192 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[June, 



seemed to be his object, the erecting of large 

 buildings, larger than any made heretofore ; but 

 the Exposition as a world's fair will be pronounced 

 a failure by every man who knows what a world's 

 fair ought to be. As an American exhibition it 

 certainly is a very fine one. The Government 

 and States exhibits are the finest and most com- 

 plete displays ever put up of their kind, but 

 foreign nations (Mexico excepted) are very poorly 

 represented. 



Owing to the great distance New Oileans is 

 situated from populous places the attendance is 

 very thin, the gate receipts seldom exceeding 

 $4,000 a day, barely enough to pay running ex- 

 penses. 



Mr. Baker in his excellent article on " Horticul- 

 ture at the New Orleans Exposition," in the May 

 number, speaks in vain to the Northern Horticul- 

 turists. They do not want to risk their goods to a 

 slow Ireight line, especially under the present 

 state of affairs at New Orleans. 



Let us hope that the horticulturists of this grand 

 Union will soon find a better opportunity to show 

 what they can do. Give them a centre easy of 

 access, and we may be sure of an exhibition just 

 as grand, if not finer than any in Europe. 

 Why can't we have an American Horticultural 

 Exhibition ? 19 Broadway, New York. 



[Aside from the difficulties referred to by our 

 correspondent, the adherence to the old-fashioned 

 method of premiums kept away a large number of 

 the best exhibitors. In these days it is of no sort 

 of value to any man to be able to say that he had 

 the " best on exhibition ;" but if the plan inaugur- 

 ated at the American Centennial had been taken 

 up and improved on, the awards would have been 

 of great value. 



That plan was, to state in the certificate what 

 were the peculiar merits on which the award was 

 based. This system does not prevent money 

 premiums or medals of value being also awarded 

 with the certificate if thought desirable ; although 

 money was not included in the Centennial plan. 

 We know of a half score at least of leading Horti- 

 culturists who would certainly have exhibited if 

 such discriminative awards had been made, who 

 would not go a dozen miles with their goods for 

 the chance of a few hundred dollars in premiums, 

 and that be all. We felt very sorry when we saw 

 this old fossilized method of competition, only 

 popular at village fairs, proposed for a grand 

 scheme like this, knowing full well it would be a 

 failure ; but as we have continually pointed this 

 out in our magazine, we thought best not to say 



anything specifically on this occasion, but rather 

 lend what aid our magazine could render to make 

 the affair a success in spite ot this radical blunder. 

 Now that it is over, we may speak more freely, in 

 the hope that other attempts may profit at any 

 rate.— Ed. G. M.] 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Exhibitions by Private Firms. — Mr. B. A. 

 EUiott, of Pittsburg, recently got up a horticultural 

 exhibition on a grand scale, in order to aid a 

 library association. It is a good plan to aid in 

 advancing a knowledge of Horticulture, at the 

 same time it serves a good cause ; and it may be 

 " bread cast on the waters," for which the aver- 

 age business man spends so much. It deserves to 

 be at any rate. The Pittsburg papers speak of the 

 exhibit as being unequaled by anything ever seen 

 in the western part of the State. 



The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. 

 — The Society is very much elated by the great 

 success of their spring exhibition. Though they 

 have been burned out twice, several times 

 drowned out by Jupiter Pluvius, squeezed like an 

 abandoned lemon and tortured by a heartless 

 sheriff, and had no end of other misfortunes, it still 

 rejoices in being yet not only among living things, 

 but on the road to its former glory. It obtained 

 over 300 new members last year. 



Californian Fruits at the New Orleans 

 Exposition. — A large numberof premiums for fruit 

 trees and fruits at New Orleans, were awarded to 

 Californians, among whom the name of Mr. John 

 Rock figures largely. Californians have good 

 reason to be proud of the leading part taken by 

 their State on this occasion. 



Exhibitor of Cactuses at the New Orleans 

 E.XHiBiTiON. — We are informed that the collection 

 of Cactuses, that received so much praise from our 

 New Orleans correspondent, should have been 

 credited to J. H. Erkener, of San Antonio, Texas, 

 and not J. H. Wisher, as the types gave it. 



The American Association of Nurserymen. 

 — The next meeting will be held in Chicago, June 

 17, i8, 19 and 20. The association has been 

 found of immense benefit in bringing the trade to 

 a better standing before the great world of busi- 

 ness, and the mectingsare receiving more and more, 

 yearly, the encouragement of the best representa- 

 tives of the trade. 



