224 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



I July. 



The exhibit of Cactus, etc., from San Antonio, 

 Texas, was entered on the books of Horticultural 

 Department of World's Exposition by J. Wish- 

 ner & Co , and business cards to that effect dis- 

 • tributed at the Exposition, the proof of which I 

 send you. Under those circumstances I don't see 

 what Mr. Erkener has to complain of. He had 

 charge of the exhibit while here. 



Prof. Tracy was warmly welcomed by his many 

 friends on his return to look after the exhibit from 

 his State. 



In my notes from here in the Monthly for 

 June, page 190, mention is made of Dendrobium 

 Dalhouseanum. As it is there I must have writ- 

 ten it so, but the specimen is Dendrobium densi- 

 florum. June sth, 1885. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



The Premium System, as Exemplified at 

 New Orleans. — As a good illustration of the 

 absurdity of the premium system noted in our 

 last, a correspondent says : " A lady knowing I 

 was fond of cactuses bought for me from one 'who 

 has taken ten premiums,' the rare Astrophytum 

 myriostigma, which she knew I wanted. But it 

 turned out to be the common Aloe longiaristata. 

 Heavens ! who competed ? or rather, who were 

 the judges ? Of what value to the community are 

 ignorant awards like this ?" Exactly ; but if they 

 were " the best on exhibition," the judges awarded 

 properly. Now, suppose the committee were com- 

 pelled to give the reasons for their award, which, 

 in this progressive age, we contend they should 

 do, and could say " we make this award for 



, and for that reason," and among others 



could say " in a tribe of plants like cactus in which 

 there is much confusion of names, we found them 

 all accurately determined, therefore we make the 



award of dollars ;" then we have a system 



that would invite exhibitors. A firm that could 

 get the reputation which such an award as this 

 would give, that they had a collection of cactuses 

 true to name, would have a prize worth contend- 

 ing for. 



The"Amekican Garden" Prizes.— The Ameri- 

 can Garden very liberally offered Jioo in pre- 

 miums for new fruits, flowers and vegetables, at 

 the exhibition at Clinton Hall, New York, June i8th 

 and 19th. We received a note with a request "to give 

 it publicity," on the 1 3th of June only. We note this 

 here, because it is a matter of frequent complaint 



that we fail to notice what " we might just as well 

 do," and which we would cheerfully do, if sent in 

 time. 



Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. — 

 The exhibition of Chrysanthemums so success- 

 fully inaugurated last year, is to be repeated this, 

 and is to be held on November 10, 11, 12, 13. A 

 schedule of premiums has been issued which may 

 be had by application to the Secretary, A. W. 

 Harrison, Horticultural Hall, Broad St., Philad'a. 



American Society of Florists. — The first 

 annual meeting of the American Society of Nur- 

 serymen and Florists, will be held in Cincinnati, 

 on the 1 2th to 14th of August. We did not receive 

 notice in time for a more detailed notice of what 

 appears to be a very interesting programme. 



American Exhibition in London. — Mr. Bur- 

 net Landreth, the well-known chief of the Agricul- 

 ture liureau of the Centennial, writes : " As one 

 of the Vice Presidents of the ' American Exhibi- 

 tion ' to open in London May 1st, '86, permit me 

 to call your attention to the proposed horticultural 

 display. As far as it is practicable it is intended 

 to have in the section referred to a comprehensive 

 show of American plants, fruits and seeds, forest 

 products and horticultural appliances. To this 

 end the leading ' English Nurserymen ' have prom- 

 ised to contribute to the full extent of their ability, 

 but there are a vast number of American plants 

 uncultivated in Europe, some of which are beauti- 

 ful as decorative objects and others useful in the 

 arts. These and those of every other class will at- 

 tract much attention both artistically and scientifi- 

 cally, and the display from American nurserymen 

 would result in an increase of orders for horticul- 

 tural objects, not only from ICngland, but from all 

 of Europe and the rest of the world, as anything 

 shown in London is presented to all mankind. 

 The American Exhibition will continue from May 

 to October, and will be held on a space of twenty- 

 three acres near South Kensington. The inten- 

 tion of the organizers of the Exhibition is to show 

 everything that the people of the United States 

 have to sell, with the design of increasing trade. 



"At the same period the British Colonies will 

 hold at South Kensington a six months exhibition 

 to be termed the ' Colonial Exhibition,' and it 

 would seem a wise policy for the nurserymen and 

 foresters of the United States to be on the ground 

 ready to meet the test of competition. 



" Circulars can be obtained by addressing 

 "General Norton, Sec'y Amer. Ex., 

 "No. 7 Poultny, London, England." 



