1885.1 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



38? 



Too often— and we are not referring now to the 

 meeting of the Pennsylvania Society^there is 

 little more to be seen at a horticultural show than 

 people can see without spending time or money in 

 any ordinary garden, or, perhaps, at a street cor- 

 ner. When a society finds that even heavy 

 premiums fail to bring out the articles that people 

 would certainly flock to see, why not consider 

 what would bring out these excellencies ?— Ed. 

 G. M.] 



OPENING DAY OF THE NORTH, CENTRAL 

 AND SOUTH AMERICAN EXPOSITION. 



BY J. E. WALDO. 



Yesterday was truly a gala day in New Orleans. 

 All business was suspended. Many of the stores 

 were not opened even for the early morning hours, 

 the city devoting itself to the ceremonies of the 

 opening day of the Exposition. Many buildings 

 were handsomely decorated. Bunting was freely 

 displayed in all directions. At an early hour the 

 streets were filled with people crowding to the 

 different railroad and steamboat lines to the Expo- 

 sition grounds, and by 12 o'clock it is estimated 

 that 50.000 people were on the grounds. If the 

 attendance at opening day is to be taken as any 

 manner of augury for the future, then will the 

 Exposition be a grand success. Music Hall, plat- 

 form, chair seating in front of the platform and 

 galleries were filled to their utmost capacity, and 

 while there was no appreciable diijiinution in the 

 crowds on the grounds, this crowd in Music Hall 

 to hear the speeches and listen to the music could 

 not have been less than 12,000. Professor Aquin's 

 band of fifty pieces, assisted by several hundred 

 voices, added much to the eclat of the occasion. 

 Their performances were enthusiastically received 

 and encored again and again. The grounds were 

 in good order, and the spaces in the buildings were 

 allotted weeks ago ; but the hammers and saws of 

 the exhibitors, as is usual in similar expositions, 

 were heard on all sides. Possibly two weeks 

 hence may see some of the exhibitors still getting 

 in position. The management have caused the 

 space in Horticultural Hall, in which the grand 

 fruit display of last year was made, to be laid out 

 as a winter garden, and very tastefully. Many 

 very fine plants, both tropical and semi-tropical, 

 are used in its forrnation. It will doubtless prove 

 very attractive to visitors. But of the policy of 

 thus giving up the effect of one grand concentrated 

 fruit display, and by so doing forcing a dozen or 

 more Iruit displays in different State exhibits, I leave 

 for others to speak. Last year's fruit display was 



grand and very attractive. The divided fruit dis- 

 plays by the different States and territories possibly 

 may be equally attractive. In the large green- 

 house attached to Horticultural Hall our New 

 Orleans florists have some fine displays. • 



New Orleans, Nov. nth. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



The Chrvs.'vnthemu.m Show of the Pennsyl^ 

 VANi.\ Horticultural Society. — As our De- 

 cember number goes to press earlier than others on 

 account of the preparation of the Index for the- 

 whole volume, we have space for but a short ac- 

 count of this admirable exhibition. Even had we 

 time, half the whole numbsr would be required to 

 do it justice ; for, certainly, such an exhibition has- 

 never before been held in our country. 



We may say m a general way, that the improve- 

 ment in growth was very marked over last year. 

 A large number of exhibitors had learned to grow 

 the plants so vigorously, that the heads of flowers 

 were borne on strong, self-supporting stalks, and 

 only a few stakes were used here and 'here to- 

 make the plants proportionate. In a few instances, 

 however, the old plan of using a forest of sticks, 

 was still retained. In one collection where they 

 were extensively used, there were forty-two stakes 

 in the one pot, and almost a whole ball of twine em- 

 ployed to keep each flower in place. 



The first premium of $100 was awarded to Mr. 

 Walter Coles, of Claymont, Delaware. His fifty 

 plants were of irregular sizes and forms, but the 

 comparative absence of stakes was marked, and 

 the plants had on the whole, a natural look. A 

 few of the plants were superb specimens. The 

 majority of the plants had about 200 well-formed 

 flowers on each. One called Jessica, white quilled 

 with a darker strap shaped edge, was about 4 feet 

 high by 4 feet wide. Another yellow, called 

 gloriosum, was about 4x4 feet at the base. The 

 plant had a somewhat conical form, and was- 

 clothed with flowers from bottom to top. In_ 

 globose form there was President Arthur, about 

 3x3 feet, the flowers pink-quilled and about 6 

 inches across. 



Mr. Warne, gardener to Clarence H. Clark, 

 came very close to this collection, but the plants 

 were rather over-trained. These were globular, 

 mostly about 3x3 feet, and each flower trained out 

 so as to show itself to advantage. At a little dis- 

 tance the plants looked like a grand collection of 

 azaleas, so evenly were the flowers arranged. 

 This plan of growing them is well adapted for 



