May 27, 1809. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



353 



framework of lattice covered with Ivy, Clematis, and other 

 climbers formed a ennopy over it. Descending a wide lliKht 

 of steps leading to tliis temporary Rarden, a broad walk led 

 awuy on citbor side round a mass of well-tlowored ])ot Koses. 

 Wo shall not follow the oourtiO of these walks, nor attempt to 

 describe the details of the design, for no amount of description 

 can convey an exact idea of it. In the whole lenRth there were 

 two lakes, each witb a,/i'/ d'cau risioR to the heijjht of :iO feet, 

 which kept constantly playing, and the margins of these lake« 

 were planted with aquatic plants. A rustic bridge formed of 

 birch with bark of silvery whiteness crossed each of them, and 

 we never saw in the same space a lake and a rustic bridge tell 

 with more eiiect, so well proportioned were they, and so well 

 did they harmonise with their surroundings. At the extreme 

 north end of the buildiug a fall of water was made to play over 

 the objectionable tufa wall. The only object that marred the 

 harmony of the whole was a pavilion too largo for the place it 

 occupied, which was erected on one side, and in the centre of 

 the length of the building. It was much too prominent an 

 object, and intruded so far into the body of the Exhibition as 

 almost to amount to an obstruction. Taking the arrangement 

 as a whole, it was well conceived and succcstfuUy carried out. 



As regards the quality of the plants that constituted the 

 Exhibition we cannot say a great deal. It is true wo did not 

 and could not expect to see the representation of those huge 

 Azaleas, those oceans of Pelargoniums, those long banks of 

 Orchids, those forests of Rhododendrons, and that brilliancy of 

 colour that dazzles the eye and awakens the admiration in our 

 exhibitions at home. With the exceptii^u of the Palms, tree 

 Ferns, P.mdanuses, Drac;iina5, and other of the plants with 

 ornamental foliage, the great majority of what was employed to 

 make the Exhibition were masses of small plants grouped 

 together with effective skill. Further on we shall allude to this 

 subject more in detail. 



The formal opening toolc place on the 17th of May by a solemn 

 and impressive religious service. A Te Dcnm was sung, after 

 which the officiating priests formed a procession, sprinkling the 

 plants with holy water, the choir following and singing as they 

 went, after which the nomination of the Juries was proceeded 

 with ; and it was expected, as no doubt it easily might have 

 been, that the judging would have been completed the same 

 day. But here it was that the management broke down, for 

 when the .Juries proceeded to exercise their functions it was 

 found that none of the subjects for competition were numbered, 

 and consequently neither classes nor numbers could be found. 

 The whole of Monday, therefore, was a blank. We mention 

 this more as a warning and as a guide to others who may have 

 to undertake the direction of such exhibitions than for any 

 other purpose, for delays such as these, where so many Jurors 

 are collected from distant parts, and who are desirous of per- 

 forming the duties of their office that they may be free to em- 

 ploy their time otherwise, lead to irritation and disappoint- 

 ment. It was evident that the arrangements in this department 

 of the executive were very deficient, and this arose from those 

 who ought to have been acting as directors of others taking 

 upon themselves the execution of minor details. Even up till 

 the third day the members of the Jury were not free from 

 attendance on their judicial functions. It ought always to be 

 borne in mind by the projectors of these exhibitions, that the 

 real object of visitors from foreign parts undertaking long and 

 in many instances very expensive journeys, the cost of which 

 they themselves have to defray, is not so much to see an exhi- 

 bition of plants as to form the personal acquaintance of those 

 whom they only know by correspondence, and to strengthen 

 friendships already formed. We will undertake to say that not 

 one of the visitors from the West to St. Petersburg, except 

 those who went as exhibitors, and not even some of them, was 

 induced to undertake so long a journey for the sole purpose of 

 seeing this exhibition ; and therefore every preparation onght 

 to be made that no delay should take place in enabUng them 

 to economise their time. 



There is another lesson may be learned from the experience 

 of this Exhibition, and that is the importance of placing in the 

 hands of visitors on their arrival a programme of all that is 

 intended to be done during the continuance of it. Every 

 person then knows how to dispose of his time and what engage- 

 ments to make. In the absence of such a document all is 

 uncertainty and hesitation, and much valuable time is wasted. 

