352 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[November, 



mation as this can be given with these magnifi- 

 cent exhibits. The apple exhibit of Samuel 

 Noble was equally "v^ryfine." Friend Noble 

 was explaining to a visitor, as the reporter 

 passed by, that there was an increasing demand 

 for good table apples for late summer, as well as 

 apples for pies and sauce, the general impression 

 being that there is no profit in table apples ex- 

 cept for winter use. And he gave it as his 

 opinion that the Summer Rambo, which he 

 exhibited, was one of the best for this purpose. 

 The Cornell's Fancy, he thought, would beat it 

 in beauty, and was very saleable, but the Sum- 

 mer Rambo was his choice. On the table among 

 the fruits were some fine leaves and flowers of 

 the beautiful scarlet water lily, Nymphsea rubra, 

 and the tiny N. pumila, which has a flower no 

 larger than a hickory nut. This probably came 

 from Mr. Sturtevant, of Bordentown, N. J.; if 

 not, we hope the real exhibitor will forgive the 

 guess. The names of exhibitors are kept from 

 the judges, and are not attached till after they 

 have done their work — perhaps an advantage to 

 them, but not so good for the visitor who loves 

 to go early, before the cut flowers have lost their 

 freshened faces. 



Speaking of cut flowers, it is noticeable how- 

 great is the change in designs since the older 

 times of the society. The work is admirably 

 done. It seems impossible for taste or elegance 

 to arrange flowers more artistically than our 

 florists now do. But somehow it does not seem 

 just the thing that we should be limited to 

 anchors, harps, crowns, pillows and "gates-ajar," 

 and absurd as the wish may seem, we almost 

 longed for the "big whales," "Great Easterns," 

 and other curious articles that constituted the 

 " cut flower designs " of the olden time. One 

 good friend, whose name had not yet been at- 

 tached, and whose number has been forgotten, atw 

 tempted a table design of roses. It must have 

 looked very pretty when fresh, but the bunches 

 of roses being fastened to pegs instead of placed 

 in water vials, were completely withered, though 

 only on the second day's exhibition. It was ap- 

 propriately placed among the funeral designs, 

 as the flowers which composed it were touch- 

 ingly suggestive of the grave. 



A very fine collection of plants, as they were 

 not for competition, fortunately had the owner's 

 name as well as the number on them. These 

 were from Mr. Warne, gardener to Clarence H. 

 Clark, Esq. Though somewhat prej udiced against 

 leaf-plants, from that universal prevalence to the 



almost extinction of the gay flowering plants of 

 the olden time, praise must be accorded to the 

 stocky, well grown specimens of the various forms 

 of veined and marbled Marantas. They will long 

 be popular house plants. There was another 

 fine collection, probably from Mr. Joyce, gardener 

 to Mr. Baldwin. Mr. Joyce had a remarkably 

 fine specimen of the Holy Ghost orchid of 

 Panama. " Remarkably fine" here means seven 

 spikes. He says it only flowers on alternate years. 

 It was at least a great pleasure to find one collec- 

 tion of pretty flowering things in a collection of 

 Gloxinias, which we believe came from Mr. 

 Henry A. Dreer. Much as these have been im- 

 proved of late years, probably few know the ex- 

 tent of the improvement. Spotted, pencilled, and 

 of innumerable shades of color, they are among 

 the most attractive of summer blooming exotics. 

 Space will not permit of further notes. We 

 can only say that President Schafler, Secretary 

 Harrison, Superintendent Andrews and the com- 

 mittee, deserve the thanks of Philadelphians for 

 the very great efTorts to re-introduce the wonder- 

 ful attractions of the olden time. The exhibits 

 were not what they might be if they had the full 

 support of the many amateur ladies and gentle- 

 men who abound about the city, and who, in the 

 old times, did so much — but still there was room 

 for encouragement, and for the hope that the 

 old enthusiastic times would yet come again. 



The Mississippi Valley Horticultural So- 

 ciety. — The third annual meeting was held in 

 Chicago on September 6th. The meeting being 

 called when everybody is at home at local 

 shows or fruit gathering, was not well at- 

 tended. It was decided not to have the next 

 meeting till January, when it will be held in 

 New Orleans. 



Pennsylvania State Horticultural Society. 

 — We have notice that the next meeting of this 

 body, formerly the " Fruit Growers' Society," 

 will be held in Harrisburg on the third Wednes- 

 day in January, 1883. George D. Stitzel, Read- 

 ing, Pa., is President, and E. B. Engle, Marietta, 

 Secretar3\ We feel under obligations to Mr. 

 Engle for this early notice. It is not uncommon 

 to have complaints that no notice has been taken 

 of some societies' meetings. Our magazine should 

 appear on the reader's table about the 1st of each 

 month ; but its contents must go through the 

 editor's hands at least a month before. We are 

 glad to do all we can for horticultural societies if 

 the oflBcers will give us information in good time. 



