europe. 

 I have not seen the former place, but I have 

 seen some parts of the latter, and nowhere have 

 I seen grapes there, half the size and beauty 

 of those I have seen in America. Now will 

 your correspondent permit me to ask him one 

 question; he says " that in England it is art 



combined with nature, that shows man's ability." 

 In this respect we perfectly agree ; further he 

 says, " nature produces grapes, but in England 

 it is man's ingenuity which produces the color- 

 ing matter in fruits." This may be, but if so, 

 if British gardeners have so much ability, so 

 much genius, are so well acquainted with the 

 laws of vegetable physiology, how is it that in 

 this country, favored by a fertile soil, a bright 

 sun, and a clear sky, they cannot do half — 

 half — not a quarter of what they do there? Yet 

 I think that a majority of the gardeners in 

 America are British ; are the same men who at 

 home, in the old country, draw enough heat 

 from the sun to produce the coloring matter, etc. 



Speaking of the inducements given by the 

 horticultural society, and of the arrangements 

 being too limited in each class class, he com- 

 plains of the society's allowing amateurs to com- 

 pete with nurserymen ; that one who grows a 

 small number of plants has no chance to com- 

 pete with a nurseryman who has thousands. In 

 this respect we widely differ. I, on the con- 

 trary think, he who grows a small collection has 

 more chance to get good specimens, inasmuch 

 as number is not required, but quality ; there is 

 no distinction in what is regarded " the best 

 collection," leaving you at liberty to exhibit what 

 kind of plants you like. I think this is perfect- 

 ly right ; you are at liberty to exhibit what plants 

 you choose, but the society and the committee 

 are also at liberty to judge whether your plants 

 are the best or not. •' I exhibit a few green- 

 house plants and they may be good, but anoth- 

 er who has a little more convenience than me, 

 may add an exotic or two, or an orchideae, and 

 if so, my plants are thrown in the shade." Please 

 tell me Mr. "Working Gardener, Avhat is it you 

 ^\ash more just, that the best collection should 

 take the prize? Do you wish that it be the 

 worst? or do you think that the addition of an 

 orchidcjB makes the number of plants required 

 for competition look worse? Must the queen 

 of plants be an object of exclusion to competi- 

 tion? 



I thought you said gardeners ought to pro- 

 mote the love of flowers, the diffusion of know- 

 ledge, &c? Do you want devotees to Flora to ad- 

 mire only your Pelargoniums, grown in 6, 8, 10, 

 12 inch pots? — in all sizes of pots from two inches 

 up to a hogshead, and so for the rest — 12 pri- 