 Unfortunately much inconvenience arose here from the absence 

 of such an arrangemm', the only intimation of what was to be 

 done being given the day previously, sometimes not always 

 accaiately ; and while some received the intimation, there were 



many who were in total ignorance of what was going on. The 

 announcement that the Emperor would receive the visitors at 

 the Tzarskoo Celoe was printed only in Russian, which few 

 could read, and it was by the merest accident that those nnac- 

 quainted with that Iai)guH;;o became aware of the fact. We 

 mention these cases in the kindest possible spirit, and without 

 any rtlleoliun upon our exceedingly kind and hospitable friends. 

 Other international exhil)itiona are announced and some con- 

 templated, and it is by the experience of the past that errors 

 in the future may be avoided ; and it is with this view that we 

 now refer to the subject, that these inconveniences may be 

 remedied. 



On Monday, the 17th, the Exhibition wag opened to the public. 

 The foreign visitors who had received decorations for distin- 

 guished merit, and those holding official rank, appeared en urande 

 tiinnc. A brilliant assemblage of Russian officers, among whom 

 was the able and amiable General Todtleben, were in attendance, 

 and precisely at one o'clock the Emperor appeared. His Im- 

 perial Mnjesity was received by Admiral Greig, the excellent 

 President, and other officers of the Society, and after a short 

 pause on the platform Uis Majesty made a circuit of the Exhi- 

 bition, hardly pausing till he came to the annexe in which the 

 tender plants were. Here he rested, and complimented M. 

 Linden and M. A. Verscliaffelt, and continuing his course he 

 stopped in front of the Orchids of Mr. Robert Warner and 

 Messrs. Veitch & Son. After a few words of well-merited 

 commendation His Mjjesty pursued his course, and retired 

 from the building amid the cheers of the company present. 



On Tuesday, after the morning spent in further judging, the 

 members of Jury were invited to the Taurida Palace, an un- 

 occupied residence of royalty, possessing little interest. But 

 here a sumptuous dcjri'iner was provided, and everything done 

 to render the visit of their guests to St. Petersburg agreeable 

 by the authorities of the Society. Here again the absence of 

 such a programme as we have indicated was apparent in its 

 results. No invitation had been given to an entertainment, 

 and several of the visitors, who knew that the old Taurida 

 possessed in itself no attractions, thought it better to employ 

 the time in visiting objects of far greater interest. This gave 

 rise to a feeling of disappointment on the part of the enter- 

 tainers, that some whom they wished to have seen present were 

 unfortunately absent. 



In the evening the first meeting of the Botanical Congress 

 was held in the Library of the Admiralty, under the presidency 

 of Professor Fenzl, of Vienna. At this meeting it was an- 

 nounced that the Emperor would receive the members at 

 Tzarskoe Celoe at one o'clock on the following day. Accord- 

 ingly the next morning there was a rush to the railway, and 

 about eleven o'clock the train deposited its living freight at the 

 pretty station of the imperial residence. Here royal carriages, 

 chars-a-bane, and drosoljkies in ample number were in waiting, 

 and under the direction of Admiral Greig conveyed the visitors 

 to the domain surrounding the Tzarskoe Celos. The season 

 was as yet very early, the Lilacs not in leaf, and the Oaks 

 barely budding. The Caragana hedges were cautiously unfold- 

 ing their graceful downy foliage, and though the sun was hot, 

 the general aspect of all around was that of retiring winter 

 and coming spring. Abundance of handsome, well-grown 

 Spruce preserved verdure to the landscape, which was far from 

 having anything of the dreary look of winter, and the young 

 grass just sprouting, and an abundance of wild flowers, helped 

 to enliven the scene. Through this beautiful domain, so skil- 

 fully and BO tastefully planted by the Empress Catherine, the 

 numerous visitors were conducted, visiting the orangeries, the 

 splendid lake, the boat house, with its great variety of boats, 

 the armoury, containing objects of great value and interest, 

 and finally landing at the palace itself. Here they were eon- 

 ducted up a double flight of wide and handsome white marble 

 stairs to a suite of public reception rooms, magnificent in 

 all the splendour of gold and silver and of rich decoration, 

 and the floors subjects of the most exquisite workmanship. In 

 one of these rooms the delegates from governments and socie- 

 ties were selected from the rest of the mass for presentation to 

 His Imperial Majesty. They were ranged according to their 

 nationalities, and after waiting some time each was in the 

 first instance introduced to the " Ministre des Domaines." 

 This over, they were informed by the Minister that the Em- 

 peror would hold a reception in the Jardin Reserve, and thither 

 all were conducted, and standing en the terrace His Majesty 

 was observed ready to receive them. Each of the delegates 

 was in turn presented by Admiral Greig, and His Majesty, ac- 

 companied by the Empresf, entered into conversation with 



