COMPARISON WITH EUROPEAN SHOWS. 371 



nades, and Gardens of Paris, and since well known 

 as the founder and editor of the Garden, and whose 

 impressions of the exhibition were published in the 

 Gardener's Chronicle. After speaking of the Horti- 

 cultural Hall, with its extensive and excellent library, 

 which he thought perhaps the best collection of horti- 

 cultural books he had ever seen, and its arrangements 

 for the various exhibitions, he said that the floral de- 

 partment of the show differed very little from that of a 

 similar exhibition in England, and that 



" The marked feature of the show was its fruit. The hall had 

 more the appearance of a special fruit show in France or England 

 than an ordinary miscellaneous exhibition. The display of apples 

 was remarkably fine ; long and wide tables being densely covered 

 with large and handsome fruit. Many kinds were, however, in a 

 green and imperfect state, inasmuch as the date was too early to 

 see apples in perfection as a class. The pear show was also very 

 fine, I think a few degrees better than we could display in 

 England. It is the custom here to cultivate particular varieties 

 to a much greater extent than in England ; thus the pear known 

 to us as the Williams 's Bon Chretien, and here as the Bartlett, is 

 cultivated everj'where, both for use when ripe, and for preserving 

 abundantly for use throughout the year. It attains a higher char- 

 acter here than in England, generally has not the somewhat dis- 

 agreeable musky flavor it has at home, and is often seen of a fine 

 clear lemon yellow. One dish of twelve Bartletts weighed eight 

 pounds and six ounces." 



Mr. Robinson thought the display of grapes very 

 fine, both native and European kinds covering a large 

 space. The latter were as fine as at an average English 

 show, but not as well colored. The natives, though 

 smaller, looked excellent, but were very objectionable 

 to an English palate. 



Most of the autumnal vegetables of English gardens 



