AND LAWN 



TIMELY TOPICS FOR THE AMATEUR.- XL 



'N the issue of the journal for December, 

 1900, several suggestions were offered 

 that I considered would, if adopted by 

 ^^ our horticultural societies, have a 

 tendency to increase the interest, more es- 

 pecially of our young people, in the culture 

 and care of plants and flowers. 



This being the initial number of the 

 " Horticulturist," not only for a new year, 

 but also for a new century, and as there is 

 very little routine work to occupy the atten- 

 tion of our readers in the flower garden or 

 on the lawn during the winter season, the 

 time is I think very opportune to offer a few 

 suggestions more particularly regarding 

 floral exhibits, that may perhaps be of in- 

 terest to readers of the journal. 



The schedules or prize lists of exhibits of 

 plants and flowers, held ten or twelve years 

 ago, were almost without exception compiled 

 and arranged to meet the requirements of 

 professional and commercial plant and flower 

 growers only. t)ven at the present time the 

 prize lists of most of the large industrial 

 shows, as well as the smaller township 

 shows, that generally include an exhibit of 

 plants and flowers, often entirely ignore the 

 amateur plant grower ; making no distinc- 

 tion between the professional and amateur 

 in this respect. 



This method is manifestly unfair to the 

 amateur, who has perhaps a small collection 

 of window and garden plants, and who is 

 often deterred from exhibiting these from 

 the fact that they are almost certain to be 

 placed in competition with products that 

 have perhaps been cultivated in a greenhouse, 

 or that have had professional skill and care 

 bestowed on their culture. With the rapid 

 advance and more general practice of flori- 

 culture, it has become necessary to remedy 

 this unsatisfactory state of affairs, and I feel 

 sure that it is only necessary to call the 

 attention of our readers to this matter, es- 

 pecially those who take an interest in indus- 

 trial exhibitions, so that it can be to some 

 extent remedied. Our afliiliated horticul- 

 tural societies have in some instances very 

 wisely adopted the plan of a separate class 

 for amateurs and professionals, and have 

 still further sub-divided the amateur class of 

 exhibitors, so as to distinguish between 

 those possessing a greenhouse, and those 

 who have not the advantage of this useful 

 adjunct to floriculture. The late issuing of 

 the schedule also often proves a great draw- 

 back to the success of an exhibit, giving 

 very little time to prepare the plants, etc., 

 necessary to comply with its conditions. 

 In compiling the schedule, opportunity 



