MONTHLY SUMMARY. 653 



LXXX.— MONTHLY SUMMARY. 



October 1, 1869. 

 Show in September.— Besides the usual exliibitiou of flowers 



there was on this occasion a competition for two special prizes, 

 from which practical results for future improvement were ex- 

 pected. One was the prize 'offered by the Society for improved 

 Conservatory tubs. Notwithstanding that there were a good many 

 specimens exhibited, the beau ideal of a conservatory tub is still to 

 be sought. None of them fulfilled the conditions aimounced as 

 the tests of merit, and the Judges did not feel warranted in 

 awarding the prize to any. The competition, has not, however, 

 been Avholly fruitless ; some good ideas were evolved, and fresh 

 ingenuity may, on some future occasion, elaborate an article 

 which may combine the somewhat contradictory qualities neces- 

 sary for a model conservatory tub, viz : — strength and lightness, 

 elegance and utility, good workmanship and cheapness. 



The other special prize, offered by one of the Fellows for 

 standard growing plants for the decoration of the dinner table, 

 was instructive, not less from the results produced than from 

 those which were absent. If the specimens exhibited showed 

 all that could be done by the combined efforts of the artist, the 

 silversmith, and the horticulturist, then the Exhibitors must 

 either have had their genius fettered by the restrictions as to 

 ^ze, pots, &c., conditioned in the rules for competition, or the 

 inherent diflSculties in placing growing plants on the table are 

 too great to be overcome; — certain it is that the effect was not 

 commensurate either Avith the richness of the material and the 

 beauty of the vessels in which the plants were shown, or with 

 the skill of the cultivators in producing them. 



The show, in other respects, was exceedingly good. A collec- 

 tion of grapes, from the Society's Great Conservatoiy at Chiswick^ 

 attracted much attention, both on account of the perfection to 

 which the bunches had been grown, and the instruction to be derived 

 from seeing and comparing at once no less than forty of the best 

 kinds, some of which are comparatively little known. 



Contributions to the Museum. — A most Interesting donation 



has been made during the last month, consisting of specimens of 



VOL. II. 



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