1882.] 



AND HORIICULTURIST. 



191 



Horticultural Societies. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



AssoaxTiONS OF City Florists. — In large cities, 

 like Philadelphia for instance, it is only with 

 great difficulty that societies for the encourage- 

 ment of general horticulture can be sustained. 

 Brick and mortar push the gardens far into the 

 suburbs, and the suburb on the north becomes 

 farther away from the suburb on the south, than 

 if there were no great city between them. But 

 the cut flower trade and the trade in plants for 

 temporary decoration, and kindred branches 

 grow on just what the other loses, and becomes 

 in time almost a commonwealth of its own. 

 Recognizing this fact, the city florists of Philadel- 

 phia have determined to see what can be done in 

 the way of forming a sort of City Horticultural 

 Society, in which this sort of horticulture should 

 be the great central idea. There seems to be no 

 reason why such an organization may not prove 

 a success. At any rate the attempt will be 

 watched with interest elsewhere. 



Premiums at Horticultural Societies. — It is 

 veiy hard to keep horticultural societies together 

 under the old system of personal competition. 

 Sooner or later the valuable collection of Jones 

 are withdrawn, because the unfortunate commit- 

 tee decided Smith's were better. Time and again 

 have we called attention to this and insisted that 

 the premiums should be awarded for inherent 

 and not competitive merit. Let premiums be 

 given because the specimens are the best the 

 committee ever saw, and not because they are 

 better than Smith's, and let them be compelled 

 to point out in their reports in what particulars 

 the rewarded articles excel. Then the reports 

 would be worth something to everybody. As it 

 is the reports are worth little but waste paper. 

 We often wish we could help some of these 

 societies by giving their reports a wide circula- 

 tion. But what is the use as it is? Before us is 

 a report of a society in the success of which we 

 take much interest. It tells us that A. had " a 

 fine" Erica; B. " a fine " Cherozema; C. " fine 

 Carnations;" D. "fine Oranges;" E. "fine Tulips;" 

 F. "fine" roses; G. "a neat collection" of cut 

 flowers, and H. simply " a dish " of Mushrooms. 



To those who attend the meetings, the informa- 

 tion is stale; to those who do not, it conveys 

 nothing. 



Maryland Horticultural Society. — This 

 society continues in a prosperous condition, the 

 exhibitors and visitors at the meeting being 

 numerous, and the articles exhibited evidencing 

 high skill. Mr. Robert J. Halliday contributes 

 $100 in premiums of $10 each, $50 twice a year, 

 to be competed for wholly by the gardeners of 

 amateurs. Three of these were competed for at 

 the April show. Mr. F. B. Carroll, gardener to 

 W. H. Perot, gaining one for Azaleas ; W. D. 

 Hamilton, Patterson Park, foliage plants ; and 

 Wm. Smith, gardener to R. W. L. Raisin, table 

 design. 



The Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 

 — The March exhibition was well sustained by 

 exhibits, and the attendance was highly encour- 

 aging. Azaleas and Orchids, seem to have been 

 the chief attraction, though Roses, Camellias, 

 Rhododendrons, Pansies, Primulas, Iris, Cycla- 

 mens, Violets, Heaths, Cinerarias, and innumer- 

 able other pretty things gave a good account of 

 themselves. M. P. Wilder is still as ever actively 

 engaged in sustaining the good work. He had 

 thirtj'^ varieties of Azaleas there. Among the 

 exhibitors, were F. B. Hayes, W. J. Voss, Mrs. 

 Gill, Mrs. Wood, Hovey & Co., Edwin Forbes, 

 Rodney Wallace, Josiah Comley, W. Patterson, 

 Mrs. Pauline Durant, John L. Gardner, John B. 

 Moore, F. L. Ames, C. B. Gardner, John E. Pea- 

 body, Mrs. Wood, James O'Brien, Josiah Crosby, 

 Henry B. Comley, Warren Fenno, A. S. Mcintosh, 

 C. E. Grant. We give these names of exhibitors 

 as showing how well meetings are sustained. 



Germantown, Pa., Horticultural Society.— 

 The May meeting was very largely attended. The 

 chief interest centered in the competition for the 

 premiums for "Wild Flowers." The ladies of 

 the "Botany class of Germantown," exhibited 

 fifty-nine named species, and Mr. Joseph Meehan 

 seventy. Considering the unusual backwardness 

 of the season, the fiict that so many species were 

 collected shows what an admirable field for the 

 botanists is the vicinity of Philadelphia. 



A very remarkable exhibit was a seedling 



