of Rural Art and Taste. 



355 



too. Verbenas were shown in little pyramids 

 of each variety, which, although beautiful, 

 did not give a fair idea of the size of the 

 trusses ; a quality that should be held indis- 

 pensable. And now we arrive at the Gera- 

 niums ; a family of no mean importance 

 abroad, as well as in our own grounds. There 

 were larger collections in the exhibition of 

 this than of any other one genus, showing 

 that fashion reaches over a broad extent of 

 territory. 



Dr. Denny, whose name has been associated 

 with so many of the finer new varieties of late 

 years, made an excellent display in pots. I 

 noticed, as very striking, the following : Cor- 

 sair^ with an immense truss ; flower of *fine 

 form, an 1 wonderfully brilliant. Col. Wright 

 also has an immense truss, and makes a fine 

 bedder in England. Gen. Out ram is a very 

 intense, deep crimson-scarlet, with a large 

 truss. Thos. Speed was one mass of scarlet 

 flowers, although with rather an open truss. 

 Matilda^ among pinks, was especially fine. 

 M. Re?idatler, one of the finest of the pink 

 varieties, was a very well-grown plant, five 

 feet in diameter. Virgo Maria, pure white, 

 was full of bloom ; and JoJai Williams, a 

 handsome shade of peach, completely hid its 

 foliage with bloom. Some of the above speci- 

 mens, enormous as it may appear, were fully 

 fojir feet in diameter, and almost covered 

 with bloom. The bronze and tricolor Gera- 

 niums were here in great perfection ; and my 

 regret was, that they would not succeed so 

 well with us. Indeed, the leaves were so 

 brilliant in color, and in many instances so 

 wonderfully shaded, as to rival some of our 

 gorgeous tropical flowers. 



Greo. Jackman & Son, whose name has been 

 connected with the Clematis family for many 

 years, showed six of their very choicest seed- 

 lings in large tubs. These were handsomely 

 gi'own and trained on wire trellises, shaped 

 like a globe ; and as they were a mass of 

 flowers, one may easily judge of the efiect 

 they produced. The Fuchsias were the most 

 perfect examples of trained specimens that I 

 had ever beheld. Imagine plants from six to 

 eight feet high, regular cones, and completely 



covered with flowers in every part. The best 

 five specimens consisted of the following varie- 

 ties : Arabella, Fiiritana, Perfection, Rose 

 of Castille, and Queen Victoria. I have not 

 the space to describe all the fine greenhouse 

 plants in this grand exhibition, especially the 

 Orchids ; but as they were generally confined 

 to the newer introductions they, of course, 

 attracted considerable attention. Passing out 

 of this corridor into another, we came to the 

 fruits, fewer in numbers than with us at home, 

 at our finest shows, but each plate fully up to 

 the highest standard of excellence. In fact, 

 nothing else was admitted. 



With the exception, perhaps, of the Straw- 

 berries and Cherries, all of these were grown 

 under glass. In glancing down the full length 

 of the tables, and seeing huge Pine Apples in 

 abundance. Figs, foreign Grapes, and Persian 

 Melons, one might readily imagine himself in 

 a tropical country. Here I was once more 

 favored with a sight of the old Green Gage, 

 now rapidly passing into oblivion with us ; its 

 rather indiff"erent-looking skin giving evidence 

 of the luscious, honeyed flavor concealed be- 

 neath. Among Strawberries, which, by the 

 way, were shown on green moss, was an enor- 

 mous fruit called Souvenir de Reiff. Sir 

 Chas. Napier, a curious cockscomb, was also 

 exceedingly well grown ; and Dr. Hogg, al- 

 though pale in color, is said to be of first 

 quality. 



I never saw finer Nectarines, however, than 

 were on these tables ; they looked like speci- 

 mens of Crawford Peaches, with smooth skins. 



In thus recounting the result of my obser- 

 vations at this great show, doubtless some of 

 my readers may charge me with "snobbish- 

 ness;" but I can assure such, that I have no 

 intention of awarding praise unmerited, simply 

 from a prejudice that everything foreign is 

 superior to our own. Such is, in fact, very 

 far from being the case. We grow, or can do, 

 very many things superior to our co-labor- 

 ers across the water ; but do we take as much 

 pains in admitting nothing beneath a certain 

 standard of excellence upon the tables at our 

 exhibitions ? Here is the great secret. We 

 do not. Hence, our shows are inferior. 



