32 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[January, 



society, that he was so ashamed of the action of 

 the committee that he made up the deficiency 

 out of his own private purse; but exhibitors do 

 not always come out so well, and consequently 

 will not bring their best productions to the ex- 

 hibition. 



Last year, at the State Fair of the Pennsyl- 

 vania Agricultural Society, I exhibited fifty dis- 

 tinct varieties of Coleuses, grown in eight-inch 

 flower pots, and, after sending a man to water 

 them every other day during the fiir, which 

 lasted two weeks, I received the munificent sum 

 of $3.00 for my prize — about one-fourth the price 

 of the production of the specimens, and certainly 

 not half the price paid for the plants, as many 

 of them were new varieties. 



Again, look at the Chester County's Agricul- 

 tural Society premium list of the State Fair, 

 held at West Chester in September. For green- 

 house plants (strong growing collections), first 

 prize, $5.00; second, $3.00; while for the Bicycle 

 race the first prize was $20.00; second, $10.00. 

 For designs of cut flowers for table decoration 

 the first prize was $2.00; the second, $1.00; 

 while for the best carriage afghan of zephyr 

 work, which any one could roll up and carry 

 under his arm, a prize of $3.00 was given for the 

 best, and $2.00 for the next best. 



Now this kind of treatment is not very en- 

 couraging for horticulturists to bring their best 

 productions to the various exhibitions, and, as 

 long as the prizes will not cover the expenses, 

 exhibitors will be scarce. 



I- is all very well for those who have the 

 getting up of exhibitions in charge to tell ex- 

 hibitors that it acts as a good, free advertisement, 

 thus bringing their names more fully before the 

 public, etc., etc.; but the most of exhibitors — at 

 least all of the commercial ones — are willing to 

 pay for printer's ink for that purpose, and gener- 

 ally do so. 



EDITORIAL NOT^S. 



Pennsylvania State Horticultural Society. 

 — The annual meeting will be held this year in 

 Harrisburg, on Wednesday and Thursday, 18th 

 and 19th of January, in the rooms of the State 

 Board of Agriculture. The usual programme 

 will be ready shortly. 



State Horticultural Societies. — Most of 

 these have their annual meetings in January ; 

 nnd after a while we shall have requests foru 



" notices," to appear in our January number. 

 It does not seem to occur to all of our readers 

 that the preparation of a monthly magazine be- 

 gins a month before the date of its appearance. 

 At the time of this writing we have no notice at 

 hand of any one of those meetings. We can 

 only say that in former times, when devoted to 

 fruit growing for market chiefly, they were 

 always interesting, but since the most of them 

 have changed from pomological to horticultural 

 societies, and now take in every branch of gar- 

 dening, they appeal to every person of intelli- 

 gent culture, and are more than ever worthy of 

 the support of the best people in the districts 

 where the meetings are held. 



Horticultural Exhibitions. — According to a 

 recent paper by M. Joly, the first horticultural 

 exhibition ever held in France, »vas by order of 

 Francois de Neufchateau, Minister of the Inte- 

 rior. It was held in 1798, and brought out 110 

 exhibits. The Horticultural Society of Paris 

 was founded in 1827 ; held its first exhibition in 

 the orangery of the Louvre, and of the Luxem" 

 burg Palace. Vilmorin had much to do with 

 their success. The grand international exposi- 

 tions of 1855, 1867 and 1878, in Paris, did a great 

 deal to foster and encourage horticulture. 



In referring to the exhibitions of London, M 

 Joly shows how much of the success is due to the 

 enterprise of its leading nurserymen ; and 

 names especially in this connection Veitch, Bull, 

 Sutton, and Carter. He claims that France 

 should be, by virtue of its climate, the garden o f 

 Europe ; but inclines to the belief, that the 

 princely love of flowers is not as great as in Eng" 

 land. He believes that the French horticultural 

 societies have a mission to fulfil in doing more to 

 reach the floral eminence of England. 



Essays at Horticultural Meetings. — The 

 Germantown Horticultural Society had essayists 

 who were appointed at one meeting to prepare a 

 paper for the next. This worked well for a little 

 while, but it was found in time that all the work 

 fell on a few. Now a person is appointed to pre- 

 pare a subject for discussion. The subject is 

 announced at one meeting, to be discussed at the 

 next. In this way the members come prepared 

 either to ask more questions, or to communicate 

 what they may know. A recent discussion on 

 rose culture was especially interesting, from the 

 many good points thrown in by persons who 

 sually say not a word. 



