FOREIGN NOTICES. 



something like Falstaff's bread and sack, but at 6 P. M. we had finished ; yes, after six hours' 

 talk, we 24 had awarded all the prizes, and the abbe, in an eloquent speech, thanked us. The 

 banquet at 7 was attended by perhaps 150, Counte de Cazes in the chair; there was again an 

 immensity of talk, much heat, a very few strawberries for the dessert (about five for each person), 

 and some champagne. Our chairman (I sujipo.-e it is not the fashion here) did not give either a 

 toast or a speech, nor any one else. At 9 all rose from the table, and the proceedings of the day 

 terminated. I visited the show the next day, the 9th ; this was a select day ; the price of admis- 

 sion five francs ; the attendance was, however, very thin, for not more than 300 or 400 visitors 

 were present. There were two or three stands of cut Roses in glass bottles ; the blooms were 

 inferior, for the season here is very late, and but few Roses are in flower. At the entrance Avas 

 a nice group of Chinese Pajonies, in large pots ; these were, perhaps, the most showy plants of 

 the whole exhibition. Two or three collections of Roses in pots, standards and dwarfs, were 

 pretty, but as compared with the pot Roses of the shows in England they were nothing; they 

 were mostly in 8-inch pots, and it was surprising to see them so healthy in pots of such small 

 dimensions. Mr. Standish exhibited a box of bloom of his new Moutan Pajonies, which obtained 

 a piize ; he was also awarded two other prizes, one for Viburnum macrocephalum, and for Sikkim 

 Rhododendrons. A group of hardy Azaleas, small plants in small pots, was gay, as was also a 

 group of Indian Azaleas ; there were three or four collections of Coniferous trees and shrubs, but 

 no large specimens ; these included young plants of some of our newly introduced species. A 

 large collection of hardy shrubs, deciduous and evergreen, in pots, was rather interesting, and 

 pei'haps worthy of imitation, as it brought under the eye many species but little known, yet 

 worthy the attention of those forming gardens. The Pelargoniums were principally fancy 

 varieties ; as groups they were pretty, but I did not see one worthy a second look. The Rhodo- 

 dendrons, in two or three collections, were not worth a thought or a word — the plants were 

 small, and the sorts of a very common description. The Calceolarias were very inferior. The 

 fruit consisted of three or four plates of Strawberries, sorts from seed, and a dozen or so in pots ; 

 some Apples, two or three bunches of jjoor Grapes, a few Melons and Nectarines, the latter I 

 understood came from England. This part of the show was badly arranged, and not at all attrac- 

 tive. On Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, the price of admittance was reduced to one 

 franc, the attendance was still thin, for I should think there was never more than 300 to 400 at 

 one time in the tent. It was singular to find persons belonging to the Society hawking and 

 calling your attention loudly to the catalogues (1+ franc each), giving the names of the plants, 

 and to whom the prizes were awarded. I paid the exhibition a parting visit just before it closed 

 on Monday ; the weather had been cool, and the plants were still quite fresh, except the cut 

 flowers, and the whole, with the large fountain playing in the center, had a pretty effect. I had 

 nearly forgotten the vegetables. There were Cabbages and Lettuces pretty good, but it is in 

 winter vegetables that the French excel ; in summer Lettuces, Cauliflowers, «tc., we beat them 

 hollow. A bunch of Asparagus from Auteuil was, however, remarkable; many of the sticks 

 measured from 4 to 5 inches round, and from 12 to 14 inches long. A tent and yard attached to 

 the show was filled with garden implements, garden chairs, fountains, models of fruits in com- 

 position, very well executed, <tc. As far as I could judge, these flower shows are not the fashion, 

 neither do they appear to suit the taste of the Parisians ; they are too quiet : there is no music, 

 no eating and drinking, and, above all, no noise, which seems an absolute necessary with the 

 French." — An English Looker-on, in Gardeners' Chronicle for June. 



HoETiouLTimAL ExniBiTioN AT CniswicK, June 11. — Tlie Gardeners' ClironicU says: 



" Tlie second meeting of the Horticultural Society took place last Saturday, at Chiswick. The 

 day was one of the best possible in England : the sun shone brightly but fitfully, the flowers 

 sparkled, and the air, as it warmed, was filled with their fragrance ; while the still unsullied 

 verdure of the gardens, which had now acquired its full development and deepest tone, formed 

 the richest possible frame to the brilliant picture. The number of visitors was 7044, among 

 whom was as usual a very large number of persons of distinction. 



" The greatest novelty was a dark-green evergreen bush, called Philesia buxifolia, im 



