500 



Hints. 



Art. IV. Hints. 



Cottagers' Show Articles. — Sir, In the Cumberland Pacquet of May 24, 

 I have seen it announced, that at the show, in August next, of the White- 

 haven Horticultural Society, " a premium from a member of the committee 

 will be awarded to the cottager, not a gardener, whose garden is kept in the 

 best order, combining the valuable properties of neatness and utility." This 

 is a good prbject. as rewards thus offered to cottagers might bring into 

 notice, and rtiake generally known, valuable varieties of fruit, flowers, and 

 vegetables of their raising, now only known to the purchaser, who takes 

 care that no other person is aware of the good qualities of their productions. 

 This I know to be a fact, from personal enquiry and decided proofs. As a 

 further inducement to cottagers to bring to the shows of horticultural 

 societies any vegetable, flowers, or fruit, possessing good qualities, that they 

 cultivate, I would suggest that not only prizes be awarded to exhibitions by 

 cottagers, but that they be allowed to offer at the shows their productions 

 for sale to the visiters. To effect this object with the least possible incon- 

 venience to the officers of societies, I submit the following plan (which will 

 be found a modification of that published from me in Vol. III. p. 419.), in 



order to supply 



the additional ac- 

 commodation re- 

 quired : — Fig. 90. 

 a, a table or 

 counter (sur- 

 rounding the en- 

 trance door), on 

 which the articles 

 brought by mem- 

 bers are received, 

 and off which they 

 are conveyed to 



the stage b, for general ornament and effect j e is the prize table for receiving 

 those articles belonging to members to which prizes are awarded ; /, a door 

 for the admission of the cottagers with their baskets, the baskets to be 

 labelled with the names of their owners, and brought into the room early 

 in the morning ; g g, benches for the baskets of the cottagers, who, as soon 

 as they have placed their baskets on these benches, are to withdraw until 

 the exhibition is opened. When it is opened, the cottagers are to re- 

 enter at/, and they will then find such of their articles as have gained prizes 

 placed on the bench h. They may then negotiate with the visiters for the 

 sale both of their articles which have gained prizes, and those which have 

 not ; but no article must be removed from its place until the exhibition is 

 closed ; neither are cottagers to go into the society's space in the central 

 part of the show room, but to remain behind the benches, as they attend 

 free of all expense. This plan, as its details are few and simple, would 

 give but little trouble to the officers of societies, and much increase the 

 interest of exhibitions to members and their friends, and would, I trust, 

 thereby increase the capability of every society that adopted it to encourage 

 cottagers still farther. I am. Sir, &c. — M. Saul. Lancaster, June 2. 1831. 

 Snieet's " Florist'' s Guide" and a neiv Work on Roses. — Sir, Mr. Sweet, 

 in figuring a beautiful new rose, the Duke of Wellington, in his Florist's 

 Guide for June last, says, " As we have nearly finished our Florist's Guide, 

 we will try to persuade our esteemed friend, Mrs. Kearse (late Miss Law- 

 rance), to begin publishing the roses again, as there are numerous very 

 distinct new varieties and hybrid species that are well worth figuring ; and 

 would, on quarto size, make one of the finest works imaginable." I cannot 

 but express a hope that this suggestion will be attended to, if not by the 



